How to Best Use skills.md with Claude Code

Why skills files matter

A strong `skills.md` lets your agent reuse domain-specific instructions, which improves consistency and reduces prompt overhead.

Build small, single-purpose skills

• One skill for testing conventions
• One skill for DB migration style
• One skill for deployment checks

Add hard constraints

Document rules like preferred package manager, lint commands, and forbidden operations. This cuts variance in output.

Version your skills

Treat skills as code. Review changes, keep history, and update examples as your stack evolves.

Connect skills to release notes

When a skill automates recurring changes, include a short changelog note so the team knows the workflow changed.