The Complete Claude Guide
Chapter 14 · WEB

Skills and plugins

A skill teaches a reusable workflow; a connector exposes tools or data; a plugin packages capabilities together. The distinction helps you choose instructions, access or an installed bundle.

Verified against source on 2026-09-30

Video

Steps

  1. Inspect Skills and Plugins in settings or the marketplace. Read what a package adds, which surfaces support it and which connections it requires.
  2. Start with a small skill defining an outcome and criteria, rather than conflicting rules. Test it with sample data and check that the instructions were selected.
  3. Before installing a plugin, inspect origin, components and permissions. It may bundle skills, MCP, slash commands and subagents. Not every component works on every surface.
  4. Use the official creation or sharing flow and keep versions. Test after changes and never include passwords or internal data not intended for recipients.
Common pitfall: Plugins and skills may contain third-party instructions and code. A familiar title is not a safety review.
Hands-on exercise: Write a skill for a fixed-format summary. Test it on two texts before packaging or sharing.
Filmed demo · Video is added in the media phase

Recap

Comprehension check

What can a plugin package?

Recap

Official sources

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