*Most people use Claude like a $20 autocomplete*
They type. They get an answer. They move on
They have no idea Claude can run an entire dev team - architect, reviewer, debugger, docs writer - all at once
They just don't know skills exist
The difference? Skills.
67 of them. With full install commands. Sorted by use case.
What Claude skills actually are
A skill is a folder with a *SKILL.md* file that tells Claude exactly how to do a specific type of work: step-by-step process, constraints, examples, and any helper scripts or templates
Instead of re-explaining your process every session, you install that process once as a skill and reuse it forever
Install commands use this format:
Key repos:
- Official Anthropic skills: github.com/anthropics/skills
- Matt Pocock personal skills (15k stars): github.com/mattpocock/skills
- Community marketplace (66k+ skills): skillsmp.com
Meta skills - managing your AI workspace
These skills help you build, test, and organize every other skill
Skill Creator
- What it does: Benchmarks Claude on your task, then helps you draft and iterate new skills based on real runs.
- Use it when: You want to turn a messy workflow into one clean SKILL.md.
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/skill-creator
How to use:
1. Describe your workflow in bullet points
1. Ask Skill Creator to propose a first *SKILL.md*
1. Run 3-5 test prompts, inspect failures, and let it refine the instructions
Write a Skill
- What it does: Guides Claude to write new skills with proper structure, progressive disclosure, and bundled resources
- This is the right way to create skills that don't break over time
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/write-a-skill
- Install:
Use it when Skill Creator gives you a raw draft and you need to clean up the structure
Find Skills
- What it does: Searches public marketplaces like SkillsMP for skills that match your use case.
- Example marketplace: skillsmp.com
*Tip: **Treat "finding skills" like package management. Before you write a new skill, search for existing ones and fork them*
Planning and design skills
These skills stop you from building the wrong thing.
Grill Me
- Purpose: Forces Claude to ask relentless clarifying questions about your feature, one question at a time, until every branch of the decision tree is resolved.
- Use it for: New features, refactors, risky migrations.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/grill-me*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/grill-me
You will get questions about data models, edge cases, failure modes, existing systems. Answer patiently once instead of firefighting later
Write a PRD
- Purpose: Creates a PRD through an interactive interview, codebase exploration, and module design. Files it as a GitHub issue.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/write-a-prd*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/write-a-prd
Ask it to:
- Capture goals, non-goals, user stories
- Enumerate success metrics and constraints
- Link to existing systems you'll touch
PRD to Plan
- Purpose: Turns a PRD into a multi-phase implementation plan using tracer-bullet vertical slices. This is not just task breakdown - it gives you the sequence that actually reduces integration risk.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/prd-to-plan*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/prd-to-plan
The difference from PRD to Issues: a plan is ordered and staged, issues are independent. Use both
PRD to Issues
- Purpose: Breaks a PRD into independently-grabbable GitHub issues with vertical slices and blocking relationships.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/prd-to-issues*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/prd-to-issues
Tell it:
- "Use PRD to Issues on the PRD above. Output GitHub issues grouped by epic with blockers stated explicitly"
Design an Interface
- Purpose: Generates multiple radically different interface designs for a module using parallel sub-agents.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/design-an-interface*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/design-an-interface
Not just one design - you get 3-5 competing options with different tradeoffs. Pick the one that makes sense for your constraints
Request Refactor Plan
- Purpose: Creates a detailed refactor plan with tiny commits via user interview, then files it as a GitHub issue.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/request-refactor-plan*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/request-refactor-plan
Code development skills
These skills turn Claude into a disciplined engineering partner, not a code autocomplete toy.
TDD
- Purpose: Forces a strict test-first, red-green-refactor loop. Builds features or fixes bugs one vertical slice at a time.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/tdd*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/tdd
You get:
- Failing tests first
- Then minimal code to pass them
- Then a refactor pass, still under tests
Triage Issue
- Purpose: Investigates a bug by exploring the codebase, identifies the root cause, and files a GitHub issue with a TDD-based fix plan.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/triage-issue*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/triage-issue
This is the "I have no idea why this is broken" skill. It does the detective work first, then gives you a structured plan to fix it properly
QA
- Purpose: Runs a full QA pass over a feature with issue breakdown that includes blocking relationships.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/qa*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/qa
Use it before every PR:
- Surface all edge cases
- Get issues filed and ordered by what blocks what
- Ship without regressions
Improve Codebase Architecture
- Purpose: Explores a codebase for architectural improvement opportunities, focusing on deepening shallow modules and improving testability.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/improve-codebase-architecture*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/improve-codebase-architecture
Ask it to:
- Identify hotspots
- Propose 2-3 refactor strategies
- Detail risk, effort, and impact for each
Migrate to Shoehorn
- Purpose: Migrates test files from as type assertions to @total-typescript/shoehorn - Matt Pocock's own TypeScript library
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/migrate-to-shoehorn*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/migrate-to-shoehorn
This is niche but extremely useful if you work in TypeScript and want type-safe test code. It's also a great template for writing migration skills for your own tools
Scaffold Exercises
- Purpose: Creates exercise directory structures with sections, problems, solutions, and explainers.
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/scaffold-exercises*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/scaffold-exercises
Perfect for:
- Building course content
- Creating onboarding materials for your team
- Documenting complex systems as interactive exercises
Auto-Commit Messages
- Purpose: Reads your staged diff and generates a conventional commit message with type, scope, and body
- Use it when: You're tired of writing "fix stuff" at 2am
- Install: *npx skills@latest add anthropics/skills/auto-commit*
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/auto-commit
Code Review
- Purpose: Gives you a systematic review for security, performance, error handling, and architecture.
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills (search Code Review)
You can ask for:
- "Security-first review"
- "Performance-first review"
- Or a full checklist pass
Systematic Debugging
- Origin: From the Superpowers repo
- Purpose: A 4-phase debugging methodology that forbids random "just try changing stuff" edits.
- Link: github.com/obra/superpowers/tree/main/skills/systematic-debugging
Typical flow:
1. Reproduce and create the smallest failing test
1. Narrow the root cause
1. Apply a single fix
1. Verify with tests and logs
Brainstorming
- Purpose: Turns raw feature ideas into detailed flows and architectures using Socratic questioning
- Use it pre-implementation: data shape design, API surface, failure and rollback story
- Link: github.com/obra/superpowers/tree/main/skills/brainstorming
Change Log Generator
- Purpose: Reads your commits and produces human-readable or developer-focused change logs
- Use it for: Releases, internal updates, investor summaries
- Link: github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/tree/master/changelog-generator
Simplification Cascade
- Purpose: Identifies convoluted logic and rewrites it into smaller, composable pieces
- Best for: Legacy "god functions" that nobody wants to touch
- Link: mcpmarket.com/tools/skills/simplification-cascades-1
Superpowers
- What it is: A full suite of battle-tested skills for TDD, debugging, refactoring, and execution
- Link: github.com/obra/superpowers
Use it as your default "engineering brain" layer
React Best Practices
- Purpose: Enforces Vercel/Next.js style best practices in your React code
- Use it when: Migrating to Next, cleaning up a legacy React app, or training junior devs
- Link: github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/react-best-practices
File Search
- Purpose: Teaches Claude to use tools like ripgrep and ast-grep to navigate large codebases fast
- Link: github.com/massgen/massgen
Context Optimization
- Purpose: Reduces context size and token bills while keeping the important stuff
- Link: github.com/muratcankoylan/agent-skills-for-context-engineering
Tooling and setup skills
*These are the "do this once, forget about it forever" skills*
Setup Pre-Commit
- Purpose: Sets up Husky pre-commit hooks with lint-staged, Prettier, type checking, and tests
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/setup-pre-commit*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/setup-pre-commit
Run this on every new repo. Your future self will thank you.
Git Guardrails for Claude Code
- Purpose: Sets up Claude Code hooks that block dangerous git commands - push, reset --hard, clean, etc. - before they execute
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/git-guardrails-claude-code*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/git-guardrails-claude-code
This is not optional if you use Claude Code on production repos. Claude is fast and helpful until it isn't. This skill is your safety net
Dependency Auditor
- Purpose: Scans your *package.json* for outdated, vulnerable, or abandoned packages and outputs a prioritized fix list
- Use it when: Your repo hasn't been touched in 6 months and you're scared to npm audit
- Install: *npx skills@latest add ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/dependency-auditor*
- Link: github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills
Git Work Trees
- Purpose: Manages safe feature development on isolated branches without breaking your main project
- Use it when: You need isolated experimental branches or parallel features
Issue and project management skills
GitHub Triage
- Purpose: Triages incoming GitHub issues with an agent brief and out-of-scope documentation so Claude knows exactly what to investigate and what to skip
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/github-triage*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/github-triage
Use it to:
- Process large issue backlogs fast
- Label and categorize automatically
- Route issues to the right person or epic
Writing and knowledge skills
Edit Article
- Purpose: Edits and improves articles by restructuring sections, improving clarity, and tightening prose
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/edit-article*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/edit-article
This is not "clean up grammar". It restructures arguments, cuts filler, and sharpens the point of each section
Ubiquitous Language
- Purpose: Extracts a DDD-style ubiquitous language glossary from the current conversation
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/ubiquitous-language*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/ubiquitous-language
Why it matters:
- Every team has private vocabulary: "event", "order", "user" mean different things to different people
- This skill forces Claude to surface and define your domain language before any code is written
- Your codebase, docs, and conversations then share the same words for the same things
API Documentation Generator
- Purpose: Reads your routes and generates OpenAPI / Swagger docs with examples, error codes, and auth requirements
- Use it when: You shipped the API but never wrote the docs
- Install: *npx skills@latest add ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/api-docs-generator*
- Link: github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills
Paste it into your README or host it on Swagger UI. Takes 30 seconds.
Content Researcher
- Purpose: Learns your writing style, then drafts long-form blogs and newsletters with real citations
- Use it to: Clone your Twitter tone into longer posts, produce SEO blog posts
- Link: github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/master/content-research-writer/SKILL.md
Obsidian Vault
- Purpose: Searches, creates, and manages notes in an Obsidian vault with wikilinks and index notes
- Install: *npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills/obsidian-vault*
- Link: github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/obsidian-vault
Different from the Kepano Obsidian skill which auto-tags. This one is interactive - it navigates your vault, creates new notes, and maintains link consistency.
Also available: github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills - the auto-tagging variant
UI, design, and frontend skills
Frontend Design
- Purpose: Guides Claude to produce modern, clean UI
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/frontend-design
Awesome-design
- Purpose: Uses markdown templates inspired by Notion, Figma, etc to structure your UI thinking
- Use it for: Landing pages, dashboards, settings pages
- Link: github.com/VoltAgent/awesome-design-md
Theme Factory
- Purpose: Generates complete color palettes and themes from a single text prompt
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/theme-factory
Workflow:
1. Describe your brand: "calm fintech, trust, dark accent"
1. Get palette with tokens
1. Apply to Tailwind / CSS variables
Canvas Design
- Purpose: Turns text prompts into social media graphics, posters, and covers
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/canvas-design
Web Artifacts Builder
- Purpose: Builds interactive dashboards, calculators, and tools from natural language
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/web-artifacts-builder
Algorithmic Art
- Purpose: Uses p5.js for generative and algorithmic visuals
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/algorithmic-art
Brand Guidelines
- Purpose: Enforces your brand system across all new components
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/brand-guidelines
Business, sales, and marketing skills
Domain Name Brainstormer
- Purpose: Generates product names and checks domain availability
- Use it when: Launching new apps or micro-brands
- Link: github.com/Microck/ordinary-claude-skills/tree/main/skills_all/domain-name-brainstormer
Stripe Integration
- Purpose: Sets up secure payment flows, webhooks, and subscriptions without rookie API mistakes
- Link: github.com/wshobson/agents/tree/main/plugins/payment-processing/skills/stripe-integration
Lead Research Assistant
- Purpose: Finds target companies and decision-makers based on your ICP
- Use it for: B2B outreach lists, partnership hunting
- Link: github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/master/lead-research-assistant/SKILL.md
Marketing Skills
- What it is: 20+ skills for CRO, copywriting, email flows, etc
- Link: github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills
Claude SEO
- Purpose: Full technical SEO audit, schema, and on-page optimization.
- Link: github.com/AgriciDaniel/claude-seo
Idea Mining / YouTube Weekly Roundup
- Purpose: Scrapes your comments, competitor videos, and niche trends into a weekly idea bank + SWOT PDF
- Link: https://github.com/AgriciDaniel/claude-youtube
- Install: *npx skills@latest add AgriciDaniel/claude-youtube*
Media generation skills
Image Generator
- Purpose: Connects to external APIs like Nano Banana Pro for photo-quality images
- Nano Banana Pro: github.com/feedtailor/ccskill-nanobanana
- Nano Banana 2: github.com/kingbootoshi/nano-banana-2-skill
Local Image Gen
- Purpose: Runs a local Python script to generate avatars and icons
- Link: github.com/jezweb/claude-skills/blob/main/plugins/design-assets/skills/ai-image-generator/SKILL.md
Image Optimizer
- Purpose: Resizes and converts images to WebP for fast web performance
- Link: mcpmarket.com/tools/skills/image-optimizer
Remotion Best Practices
- Purpose: Encodes best practices for using Remotion to generate video and motion graphics.
- Link: github.com/remotion-dev/remotion
Emotion
- Purpose: Scripted, programmatic video animations
- Link: github.com/wilwaldon/Claude-Code-Video-Toolkit
Office, documents, and productivity skills
PDF Processing
- Purpose: Extracts tables, fills forms, merges PDFs
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/pdf
DOCX
- Purpose: Edits Word docs with tracked changes and formatting intact
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/docx
PPTX
- Purpose: Creates and edits slide decks, layouts, and speaker notes
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/pptx
XLSX
- Purpose: Writes formulas, pivot tables, and charts from plain English
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/xlsx
Excel MCP Server
- Purpose: Manipulates Excel files directly via MCP, no desktop Excel required
- Link: github.com/haris-musa/excel-mcp-server
Doc Co-Authoring
- Purpose: Real-time collaborative writing between you and Claude
- Link: github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/doc-coauthoring
NotebookLM Integration
- Purpose: Bridges Claude with Google's NotebookLM for summaries and flashcards
- Link: github.com/PleasePrompto/notebooklm-skill
GWS (Google Workspace)
- Purpose: Automates Google Calendar, Drive, Docs
- Use cases: Reschedule meetings, organize shared drives, generate docs from templates
- Link: https://github.com/googleworkspace/cli
Multi-agent orchestration and web surfing
Stochastic Multi-Agent Consensus
- Purpose: Spawns many sub-agents to solve the same problem and aggregates their answers
- Use it for: Strategy decisions, architecture choices, risk analysis
- Link: github.com/hungv47/meta-skills
Model-chat (Debate)
- Purpose: Puts multiple Claude instances into a debate to stress-test ideas
- Use it when: You're choosing between 2-3 big bets
- Link: github.com/tommasinigiovanni/conclave
Custom YT Search
- Purpose: Searches and analyzes YouTube content autonomously
- Link: github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills/blob/main/README.md
Playwright CLI
- Purpose: Controls a real browser via Playwright for UI regression checks and funnel walkthroughs
- Link: github.com/microsoft/playwright
Firecrawl Skill
- Purpose: Scrapes structured data from hostile or complex sites that block naive scrapers
- Link: github.com/mendableai/firecrawl
How to wire this into your workflow
1. Start with meta skills - Install Write a Skill and Skill Creator so you can build and fix skills properly from day one.
1. Add planning skills first - Grill Me, Write a PRD, PRD to Plan, PRD to Issues, Design an Interface. These prevent 80% of rework.
1. Lock in code safety - Git Guardrails, Setup Pre-Commit, TDD, Systematic Debugging, Triage Issue. Install these on every repo.
1. Add Superpowers as your engineering base - github.com/obra/superpowers
1. Layer business skills on top - Marketing Skills, Claude SEO, Lead Research, Content Researcher.
1. Use SkillsMP to fill gaps - skillsmp.com - when you hit a new problem, search before you build
Save this before you forget
You just got the full Claude skill stack - planning, coding, design, marketing, docs, media, and multi-agent orchestration in one place
Most people will skim this, close the tab, and go back to prompting Claude like it's 2024
Don't be that person
- Bookmark this page right now
- Copy the full link index into your own doc
- Pick one skill from each section and install it today
- Come back in a week when you realize you can't work without them
If this saved you time - repost it. Someone on your timeline is still writing 500-word prompts to get what a single SKILL.md does automatically
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