Which Claude do you use?

Claude comes in a few forms, and skills are added a little differently in each:

  • The Claude app (claude.ai in your browser, the desktop app or the mobile app): you upload the skill as a .zip from a computer. Full Claude app guide.
  • Cowork and the Office add-ins: they use the skills on your claude.ai account, so upload once in the Claude app.
  • Claude Code (the coding tool in your terminal, desktop app or editor): you put the skill's folder in a skills folder, or add it as a plugin. Full Claude Code guide.
  • The Claude API (for developers building their own apps): you upload the skill through Anthropic's Skills endpoint. See Anthropic's API skills guide.

In the Claude app

  1. Download the skill from its Trilly page (press Add to my AI and choose Claude). Keep the .zip as it is.
  2. Turn on code execution. Settings, Capabilities, Code execution and file creation.
  3. Open Customize, Skills.
  4. Choose +, then Create skill, then Upload a skill, and pick the .zip.
  5. Check the skill is switched on, then ask Claude as normal. You can also type / and pick the skill.

Anthropic's pages disagree on plans: its help centre lists Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, while its product docs list Pro and above. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner controls skills. If you don't see the upload option, ask them.

In Claude Code

  1. Download and unzip the skill. You'll have one folder with SKILL.md inside.
  2. Move the folder into ~/.claude/skills/ (for all your projects) or .claude/skills/ inside a project (for everyone on that project).
  3. Ask as normal, or type / and the skill's name.

If your organisation only allows plugins, choose the Claude Code plugin version instead: the Claude Code guide has the steps.

Checking it worked

Ask Claude for the job the skill does. In the Claude app you'll often see Claude say it's using the skill. If it doesn't, type / and choose the skill by name to be sure.

If an upload fails, the usual cause is a .zip that was unzipped and zipped again. Download a fresh copy and upload it unchanged.

Updating and removing

To update, download the new version from Trilly and upload it again (or replace the folder in Claude Code). To remove a skill in the Claude app, turn its switch off in Customize, Skills, or open it, choose the ... button and Delete. In Claude Code, delete its folder.

Link Claude to Trilly once, then add skills by asking. Claude then always gets the latest approved version. See Link your AI.

Looking for something to add? See skills that work with Claude, or browse by job.