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Claude.ai Setup

This guide covers installing and using skills with Claude.ai (web, mobile, and desktop apps).

Claude Code Knowledge Pack7/10/2026

Overview

Claude.ai Setup

This guide covers installing and using skills with Claude.ai (web, mobile, and desktop apps).

Prerequisites

  • Claude.ai account with access to Skills feature
  • Python 3.8+ (for packaging skills)
  • The claude-skills repository cloned locally

Installation

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/robertguss/claude-skills.git
cd claude-skills

Step 2: Install Dependencies

# Using uv (recommended)
uv sync

# Or using pip
pip install pyyaml

Step 3: Package a Skill

Use the build script to create a .skill package:

=== "Single Skill"

```bash
# Using just
just package brainstorm

# Or directly
python build.py brainstorm
```

This creates `dist/brainstorm.skill`.

=== "All Skills"

```bash
# Using just
just package-all

# Or directly
python build.py --all
```

This packages all skills into the `dist/` folder.

=== "List Available Skills"

```bash
# Using just
just list-skills

# Or directly
python build.py --list
```

Shows all available skills with validation status.

Step 4: Upload to Claude.ai

  1. Open Claude.ai
  2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
  3. Navigate to Skills
  4. Click Upload Skill
  5. Select the .skill file from the dist/ folder
  6. The skill is now available in your Claude.ai sessions

Usage

Starting a Skill Session

Simply describe what you want to do:

Let's brainstorm some ideas for a new mobile app.

Claude will recognize the intent and apply the skill's workflow.

Skill Management

In Claude.ai Settings → Skills, you can:

  • View installed skills — See all your active skills
  • Remove skills — Delete skills you no longer need
  • Update skills — Upload a new version to replace the old one

Updating Skills

When skills are updated in the repository:

  1. Pull the latest changes:

    cd /path/to/claude-skills
git pull

  2. Re-package the skill:

    python build.py brainstorm

  3. Upload the new .skill file in Claude.ai Settings → Skills

Pipeline Skills

For skills that work in sequence (like the Non-Fiction Book Factory), upload each skill you need:

python build.py book-ideation
python build.py book-idea-validator
python build.py book-market-research
python build.py book-architect
python build.py book-research-assistant
python build.py chapter-architect

Then upload each .skill file to Claude.ai.

What Gets Packaged

The .skill file is a ZIP archive containing:

  • SKILL.md — The core instructions
  • references/ — Supporting documentation (if present)
  • assets/ — Templates and examples (if present)

Hidden files, .DS_Store, and __pycache__ are automatically excluded.

Troubleshooting

Build Errors

"Missing required field: name"

The skill's SKILL.md is missing required YAML frontmatter. Each SKILL.md must start with:

---
name: skill-name
description:
  A description of at least 20 characters explaining what the skill does.
---

"Description must be at least 20 characters"

The description in the frontmatter is too short. Provide a meaningful description.

Upload Errors

"Invalid skill file"

The .skill file may be corrupted. Try re-packaging:

python build.py <skill-name>

"Skill already exists"

Remove the existing skill in Settings → Skills before uploading the updated version, or use the update/replace option if available.

Next Steps