Anthropic Launches Claude Skills for Custom Workflows

Anthropic has introduced Claude Skills, a new feature that allows users to customize the AI assistant for specific workflows. According to Hacker News, Skills are folders containing instructions, scripts, and resources that Claude can load when relevant to tasks. This enables Claude to perform specialized tasks like working with Excel or following brand guidelines more effectively.

"Skills are folders containing instructions, scripts, and resources that Claude can load when needed to perform specific work functions, ranging from Excel operations to following organizational brand guidelines."

The VergeAnthropic Launches 'Skills' Feature to Enhance Claude AI's Workplace Capabilities

The Verge noted that users can also create their own custom Skills, representing a significant step in making AI agents practical for professional use. The feature is available across Claude apps, Claude Code, and the API, allowing users to build custom skills once and use them across different platforms, as reported by Hacker News.

Anthropic made the announcement on October 16th, 2025, with detailed technical explanations available on Anthropic's engineering blog, according to Hacker News. This launch builds on Anthropic's broader push to make Claude more adaptable for workplace tasks, offering a modular approach to AI customization.