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Claude skills: the most installed, and how to add them

Skills are folders of instructions that teach Claude a task. The most installed ones, and how to add them in Claude Code, Claude.ai, Codex or Cursor.

A Claude skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file of instructions, plus optional scripts and reference files, that Claude loads only when your request matches its description. The same open format works in Codex, Cursor and other agents.

Also called Agent Skills, Claude Code skills, SKILL.md, Codex skills.

A Claude skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that teaches Claude how to do one task. Claude reads only each skill's name and short description until a request matches, then loads the full instructions. The format started at Anthropic and is now an open standard, so Codex, Cursor and other agents read the same folders.

More

Read more in what Agent Skills are.

Claude skills are folders of instructions, scripts and files that teach Claude one task, loaded only when your request needs them. Install one by copying its folder into your skills folder, or with a single command, then just ask for the task.

The one thing to know first: a skill can tell Claude to run code on your machine. Anthropic advises using skills you wrote or got from Anthropic, and reading every file of any other skill before you install it.

Claude Code. Put the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for every project, or .claude/skills/ for one project. Anthropic's own skills install as a plugin: run /plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills, then pick document-skills or example-skills. Most skills on the list below also install with the open skills CLI, npx skills add <owner>/<repo> --skill <name>; add -g to make a skill available in every project.

Claude app (claude.ai and desktop). Anthropic's Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF skills are built in for every user. To add your own, zip the folder, open Customize > Skills, click + and choose Create skill, then Upload a skill. Skills work on every plan, Free included, once code execution is on in Settings > Capabilities. Skills you add in the app do not appear in Claude Code or the API, and the reverse.

Skills in Codex. Codex reads the same SKILL.md format. It looks in .agents/skills inside your repo and in ~/.agents/skills for you. Type $skill-installer and a skill name to add one from OpenAI's curated set, or ask it to fetch one from any GitHub repo. Run /skills or type $ to call a skill by name. Skills work in the Codex CLI, the IDE extension and the ChatGPT desktop app. OpenAI publishes its own in the openai/skills repo.

Cursor finds skills in .cursor/skills and .agents/skills, and also reads .claude/skills, so one folder can serve Claude Code, Codex and Cursor.

Where to find them. Anthropic's repo is the safest place to start. skills.sh is an open directory run by Vercel that counts installs; the lists on this page use its numbers. The most installed skills plan your work (grill-me), drive a browser (agent-browser, playwright-cli) or improve UI design (frontend-design, Taste Skill).

Good for

  • Claude Code users who want Claude to follow a set routine
  • Codex and Cursor users, who can run the same skills
  • Claude app users who want files and reports done one way
  • Anyone looking for a skill before writing their own

From Anthropic

Most installed skills with a full guide

Skills we have written a full guide for, ordered by installs on skills.sh as of November 2, 2026, with GitHub stars shown beside them. Skills with more than 5,000 installs per GitHub star are left out as likely inflated.

  1. 1
    grill-meSkill

    Makes Claude interview you about a plan, round by round, until every decision is settled. A good first skill: plain text, no scripts.

    309,237 GitHub stars
  2. 2
    agent-browserVercelSkill

    Lets your coding agent open a real browser to click, fill forms and take screenshots. Vercel's CLI does the work; the skill teaches the agent to use it.

    45,140 GitHub stars
  3. 3
    frontend-designAnthropicSkill

    Anthropic's design skill. Claude plans a palette, type and layout before writing UI code, so pages look less like stock AI output.

    186,362 GitHub stars
  4. 4
    Taste SkillSkill

    Art direction for web pages: picks a visual direction, writes copy first and checks the result in a browser.

    107,631 GitHub stars
  5. 5
    UI UX Pro MaxSkill

    A searchable design database of styles, palettes and font pairings that your assistant consults before it writes UI code.

    143,821 GitHub stars
  6. 6
    skill-creatorAnthropicSkill

    Anthropic's skill for writing your own skills. Claude drafts the SKILL.md, tests it against a run without the skill and shows the scores.

    186,362 GitHub stars
  7. 7
    ImpeccableSkill

    Design review commands such as critique, audit and polish that score your UI and list fixes.

    99,312 GitHub stars
  8. 8
    playwright-cliMicrosoftSkill

    Microsoft's CLI that lets a coding agent drive a real browser with short shell commands to test web apps.

    14,853 GitHub stars
  9. 9
    webapp-testingAnthropicSkill

    Anthropic's skill that has Claude write and run Playwright scripts against your local web app.

    186,362 GitHub stars
  10. 10
    HerdrSkill

    Lets Claude control Herdr, a terminal tool that runs several coding agents side by side.

    47,289 GitHub stars
  11. 11
    gstackSkill

    Garry Tan's slash commands that make Claude Code act like a product team: idea review, code review, QA and shipping. Most people install it with the author's git clone setup, so its install count is low next to 138,586 stars.

    138,586 GitHub stars
  12. 12
    PPT MasterSkill

    Turns documents, notes or a topic into an editable PowerPoint deck, one checked slide at a time.

    72,080 GitHub stars
  13. 13
    graphifySkill

    Maps a codebase, docs and papers into a knowledge graph your assistant queries instead of reading every file. The author installs it from a Python package, so the skills.sh count is low next to 140,465 stars.

    140,465 GitHub stars
  14. 14
    HumanizerSkill

    Rewrites AI-sounding text so it reads like a person wrote it, without changing the facts.

    63,473 GitHub stars
  15. 15
    RufloSkill

    Runs teams of AI agents with shared memory in Claude Code. The skill is a pointer; the tools come from the ruflo package.

    80,533 GitHub stars
  16. 16
    hatch-petOpenAISkill

    OpenAI's Codex skill that turns your character art into a custom animated Codex pet. The only pick here built for Codex first.

    28,447 GitHub stars

Most installed skills

60 · by installs

Show all 60

Comparison

Start with a skill when you want Claude to follow your steps, add an MCP server when it needs to reach an app, and install a plugin when someone has packaged both for you.

OptionSkillPluginMCP server
What it isFolder with SKILL.mdBundle of partsTool server
What it gives ClaudeSteps and know-howSkills, agents, hooks, serversTools for an app
Context costDescription until usedEvery session it is onTool names until used
Add in Claude Code~/.claude/skills//plugin installclaude mcp add

How we ranked these

Both lists are ordered by installs on skills.sh on November 2, 2026. Skills with more than 5,000 installs per GitHub star are left out as likely inflated.

CriterionWeightHow it is measured
Installs on skills.sh70%Lifetime installs shown on skills.sh, the open skills directory run by Vercel, read on November 2, 2026. This is the order of both lists.
GitHub stars30%Stars on the repo that holds the skill, shown beside installs. Repos that hold many skills share one star count.
Inflated counts left outA skill with more than 5,000 installs per GitHub star is dropped, as are copies of popular repos posted under other accounts.
Full guideThe first list only includes skills we have written a full guide for, so every name links to install steps and an honest review. The full top 60 by installs is in the directory list.

Data as of 2026-11-02

Questions

How do I install a Claude skill?

In Claude Code, copy the skill's folder into ~/.claude/skills/, or run npx skills add <owner>/<repo> --skill <name>. Anthropic's own skills install with /plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills. In the Claude app, upload the folder as a zip in Customize > Skills. How to install Claude skills has every step.

What are the best Claude skills?

By installs on skills.sh in November 2026, Vercel's find-skills leads the whole directory. Among the guides listed above, the most used are grill-me (planning interviews), agent-browser (browser control) and Anthropic's frontend-design (UI design). For documents, Anthropic's pptx, pdf, docx and xlsx skills are the standard picks. The lists above link to a full guide for each.

Is there a Claude skills marketplace?

Not a single one. Anthropic's anthropics/skills repo works as a Claude Code plugin marketplace, Claude Code's official plugin marketplace includes plugins that carry skills, and skills.sh is an open directory run by Vercel that lists skills from any GitHub repo with install counts.

Do Claude skills work in Codex?

Yes. Codex reads the same SKILL.md format from .agents/skills in your repo and ~/.agents/skills for you. Add one with $skill-installer, then run /skills or type $ and the skill name. They work in the Codex CLI, the IDE extension and the ChatGPT desktop app.

Can I use Claude skills in Cursor?

Yes. Cursor loads skills from .cursor/skills and .agents/skills, and also reads .claude/skills, so a skill you set up for Claude Code works there too. Type / in Agent chat to call one by name.

Can I use skills in Claude.ai?

Yes, on any plan, Free included, once code execution is on in Settings > Capabilities. Turn skills on or off in Customize > Skills, and upload your own there as a zip. Skills added in the app do not sync to Claude Code or the API.

What is the difference between a skill, a plugin and an MCP server?

A skill teaches the assistant a task, an MCP server connects it to an app, and a plugin packages several of these into one Claude Code install. The table above compares the three; see Claude Code plugins for more.

Are Claude skills safe?

Only as safe as their author. A skill can tell Claude to run scripts or call tools, so a bad one could leak data or change files. Anthropic advises using skills you wrote or got from Anthropic, and reading every file in any other skill first.

How do I find a skill for a task?

Search skills.sh, or run npx skills find with a keyword. The find-skills skill, the most installed skill on skills.sh in November 2026, lets your assistant search and install skills for you when you ask "is there a skill for X?".

Can I make my own skill?

Yes. A skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that has a name, a short description and plain instructions. Anthropic's skill-creator writes and tests one with you, or follow how to create a Claude skill.

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 12
  1. anthropics/skills README · github.com
  2. Agent Skills · platform.claude.com
  3. vercel-labs/skills · github.com
  4. Using skills in Claude · support.claude.com
  5. Build skills (Codex) · learn.chatgpt.com
  6. Agent Skills in Cursor · cursor.com
  7. skills.sh: The Open Agent Skills Ecosystem · skills.sh
  8. Agent Skills · agentskills.io
  9. Discover and install plugins · code.claude.com
  10. Extend Claude Code · code.claude.com
  11. Plugins overview · code.claude.com
  12. Connect Claude Code to tools via MCP · code.claude.com

Updated Nov 2, 2026.

Claude Skills Directory: Best Picks and How to Install Them | PlugWiki