Open a .skill file and read the skill inside

What a .skill file is

From Anthropic's own files and docs, read on 6 November 2026:

• A ZIP under another name. skill-creator's packaging script names the file after the skill's folder, such as refund-reply.skill, and writes it as a ZIP of that folder, with the folder at the top: refund-reply/SKILL.md, then any scripts/, references/ or assets/.
• Checked before it's written. The script stops unless SKILL.md has a valid name, a valid description and only the allowed front matter fields. It leaves out __pycache__, node_modules, .DS_Store, .pyc files and a top-level evals folder.
• Handed to you by Claude. skill-creator's instructions say that on claude.ai, Claude runs that script and you download the .skill file.
• A ZIP to Claude's help. Claude's upload steps ask for a ZIP with the skill folder at its root and don't mention .skill. A .skill file already has that shape, so renamed to .zip it is that ZIP.
• Unzipped for Claude Code. Claude Code loads skills from folders: ~/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md for you, or .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md in a project.

How to open a .skill file without this tool

1. Windows: rename my-skill.skill to my-skill.zip, right-click it, choose Extract All, and open SKILL.md in Notepad.
2. Mac: rename it to my-skill.zip and confirm the new extension, then double-click it. The folder appears beside it; open SKILL.md in TextEdit.
3. Terminal, on a Mac or Linux: unzip my-skill.skill -d skill-files works without renaming it.
4. Into Claude: in claude.ai or the desktop app, go to Customize > Skills, click +, then Create skill > Upload a skill, and pick the file. Claude's help asks for a ZIP and doesn't mention .skill, so if the picker won't take the file, rename it to .zip first; inside, it already is one. Code execution must be on.
5. Into Claude Code: unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/, so the skill sits at ~/.claude/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md.

What the checks look at

Each check is a rule one of Anthropic's pages or the Agent Skills spec states. The checks list what to fix before you upload the skill, then notes worth knowing.

• The name: there, up to 64 characters, lowercase letters, numbers and single hyphens, no hyphen at either end, and no "anthropic" or "claude". It must match the folder's name; Claude's help lists a mismatch as an upload error.
• The description: there, up to 1,024 characters, with no XML tags or angle brackets. A note when it's over 200 characters, the limit Claude's help article on custom skills gives for claude.ai.
• The front matter fields: only name, description, license, compatibility, metadata and allowed-tools. Claude Code's docs say a claude.ai upload, the Skills API and package_skill.py fail on any other field, though Claude Code itself accepts more. Claude's help article on custom skills also lists an optional dependencies field, so the viewer notes that one instead of flagging it.
• The layout: SKILL.md inside one folder at the top of the archive, the shape Claude's help asks for.
• The size: a note when SKILL.md runs over 500 lines (the spec suggests moving detail into other files) or the archive over 30 MB unpacked (the Skills API's limit).

The name and description rules are the ones the doc to SKILL.md converter applies when it writes a skill.

What the keep button does

1. It sends the SKILL.md text, and nothing else, to AI Skill Pod. Scripts, references and other files in the .skill stay on your device. The pod keeps the skill's name, description and instructions; the other front matter fields (license, compatibility, metadata, allowed-tools) aren't kept. If the AI needs something from the other files, paste it into the skill in the app after you save it.
2. The text waits for you for 24 hours while you sign up or sign in with your email. Nothing is in a pod yet.
3. You check it, then save it. You see its name, description and first lines, and it goes into your pod when you click Save to my pod. A new pod is free for 14 days, no card needed.
4. You connect your AI and invite your team. Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor with one link, try the skill once, then send your team the invite link. Personal emails work.

The Free plan holds up to 10 skills for up to 3 members. If the name or description needs fixing, the app opens its own form with the skill filled in.

Questions

What is a .skill file?

A Claude skill packed as a ZIP archive. Anthropic's skill-creator writes it with the skill's folder inside: SKILL.md with the skill's name, description and instructions, plus any scripts, reference files or assets the skill uses.

How do I open a .skill file?

Drop it in the viewer on this page to read it in your browser. Or rename it from .skill to .zip, unzip it (Extract All on Windows, a double-click on a Mac), and open SKILL.md in any text editor.

How do I turn a .skill file into a SKILL.md?

The SKILL.md is already inside it. Open the file here and click Download SKILL.md, or unzip it and copy SKILL.md out of the folder.

How do I install a .skill file in Claude?

In claude.ai or the desktop app, go to Customize > Skills, click +, then Create skill > Upload a skill, and pick the file. Claude's help describes this upload as a ZIP, so rename it to .zip if the picker won't take it. Code execution must be on. For Claude Code, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/.

Is my file uploaded when I open it here?

No. Your browser reads it and the page sends nothing. Only the Keep it and share it with your team button sends something: the SKILL.md text, to AI Skill Pod, when you click it.

Is it safe to use a .skill file someone sent me?

Anthropic's docs say to use skills only from sources you trust, and to review every file in one you don't: SKILL.md, scripts and other resources, looking for network calls or file access that don't match what the skill says it does. This page lists every file and opens the text ones, so you can read them before you install anything.

How do I share a .skill file with my team?

On Pro, Max and the other individual plans, each person uploads their own copy and updates it by hand. On Team and Enterprise, you can share a skill view-only with colleagues in your Claude organization, and owners can add skills for everyone; none of that reaches ChatGPT, Cursor or a contractor on their own account. In AI Skill Pod the skill sits in one pod, and each person reaches it from their own Claude, ChatGPT (Pro, Business, Enterprise) or Cursor after one invite link.