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Claudette

Getting Started

Skills are markdown files that define rules for Claude Code. They enforce workflows, coding standards, and best practices.

What Are Skills?

Skills are SKILL.md files that live in your project’s .claude/skills/ directory. Claude Code reads them automatically and follows their instructions.

Examples:

  • tdd - Enforces RED → GREEN → REFACTOR cycle
  • dogfood - Forces you to use what you build
  • rick-rubin - Guards against scope creep

Installing Skills

Option 1: Clone from the Skills Repo

# Clone the curated skills
git clone https://github.com/4meta5/skills.git

# Copy skills you want to your project
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r skills/tdd .claude/skills/
cp -r skills/dogfood .claude/skills/

Option 2: Manual Creation

Create a skill directory and write a SKILL.md file:

mkdir -p .claude/skills/my-skill

See Writing Skills for how to write effective skills.

Verifying Installation

Check that your skills are in place:

ls .claude/skills/

Each subdirectory should contain a SKILL.md file.

What Happens Next

When you start Claude Code, it automatically reads skills from .claude/skills/. The skill instructions become part of Claude’s context, shaping its behavior for your project.

Hooks for Automation

For automated skill activation based on file patterns and context, see the hooks repo. Hooks trigger skills at the right moment so Claude doesn’t forget them mid-task.

Next Steps

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