Skills Overview

Claude Kit includes a rich library of skills that provide deep expertise in methodologies, languages, frameworks, and tools. Skills are automatically activated when relevant to your task, or can be explicitly invoked.

What Are Skills?

Skills are knowledge modules that enhance Claude’s capabilities in specific domains. Each skill contains:

Best practices for the technology or methodology
Common patterns and code examples
Anti-patterns to avoid
Activation conditions - when the skill is used
Integration points with other skills

Skill Categories

Methodology Skills

Development methodologies and workflows for high-quality software delivery.

Skill	Purpose	Key Feature
Brainstorming	Interactive design refinement	One question at a time
Writing Plans	Detailed implementation plans	2-5 minute tasks
Executing Plans	Automated plan execution	Fresh agents per task
Test-Driven Development	TDD workflow	Red-green-refactor cycle
Systematic Debugging	Root-cause debugging	Four-phase process
Code Review	Request & receive reviews	Categorized feedback
Sequential Thinking	Complex problem analysis	Evidence-based reasoning
Verification Before Completion	Mandatory verification	Never claim without proof
Testing Anti-Patterns	Avoid common test mistakes	Mock behavior detection

Language Skills

Modern programming language expertise with best practices.

Skill	Purpose	Key Features
Python	Python development	Type hints, async, dataclasses
TypeScript	TypeScript development	Strict typing, utility types
JavaScript	Modern JavaScript	ES6+, async patterns

Framework Skills

Full-stack framework knowledge and patterns.

Skill	Purpose	Key Features
React	React components	Hooks, context, patterns
Next.js	Next.js App Router	Server components, actions
FastAPI	FastAPI REST APIs	Pydantic, async, OpenAPI
Django	Django web apps	ORM, views, REST framework

Database Skills

Database design and query optimization.

PostgreSQL - Relational database expertise
MongoDB - Document database patterns

Testing Skills

Test frameworks and testing methodologies.

pytest - Python testing with fixtures
vitest - Fast Vite-based testing

DevOps Skills

Deployment and infrastructure automation.

Docker - Container best practices
GitHub Actions - CI/CD workflows

Frontend Skills

Modern frontend development tools.

Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS
shadcn/ui - React component library

Security Skills

Security best practices and vulnerability prevention.

OWASP - Web security standards

API Skills

API design and documentation.

OpenAPI - REST API specification

Optimization Skills

Performance and cost optimization.

Token Efficient - Reduce API costs

How Skills Are Activated

Automatic Activation

Skills activate automatically based on context:

// Working with a .ts file automatically activates:
// - TypeScript skill
// - JavaScript skill (parent)

// Using React components activates:
// - React skill
// - TypeScript skill
// - JavaScript skill

Explicit Activation

Reference skills directly in commands:

# Use specific methodology
/plan --methodology=tdd "add user authentication"

# Activate debugging skill
/fix --use-skill=systematic-debugging "timeout error"

# Enable sequential thinking
/research --sequential "performance bottleneck"

Mode-Based Activation

Certain modes activate related skills:

# Deep research mode enables:
/mode deep-research
# - Sequential thinking
# - Root cause tracing
# - Evidence collection

# Implementation mode enables:
/mode implementation
# - TDD
# - Verification before completion
# - Testing anti-patterns awareness

Combining Skills

Skills work together synergistically:

Planning to Execution

Brainstorming - Design the solution
Writing Plans - Break into tasks
Executing Plans - Automated implementation
Code Review - Quality gates

Bug Fixing

Systematic Debugging - Find root cause
Sequential Thinking - Analyze evidence
TDD - Write regression test
Verification - Confirm fix works

Feature Development

Brainstorming - Explore approaches
Writing Plans - Detailed tasks
TDD - Test-first implementation
Code Review - Review and iterate
Verification - Confirm completion

Customizing Skills

Skills can be customized in your .claude/CLAUDE.md:

## Skill Overrides

### TDD Strictness
- Level: Strict (no code without tests)
- Red-Green-Refactor: Always required

### Code Review
- Required reviewers: 1 minimum
- Security review: Required for auth changes
- Performance review: Required for queries

### Brainstorming
- Style: Interactive (one question at a time)
- YAGNI: Ruthless (remove all "might need")

Creating Custom Skills

Add project-specific skills:

.claude/skills/
├── custom/
│   ├── company-api-patterns/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   └── deployment-checklist/
│       └── SKILL.md

See Custom Skills Guide for details.

Skill Reference

For detailed documentation on each skill:

Methodology: See individual skill pages linked above
Languages: Python, TypeScript, JavaScript skill pages
Frameworks: React, Next.js, FastAPI, Django pages
Other Categories: Browse /skills/ directory

Best Practices

Let Skills Guide You

Trust the methodologies:

# Instead of:
"Just write some code for X"

# Use:
"/brainstorm X" → design first
"/plan X" → break into tasks
"/execute-plan" → implement systematically

Combine Complementary Skills

Use skills together:

# TDD + Systematic Debugging
1. Write failing test (TDD)
2. Investigate why it fails (Debugging)
3. Fix root cause (Debugging)
4. Verify test passes (Verification)

# Brainstorming + Sequential Thinking
1. Explore options (Brainstorming)
2. Analyze each deeply (Sequential Thinking)
3. Choose with evidence (Sequential Thinking)

Respect Skill Constraints

Skills enforce quality standards:

TDD: No production code without failing test first
Verification: Never claim completion without proof
Code Review: All critical issues must be fixed
Systematic Debugging: Three-fix rule stops runaway debugging

These aren’t suggestions - they’re requirements.