How to Install Agent Skills from the Official Anthropic Repository

The official Anthropic skills repository at anthropics/skills is the canonical source for production-ready Agent Skills. With over 110,000 stars, it is the largest and most trusted collection in the ecosystem.

This guide walks through finding the right skill for your task and installing it correctly.

What You Need Before Starting

• Claude Code CLI installed and authenticated
• A project directory where you want to use the skill
• Basic familiarity with terminal commands

Verify Claude Code is working:

claude --version

Step 1: Browse the Repository

Open github.com/anthropics/skills. The repository organizes skills into directories by category. Each skill directory contains:

• SKILL.md — the skill definition (name, description, instructions)
• scripts/ — optional executable scripts
• references/ — optional reference documents

Spend 2 minutes scanning the README. It lists available skills with one-line descriptions. Look for something that matches a task you actually do regularly, not something you think you might need someday.

Step 2: Pick a Skill You Will Actually Use

Common starting points:

The mistake most people make is installing everything at once. Install one. Use it for a full day. Then decide if you need more.

Step 3: Install the Skill

Use the Claude Code CLI to add the skill:

claude skill add --from-github anthropics/skills/<skill-name>

For example, to install the git commit skill:

claude skill add --from-github anthropics/skills/write-git-commit

Claude Code clones the skill into your local skills directory (usually ~/.claude/skills/). The skill is now available in every Claude Code session.

Step 4: Verify the Installation

Start a new Claude Code session and check that the skill loaded:

claude

Inside the session, ask Claude about available skills:

What skills do you have loaded?

You should see the skill you just installed in the response.

Step 5: Use the Skill in a Real Task

Do not test the skill in isolation. Use it as part of your normal work.

If you installed write-git-commit, make some code changes, then ask Claude:

Commit these changes

Claude will use the skill to write a structured commit message that follows conventions. You did not have to type the format yourself.

If you installed create-react-component, ask:

Create a UserProfile component with name, email, and avatar props

The skill ensures the component includes proper TypeScript types, a test file, and follows consistent patterns.

Common Problems

"Skill not found" error

The skill name must match the directory name in the repository exactly. Check the spelling against the GitHub directory listing.

"Permission denied" on install

Your Claude Code CLI may need to be re-authenticated:

claude login

Skill loads but does not activate

Skills activate based on context. If Claude does not use the skill automatically, explicitly mention the skill's purpose in your prompt. For example, "use the code-review skill to review my changes."

What to Do Next

Once you have used one skill successfully for a day, browse the repository again. You will notice skills you skipped before now seem relevant because you have a concrete use case for them.

Install a second skill. Repeat the process. Build your personal toolkit incrementally, not by batch-installing everything.

Found this useful? Browse the SkillMap leaderboard for more curated Agent Skills.