Skills
Pre-built capabilities you attach to an AI to extend what it can do.
Skills are pre-packaged, reusable AI capabilities — typically a combination of a system prompt template, tool definitions, and workflow logic — that extend a base model for a specific use case.
Examples: a "web research" skill grants the agent a search tool, browsing capability, and a structured output format. A "data analyst" skill adds code execution, chart generation, and summary templates.
In Claude Code, skills are invocable via /skill-name commands that run pre-defined agentic workflows. Platforms like Microsoft Copilot Studio expose them as modular add-ons you configure without writing code.
In plain terms
Skills are like apps on a smartphone. The phone (base model) is capable on its own, but apps extend it with purpose-built tools for specific jobs.