Skill Templates

A skill is a reusable instruction set that Claude follows whenever you type a specific command. Instead of explaining what you want Claude to do every time, you write the instructions once -- in a file called SKILL.md -- and from then on you just type the command. Claude reads the skill file and executes the process.

Think of it like a recipe. The first time you make a dish, you follow the recipe step by step. The next time, you might skip a step or improvise. A skill is a recipe that Claude follows consistently, every time, without variation. That consistency is the point.

Why skills matter for your business

Skills solve three problems that slow down solo workers and small teams:

• Inconsistency. Without a skill, the quality of Claude's output depends on how well you describe the task each time. A skill locks in the good version -- the output structure, the tone, the review steps -- so you get the same standard every time.
• Repetition. Many business tasks follow the same pattern: onboard a client, summarise a meeting, draft a proposal, follow up on an invoice. Writing a skill once eliminates the description overhead on every subsequent run.
• Delegation. When someone else uses your workspace -- a team member, a contractor -- skills mean they do not need to know how you want things done. They type the command; the skill handles the process.

The SKILL.md template

Skills live in .claude/skills/[skill-name]/SKILL.md. Each skill gets its own subfolder so you can store supporting files alongside it (examples, templates, reference documents).

# SKILL.md -- [skill-name]

## Trigger
/[slug]

## Description
One sentence describing what this skill does and who uses it.

## When to Use
- Pattern 1 that should trigger this skill
- Pattern 2

## Steps
1. [First step -- be specific about what to read or do]
2. [Second step]
3. [Checkpoint or approval step]
4. [Final step -- output generation]

## Output
Format, length, and location of what the skill produces.

## References
- [Supporting file or document path]

Field guide

Trigger: The command you type to activate this skill. Always starts with a forward slash. Keep it short and memorable: /meeting, /invoice, /proposal. Claude matches your input against the trigger to know which skill to run.

Description: One sentence that Claude uses to confirm it is running the right skill. Write it as if briefing a new team member: "This skill takes raw meeting notes and produces a structured summary with action items, owner, and deadline for each item."

When to Use: Patterns that should activate this skill automatically, without typing the trigger. If someone says "summarise the meeting" or "process these notes", Claude should recognise the intent and offer to run the right skill. List the natural-language phrases that mean the same thing as the trigger command.

Steps: The actual instructions. This is the most important section. Write each step as a specific action, not a vague description. Bad: "Write a summary." Good: "Write a structured summary with three sections: Key Decisions (bulleted), Action Items (table with Owner and Deadline columns), and Open Questions (bulleted). Maximum 400 words total."

Output: Where the result goes and in what format. Specifying this prevents Claude from guessing -- some tasks need a file on disk, others need output in the conversation, others need a Word document in a specific folder.

References: Any files Claude should read when running this skill. Brand voice guidelines, client profiles, email templates, rubrics. Put these files in the same skill subfolder and reference them by relative path.

Worked example 1: /meeting-summary

This skill processes raw notes or a transcript from a meeting and produces a structured summary.

File location: .claude/skills/meeting-summary/SKILL.md

# SKILL.md -- meeting-summary

## Trigger
/meeting-summary

## Description
Converts raw meeting notes or a transcript into a structured summary
with decisions, action items, and open questions.

## When to Use
- "Summarise the meeting"
- "Process these meeting notes"
- "What were the action items from [meeting]?"

## Steps
1. Ask the user to paste the meeting notes or provide the file path
   to a transcript.
2. Read the input. Identify the meeting date, attendees (if listed),
   and the main topics discussed.
3. Extract:
   - Key Decisions: What was agreed or resolved?
   - Action Items: What needs to be done, by whom, by when?
   - Open Questions: What was raised but not resolved?
4. Write the summary to Claude Projects/[project-name]/Meetings/
   YYYY-MM-DD-meeting-summary.md using the structure below.
5. Present the summary in conversation for review before saving.

## Output
Markdown file. Structure:
- ## Meeting: [date] -- [meeting title if known]
- ## Attendees (if available)
- ## Key Decisions (bulleted)
- ## Action Items (table: Action | Owner | Deadline)
- ## Open Questions (bulleted)
Maximum 500 words. No filler phrases.

## References
None -- this skill works from the input provided.

After typing /meeting-summary, Claude asks for the notes, processes them through the five steps, and presents the structured output for review before saving. The format is identical every time, regardless of how messy the input is.

Worked example 2: /client-email

This skill drafts a professional email to a client based on a brief description of what you need to communicate.

File location: .claude/skills/client-email/SKILL.md

# SKILL.md -- client-email

## Trigger
/client-email

## Description
Drafts a professional client email from a brief description of the
situation and what needs to be communicated.

## When to Use
- "Draft an email to [client]"
- "Write to [client] about [topic]"
- "I need to follow up with [client] on [issue]"

## Steps
1. Ask: Which client? What is the email about? What outcome do you
   want from sending it?
2. Read the client profile from Claude Projects/[ClientName]/CLAUDE.md
   to understand tone, relationship history, and any relevant context.
3. Draft the email. Apply the communication guidelines from
   References/email-style.md.
4. Present a Review checkpoint: show the draft in the conversation.
   Wait for approval, revisions, or rejection before proceeding.
5. On approval, save the final version to
   Claude Projects/[ClientName]/Emails/YYYY-MM-DD-[subject-slug].md

## Output
Plain text email. Subject line included. Professional but not stiff.
No "I hope this email finds you well" or similar filler openers.

## References
- References/email-style.md

Tips for writing effective skill instructions

• Be specific about steps, not just goals. "Write a proposal" is a goal. The steps should describe the structure, length, required sections, and where the file goes.
• Include a review checkpoint. For any skill that produces a client-facing output, add a step that presents the draft and waits for approval before saving or sending.
• Reference external files for context that changes. Client brand guidelines, tone of voice documents, and templates change over time. Store them as separate files in the skill folder and reference them -- do not paste them into SKILL.md directly.
• Start with three to five skills. Build the skills that cover your most repeated tasks first. A /meeting-summary, a /client-email, and a /weekly-report will cover a significant portion of most solo workers' recurring work.
• Name triggers after the output, not the action. /proposal is clearer than /write-proposal. /invoice is clearer than /create-invoice. The slash implies action.