How are skills imported into Claude Code?

Skills are imported by placing SKILL.md files into the correct directory, which Claude then automatically discovers.

What is the recommended way to get skills for Claude Code?

The recommended way is to get security-scanned SKILL.md skills from a marketplace like Agensi by browsing their website, downloading, and unzipping to your skills directory.

How do I install skills from GitHub into Claude Code?

To install skills from GitHub, clone the repository and then copy the skill's directory into your ~/.claude/skills/ folder.

Can I browse and install plugins directly within Claude Code?

Yes, you can browse the built-in marketplace by typing `/plugin` in any Claude Code session and then clicking a skill to install it.

How can I manually create a new skill for Claude Code?

You can manually create a skill by making a directory for it under ~/.claude/skills/ and then creating a SKILL.md file with the required YAML front matter and instructions inside that directory.

Are skills compatible between Claude and other agents like OpenClaw?

Yes, if you have skills installed for OpenClaw or Codex CLI, you can copy them to Claude's skills directory because the SKILL.md format is the same across compatible agents.

How do I verify if a skill was successfully imported?

You can verify the import by checking if the SKILL.md file exists at the path ~/.claude/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md, and it will be found by Claude in the next session.

How to Import Skills into Claude Code (2026 Complete Guide)

How to Import Skills into Claude: Complete Guide

Published: April 18, 2026

Category: Tutorials

Importing skills into Claude Code means placing SKILL.md files in the right directory. Claude discovers them automatically. Here's every way to do it.

> Quick Answer: To import skills into Claude Code, you can download them from a marketplace like Agensi, clone repositories from GitHub, use the built-in plugin browser, create them manually, or copy existing skills from other compatible agents like OpenClaw or Codex CLI. The skills are typically located in ~/.claude/skills/.

From a marketplace (recommended)

Agensi offers security-scanned SKILL.md skills:

1. Browse skills at agensi.io/skills
2. Click Download or Buy
3. Unzip to your skills directory:

unzip skill-name.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

4. Start a new Claude Code session

From GitHub

git clone https://github.com/author/skill-repo.git
cp -r skill-repo/skill-name ~/.claude/skills/

Always read the SKILL.md before installing from GitHub.

From the plugin browser

Type /plugin in any Claude Code session to browse the built-in marketplace. Click a skill to install it.

Manual creation

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/my-skill

Create ~/.claude/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md with:

--- name: my-skill description: What it does and when to use it. My Skill

Instructions here.

From another agent

If you have skills installed for OpenClaw or Codex CLI, copy them:

cp -r ~/.openclaw/skills/skill-name ~/.claude/skills/

The SKILL.md format is the same across all compatible agents.

Verifying the import

ls ~/.claude/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md

If the file exists at this path, Claude will find it on the next session.

Import security-scanned skills from Agensi.