Creating Your First .SKILL.md File (Step-by-Step)

You've heard about Claude Skills and how they can automate repetitive tasks. Now it's time to create your first one.

This guide walks you through the entire process. By the end, you'll have a working skill that saves you time every time you use it.

What You'll Need

• Claude Code installed and working
• A text editor (VS Code, Cursor, or even TextEdit)
• About 15 minutes
• One repetitive task you want to automate

Step 1: Choose Your First Skill

Pick something you do regularly that follows a pattern. Good candidates for your first skill:

• Writing a specific type of email
• Creating social media posts in a particular format
• Summarising meeting notes
• Generating a report from data

For this tutorial, we'll create a skill that writes LinkedIn post drafts. This same approach works for any business automation task.

Step 2: Create the Skill File

In your project folder, create a new file called:

@linkedin-post-writer.SKILL.md

The @ prefix and .SKILL.md extension help Claude recognise this as a skill file.

Step 3: Add the Skill Header

Open the file and add this structure:

# LinkedIn Post Writer Skill

**Skill Name:** linkedin-post-writer
**Version:** 1.0
**Purpose:** Generate LinkedIn posts that match our brand voice

---

This header tells Claude (and you) what the skill does at a glance.

Step 4: Define When to Use It

Add a section explaining when this skill should activate:

## When To Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- Creating LinkedIn content for business updates
- Sharing industry insights or tips
- Promoting blog posts or services

Keywords that trigger this skill:
- "write a LinkedIn post"
- "create LinkedIn content"
- "draft a post for LinkedIn"

---

Step 5: Write Your Instructions

This is the core of your skill. Be specific about what you want:

## Instructions

When writing LinkedIn posts, follow these guidelines:

### Tone and Voice
- Professional but conversational
- First person ("I" and "we")
- Confident without being arrogant
- Helpful and educational

### Structure
1. **Hook** — Open with a bold statement, question, or surprising fact
2. **Body** — 3-5 short paragraphs explaining the main point
3. **Call to Action** — End with engagement prompt or next step

### Formatting Rules
- Keep total length under 200 words
- Use line breaks between paragraphs
- Include 2-3 relevant hashtags at the end
- No emojis unless specifically requested

### Topics to Emphasise
- Practical tips people can use immediately
- Lessons learned from real experience
- Industry trends with actionable takeaways

### Avoid
- Buzzwords and jargon
- Self-promotional language
- Generic advice without specifics

---

Step 6: Add Examples (Optional but Powerful)

Examples help Claude understand exactly what you want:

## Examples

### Good Example

Most businesses overcomplicate their Google Ads.

After managing accounts for 15 years, here's what actually moves the needle:

→ Tight keyword groups (10-15 per ad group max) → Specific landing pages for each campaign → Negative keywords reviewed weekly

The fancy stuff matters less than getting the basics right.

What's your biggest Google Ads challenge right now?

#GoogleAds #PPC #DigitalMarketing

### What Makes This Work
- Opens with a clear, bold statement
- Shares specific, actionable advice
- Ends with engagement question
- Professional tone throughout

Step 7: Test Your Skill

Save the file and open Claude Code. Try:

"Write a LinkedIn post about the importance of landing page speed"

Claude should follow your skill's instructions automatically. If the output doesn't match your expectations, refine your instructions and test again.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Claude isn't using the skill

Make sure your skill file is in the right location. Skills work best when placed in:

• Your project's .claude/skills/ folder
• Or referenced in your CLAUDE.md file

Output doesn't match instructions

Be more specific. If you want short paragraphs, say "maximum 2 sentences per paragraph." If you want a particular opening style, give more examples.

Skill works sometimes but not always

Check your trigger keywords. You might need to add more variations of how you phrase requests.

Your Skill Template

Here's the complete template you can copy and modify:

# [Skill Name]

**Skill Name:** [lowercase-with-dashes]
**Version:** 1.0
**Purpose:** [One sentence description]

---

## When To Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- [Scenario 1]
- [Scenario 2]

Keywords that trigger this skill:
- "[trigger phrase 1]"
- "[trigger phrase 2]"

---

## Instructions

[Your detailed instructions here]

---

## Examples

[Your examples here]

What's Next?

You've created your first skill. Now consider:

• Creating skills for other repetitive tasks
• Learning about style references for visual consistency
• Exploring how skills can integrate with AI SEO and discovery
• Seeing how small businesses are using AI automation in practice

The more skills you create, the more powerful Claude becomes as a business tool.

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Need help identifying which tasks to automate? Book a free consultation and we'll map out your highest-impact opportunities.

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Related services: Claude training for business and AI training in Perth, taught by a Claude Certified consultant.