Skills, agents and plugins, explained

Out of the box, Claude Code is a capable all-rounder. Skills, agents and plugins are add-ons that make it better at particular jobs. Think of Claude as a new employee:

Skills: a recipe card

A skill is a set of written instructions for one kind of task, like “how we write blog posts” or “how to check a page’s SEO”. Claude reads it when the task comes up and follows it.

• You can start one by typing its command, like /seo page.
• Many start on their own when your request matches what they’re for.
• Example: the frontend-design skill makes Claude design pages that don’t look like templates.

Agents: a specialist colleague

An agent is a helper Claude hands a job to, with its own focus and instructions. It works on that one job and reports back, which keeps the main conversation tidy.

• You ask for one by name, like use the code-reviewer agent.
• Example: a code reviewer that checks Claude’s work for mistakes before you publish.

Plugins: a box of tools

A plugin is a package that installs several skills and agents at once. Most tools on this site come inside a plugin, so you install the plugin once and get everything in it.

• Plugin skills are named after the plugin, like /superpowers:brainstorming.
• Example: the Superpowers plugin adds skills for planning, testing and reviewing work.

How to pick one

Start from what you want to do, not from the tool:

• Open All tools and pick a job, like “Build a website” or “Improve SEO”.
• Read the one-line descriptions and open the one that sounds closest.
• Check the “Use it when” list on its page. If it matches, follow the install steps.
• Install one or two at a time. Too many at once makes it hard to tell what helps.