The best Claude Code skills to start with are the ones already bundled in Claude Code, such as /code-review and /simplify, plus Anthropic's frontend-design and skill-creator from the official plugin marketplace. For a full development workflow, try Superpowers; for web and security work, Vercel's agent skills and Trail of Bits security skills.
How this list was made
Everything below is a real, public skill or collection that we checked on GitHub on 23 October 2026. We list what each is good for and the install command its own README gives. We don't rank by star counts, and we left out anything we couldn't verify.
A quick note on how skills arrive in Claude Code, because it decides which install command you use:
- Plugin marketplaces. Many collections are packaged as Claude Code plugins. You add the marketplace once, then install plugins from it. Anthropic's official marketplace,
claude-plugins-official, is added for you the first time you start an interactive session. - Plain skill folders. Any repo of
SKILL.mdfolders installs with the open sourcenpx skills addcommand, or by copying folders into~/.claude/skills/.
If you're new to skills, read what Claude Code skills are first.
1. The skills already in Claude Code
Before you install anything, use what ships with it. Claude Code bundles several skills you can run by typing their name:
| Skill | What it does |
|---|---|
/code-review |
Reviews the current diff, a branch or a PR number for correctness bugs, and can apply fixes with --fix |
/simplify |
Reviews changed code for reuse, simplification and efficiency, then applies the cleanups |
/batch |
Splits a large change into independent units and runs each in its own worktree |
/debug |
Turns on debug logging and helps troubleshoot Claude Code itself |
/loop |
Runs a prompt on an interval while the session is open |
/claude-api |
Loads Claude API and SDK reference material for your project's language |
The full list is in the Claude Code commands reference. Run /skills to see everything installed and how much context each skill costs.
2. Anthropic's official skills repo
anthropics/skills is Anthropic's public repository of example skills, and the best place to see how good skills are built. It includes:
- Document skills:
docx,xlsx,pptxandpdf, the same skills behind Claude's file creation. These are source-available rather than open source. - Development skills:
frontend-design,webapp-testing(test local web apps with Playwright),mcp-builder(build MCP servers),claude-api. - Writing and design skills:
doc-coauthoring,internal-comms,brand-guidelines,canvas-design,theme-factory,algorithmic-art. skill-creator, which helps you write, test and improve your own skills.
Install it as a plugin marketplace, then pick a bundle:
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills
/plugin install example-skills@anthropic-agent-skills
/plugin install document-skills@anthropic-agent-skills
The README notes these skills are for demonstration and education, so test them on your own work before you rely on them.
3. frontend-design
frontend-design is Anthropic's skill for UI work, and one you'll see on most recommendation lists. It pushes Claude away from generic, template-looking interfaces toward a clear aesthetic direction, with deliberate typography, color and layout choices. Use it when you ask Claude to build a page, a component or a dashboard.
It's in the anthropics/skills repo above, and Anthropic also ships it as its own plugin in the official marketplace:
/plugin install frontend-design@claude-plugins-official
Once installed, it triggers on its own for frontend work. We cover how to get the most from it in the frontend-design skill guide.
4. skill-creator
If you plan to write your own skills, install skill-creator next. Anthropic built it to create new skills and improve existing ones, and it bundles scripts for running evaluations and tuning a skill's description so it triggers when it should. It's available as its own plugin:
/plugin install skill-creator@claude-plugins-official
For a lighter start, the free SKILL.md generator turns a prompt you already use into a valid skill in your browser.
5. Superpowers
obra/superpowers is a popular collection that turns Claude Code into a structured development process. Instead of one-off skills, it's a set that works together: brainstorming, writing-plans, executing-plans, test-driven-development, systematic-debugging, requesting-code-review, using-git-worktrees, verification-before-completion and more.
It's listed in Anthropic's official marketplace:
/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official
Superpowers is opinionated. It works best if you like a plan-first, test-first rhythm, and it can feel heavy for quick fixes. Its README also covers installs for Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI and other agents.
6. Vercel's agent skills
vercel-labs/agent-skills is Vercel's official collection. The standouts for most web developers:
- react-best-practices: React and Next.js performance rules from Vercel engineering, ordered by impact, from request waterfalls to bundle size.
- web-design-guidelines: audits UI code against a long list of rules for accessibility, focus states, forms, animation and typography.
- composition-patterns and react-view-transitions for React architecture and animations.
- deploy-to-vercel and vercel-optimize if you host on Vercel.
These are plain skill folders, so install them with the skills command. It asks which skills and agents you want:
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills
# or one skill, straight into Claude Code
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --skill vercel-react-best-practices -a claude-code
7. Trail of Bits security skills
trailofbits/skills comes from the security firm Trail of Bits. It's a large marketplace of security research and audit skills: differential review of changes, static analysis, Semgrep rule writing, supply chain risk audits, insecure defaults, property-based and mutation testing, and language-specific reviews for C/C++ and Rust.
/plugin marketplace add trailofbits/skills
/plugin
Then pick the plugins you need from the Discover tab rather than installing everything. Several are specialist tools that only make sense for audit work.
8. Lists for finding more
When you want to browse, these curated lists and directories are the usual starting points. Treat them as leads, not endorsements, and read a skill before you install it.
| Where | What it is |
|---|---|
| claude-plugins-official | Anthropic's managed plugin directory, also browsable with /plugin in Claude Code |
| skills.sh | Vercel's searchable skills directory, used by npx skills find |
| hesreallyhim/awesome-claude-code | A popular hand-picked list of skills, plugins, hooks and tools for Claude Code |
| ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills | A curated list of Claude skills and resources |
| travisvn/awesome-claude-skills | Another curated list, focused on Claude Code |
How do you choose skills safely?
Install fewer, better skills, read every script before you run it, and check what a plugin adds before you confirm. A few rules of thumb:
- Install fewer, better skills. Every installed skill adds its description to Claude's context. Claude Code drops descriptions for rarely used skills when the list gets too long, which makes those skills trigger less. Run
/skill-doctorto find skills you never use. - Prefer skills you can read in five minutes. If you can't tell what a skill does from its files, don't install it.
- Read scripts before you run them. Anthropic's Agent Skills docs warn that a malicious skill can direct Claude to run code or leak data. Look for unexpected network calls and file access.
- Check the plugin details before installing. The
/pluginpanel shows what a plugin will add (skills, agents, hooks, MCP servers) before you confirm. - Copy and edit instead of depending. If a community skill is 80% right, copy it into your own skills folder and change the rest. The Claude skills examples page has 14 starting points you can adapt.
Skill directory: one page per skill
Each of these pages covers one skill: who maintains it, its license, what is in the folder, how to install it, and its security audit results on skills.sh.
- Documents (Anthropic): PDF, Word (docx), Excel (xlsx), PowerPoint (pptx)
- Frontend and UI/UX: UI UX Pro Max, design taste, Impeccable, Vercel web design guidelines, Vercel React best practices, shadcn, web artifacts builder, accessibility, web performance
- Backend and architecture: Postgres best practices, API design, improve codebase architecture, domain modeling, Stripe, MCP builder
- Testing and debugging: TDD, systematic debugging, diagnosing bugs, code review, webapp testing, Playwright CLI, Playwright best practices, agent browser
- Security and DevOps: security and hardening, Semgrep and CodeQL, Terraform, Dockerfile
- Planning and workflow: find skills, grill me, HyperFrames slideshow, Reddit replies
Keep your own skills next to the ones you install
Public collections cover common work. The skills that save you the most time are usually your own: your review checklist, your release notes format, your writing style. Kipt keeps those in a private GitHub repo you own, alongside the prompts they grew out of. Promote to skill turns a saved prompt into a SKILL.md, and your whole library installs into Claude Code or Codex with one npx skills add https://github.com/<you>/<repo>.git command, the same way as the collections above.