Claude skills: what they are and how to install them
By Davi Andrei · published Nov 7, 2026 · updated Nov 8, 2026
A skill is a folder of instructions that Claude reads when the task calls for it. I wrote three to produce, edit and sound-design Reels.
What a skill is
A skill is a folder with a file called SKILL.md. It holds a name, a description of when to use it and the instructions. The folder can also hold scripts and supporting files. Claude reads the description of every installed skill and opens the one that matches your request.
With one, the agent follows your process instead of improvising. You write the method once and it applies it to every video.
How to install in Claude Code
In Claude Code, a skill is a folder inside ~/.claude/skills/ to apply to all your projects, or inside .claude/skills/ in a project folder to apply only there. Copy the skill folder there and open a new session.
In the Claude app, the settings have an area for uploading skills, and it accepts the folder zipped as a .zip file. The menu path changes over time, so check Claude's documentation.
Skill or MCP
A skill teaches a method: how to do the task. An MCP server gives Claude access to a tool or to data: search, read, write. They combine, and a skill can tell the agent when to use an MCP tool.
The skills I wrote
They came out of more than 20 of my videos, with the mistakes I redid along the way:
- Sound Design for Reels, to build the sound in layers.
- Reel Editing in FilmCraft, to edit around the effect the viewer feels.
- Reel Production Method, from idea to published Reel, in stages.
It is the first version and only I have used it so far, so there are no customer testimonials yet. Details and prices are in the store.