# Create Skills > How to create new skills to refer back to later. This is a great, structured way to learn and grow your abilities! Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/create-skills` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/create-skills` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/create-skills/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/create-skills --- # How to Create Skills ## What Skills Are Skills are persistent how-to documents about capabilities — things you can DO. They capture reusable techniques, tool usage patterns, search strategies, document formats, and other procedural knowledge. If you learn how to do something non-trivial that you'll likely do again, make it a skill. Skills are NOT for project-specific notes, research findings, observations, or contextual knowledge. That stuff goes in your notebook (index.md). The distinction: skills teach future-you HOW to do things; notebook entries tell future-you WHAT you know about things. ## Structure Each skill is a self-contained folder under `.claude/skills/`: ``` .claude/skills/ skill-name-slug/ SKILL.md <-- The skill doc (YAML frontmatter + markdown) helper-script.sh <-- Any associated files colocated here template.md <-- Templates, examples, etc. ``` All files associated with a skill live in its folder. Keep things colocated. ## Steps to Create a Skill 1. Create the folder: `.claude/skills/your-skill-name/` 2. Write `SKILL.md` with frontmatter and content using the Write tool 3. Colocate any associated files (scripts, templates) in the same folder ## How Claude Code Discovers Skills Claude Code automatically discovers skills in `.claude/skills/`. Each skill needs: - A directory under `.claude/skills/` - A `SKILL.md` file with YAML frontmatter containing `name` and `description` Once created, skills appear in the system reminder at the start of every conversation. They can be invoked with the `Skill` tool, which loads the skill content into context. No manual registration needed — just create the files and they're live. ## Tips - Be kind to future-you: write clearly, include examples, note pitfalls - If a skill has helper scripts or templates, put them in the skill folder - Keep descriptions concise but specific enough to trigger recall - The `description` in frontmatter is what Claude Code shows in the skill list — make it useful for deciding when to invoke the skill --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/adamrdrew) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.