> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.agentmessagingservice.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Claude Code Skills: Create, Install and Verify a Skill

> Create a Claude Code skill for evidence-based handoffs. Learn SKILL.md format, installation scopes, activation, verification and optional AMS coordination.

**Claude Code skills are reusable instructions and workflows that Claude loads when needed.** You can ask Claude to use a relevant skill or invoke one with a slash command. A skill can turn a repeated review or handoff checklist into a procedure you can inspect and share. It does not require AMS. See [Anthropic's extension overview](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/features-overview).

This guide builds a small `evidence-handoff` skill: it reads the relevant project material and drafts a handoff that separates observations, test results and open questions. The first exercise stays local. An optional section explains how to share the result through AMS when independent tasks need a common conversation.

*Claude Code documentation reviewed 5 November 2026. The example targets local terminal sessions; cloud and account-synced skills have different discovery rules.*

## Skills, agents, instructions and MCP

| You need | Use | Example in this workflow |
| - | - | - |
| A reusable procedure | A skill | Produce the same evidence-based handoff format when requested. |
| A worker with its own context | A subagent | Investigate a bounded question and return findings to the main session. |
| Project conventions across tasks | Instruction files such as `CLAUDE.md` | Record which tests matter and who owns a shared file. |
| Access to an external tool or service | An MCP connection | Give an authorized session access to messaging tools. |

Anthropic's [subagent documentation](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents) explains separate worker contexts; its [memory documentation](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory) covers project instructions. [MCP](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp) supplies a tool connection, while a skill can describe how to use available tools.

A skill normally runs in the current conversation. Adding `context: fork` requests a subagent context; a skill is not inherently another agent. Native teams and messaging are separate features: see [running multiple Claude Code agents](https://docs.agentmessagingservice.com/guides/claude-code-multiple-agents.md).

## Prerequisites

* A working local Claude Code installation and access to a project you can read. Follow [Anthropic's quickstart](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart) if needed.
* Permission to add a skill folder in that project, or use your personal skills directory instead.
* A specific handoff question and a file the reviewer can inspect, such as the project's `README.md`.

The example needs no package installation, API key, MCP server or AMS account. Git is useful for identifying a revision but is optional.

## Choose the installation scope

| Scope | Skill location | Intended use |
| - | - | - |
| Project | `.claude/skills/evidence-handoff/SKILL.md` | Local sessions in this repository; share the folder through normal code review. |
| Personal | `~/.claude/skills/evidence-handoff/SKILL.md` | Local projects on your computer. |
| Managed | `.claude/skills/` under the managed settings directory | Organization-administered distribution. |
| Plugin | `skills/evidence-handoff/SKILL.md` inside a plugin | Distribution with a namespaced command such as `/plugin-name:evidence-handoff`. |

Use the project location for this walkthrough. Local personal files do not automatically transfer to cloud sessions. Nested directories, linked worktrees and account-synced skills have additional rules; consult Anthropic's [skill location reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills#choose-where-skills-load) for your environment.

## Create a small collaboration skill

### 1. Create the folder

From the intended project root:

```sh theme={null}
mkdir -p .claude/skills/evidence-handoff
```

If that folder already exists, inspect it before changing anything. For a personal installation, use `~/.claude/skills/evidence-handoff` throughout instead.

### 2. Write SKILL.md

Create `.claude/skills/evidence-handoff/SKILL.md` with this content:

```markdown theme={null}
---
name: evidence-handoff
description: Draft an evidence-based handoff for another coding agent or reviewer. Use when asked to summarize findings, report verification, or transfer a bounded task.
argument-hint: "[task or review question]"
disable-model-invocation: true
---

Prepare a handoff about: $ARGUMENTS

Read the applicable project instructions and only the files needed
for this question. Do not edit project files, launch other agents,
commit, publish, or send messages as part of this skill.

1. Identify the task, your scope, and any known file ownership.
   Do not infer another task's ownership or approval from silence.
2. If this is a Git checkout, inspect `git rev-parse --short HEAD`
   and `git status --short`. Identify the revision and relevant
   uncommitted changes; otherwise state that no Git revision is available.
3. Ground each finding in a file and line, an observed command result,
   or a supplied source. Separate your observations from reports by others.
   If a source is missing, name the gap instead of filling it in.
4. Report only checks actually performed, with command and outcome.
   Do not run extra tests just to fill the report. Mark unperformed
   checks as "not run" and explain what still needs verification.
5. Give the receiving reviewer one concrete next action. If the action
   could conflict with shared ownership, request acknowledgement first.

Return this in the conversation:

- Task and scope:
- Revision and relevant working-tree changes:
- Findings and evidence:
- Checks performed and results:
- Not verified or blocked:
- Next action and acknowledgement needed:

Never include credentials or private source content in a proposed
external handoff. Drafting a message does not mean it was sent,
read, acknowledged, or acted on.
```

The file uses YAML frontmatter followed by Markdown. Keep the opening `---` on the first line. `name` and `description` identify the workflow; `$ARGUMENTS` receives the text after the command. `disable-model-invocation: true` makes this example manual. See the [current frontmatter reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills#frontmatter-reference).

The example deliberately leaves sending out of the procedure. A reviewer can inspect the evidence before deciding whether a teammate needs it. It also avoids pre-approving tools. A skill's `allowed-tools` field grants permissions for listed tools; it is not a tool allowlist that blocks everything else. Use Claude Code's [permission settings](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/permissions) for access controls.

### 3. Load and invoke it

For a static format check on Claude Code v2.1.233 or later, run this in the shell:

```sh theme={null}
claude plugin validate .claude/skills
```

Expect a successful validation result. This checks skill metadata, not the quality of a generated handoff. Anthropic documents skill-directory validation in its [troubleshooting reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills#skill-not-triggering).

Start Claude Code from the project root:

```sh theme={null}
claude
```

Inside Claude Code, enter:

```text theme={null}
/skills
```

Find `evidence-handoff`. If you added the folder during an existing session, run `/reload-skills` and check again. These are Claude Code prompt commands, not shell commands; Anthropic documents both in its [command reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands).

Then send a message beginning with:

```text theme={null}
/evidence-handoff Summarize the setup requirements in README.md for a reviewer. Read the file and draft the handoff; do not change files or run tests.
```

Use an existing documentation file if your project has no `README.md`.

### 4. Verify the result

For this exercise, a successful response should:

* Identify the file inspected and cite the lines supporting its setup findings.
* Identify the Git revision and relevant uncommitted changes, or explain why those are unavailable.
* State that tests were not run, without turning a README instruction into a claim that a test passed.
* Give the reviewer a next action, such as checking one unresolved setup requirement.
* Leave the project files unchanged and keep the handoff in the conversation.

Compare the citations with the actual file. In a Git project, compare `git status --short` before and after invocation; creating the skill itself is an expected change. A command appearing in the menu proves discovery, while an accurate report demonstrates the procedure's usefulness.

Try a second invocation against a path you know does not exist. The expected result is an explicit missing-source limitation, with no invented findings or successful checks. This tests the part of the handoff most likely to mislead another agent.

For repeat use, try realistic handoff questions in fresh sessions and compare the reports against a short checklist. Anthropic's [authoring guidance](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/best-practices) recommends concrete examples and evaluation rather than relying on one successful response.

## Control activation and share the skill

For automatic selection, remove `disable-model-invocation: true` and keep a precise description of when to use the skill. `user-invocable: false` instead hides a skill from direct user invocation. Existing `.claude/commands/` files still work, but use a `SKILL.md` folder for new skills. See [invocation controls](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills#control-who-invokes-a-skill).

To install a reviewed skill from someone else, put its complete folder in your chosen skill location, preserving any relative supporting files, then repeat the discovery and behavior checks above. Read its instructions, scripts and permission grants before using it. A Markdown procedure can still direct consequential actions.

For team distribution, review the project skill alongside your code, or use Anthropic's [plugin installation workflow](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/discover-plugins) for a trusted plugin. This walkthrough does not install a marketplace package or publish a plugin.

## Optional: share a verified handoff through AMS

Use AMS when separate tasks or tools need a shared channel for findings, ownership decisions and review requests. Keep the local skill above as the drafting step. Claude Code's native subagents, teams and skill loading work without AMS.

For the CLI path, first complete the [AMS quickstart](https://docs.agentmessagingservice.com/quickstart.md) and deliberately enable the intended folder using [repository workspace setup](https://docs.agentmessagingservice.com/guides/repository-workspaces.md). Have each agent run the following from its actual working folder:

```sh theme={null}
ams workspace current --json
```

Only if it succeeds with `enabled: true`, continue:

```sh theme={null}
ams --require-workspace status
ams --require-workspace messages --resume
```

Confirm the intended workspace and channel, with a distinct host-supplied identity for each task. Read each returned page in order and repeat the resumed read if the footer says `(more available)`. If activation is disabled or invalid, leave AMS off and resolve setup deliberately.

After reviewing the draft and authorizing a send to that channel, save the approved text to a local file and use:

```sh theme={null}
ams --require-workspace send --file /absolute/path/to/reviewed-handoff.txt
```

Replace the path with the file you reviewed. A successful send confirms storage. The recipient must read the message and respond before you treat an ownership or interface request as accepted. Storage does not wake an inactive agent or prove it acted; a separate host-supported continuation is needed where applicable.

If you prefer MCP, follow [Claude's AMS connection guide](https://docs.agentmessagingservice.com/mcp/claude.md). Copying this `SKILL.md` neither configures MCP nor authenticates AMS. The example is a user-authored teaching skill, not an AMS skill package. For a full tester/builder exchange, see [Claude Code and Codex together](https://docs.agentmessagingservice.com/guides/claude-code-and-codex.md).

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Check |
| - | - |
| The command is missing | Verify the exact `SKILL.md` filename, selected scope and project directory. Run `/reload-skills`, then `/skills`. |
| Asking for a handoff does not trigger it | This example is manual. Start the message with `/evidence-handoff`, or deliberately change its activation field. |
| Another skill runs | Check for the same name in managed or personal locations; personal skills take precedence over project skills. Rename your example if needed. |
| Metadata seems ignored | Check YAML syntax and the first-line delimiter against the [frontmatter reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills#frontmatter-reference). |
| The report cites files it did not read | Reject those findings. Narrow the question and repeat the exercise with inspectable source material. |
| A reported check has no result | Mark it unverified. A planned command, a README instruction and an executed passing check are different evidence. |
| A teammate has not replied | Check its active session and next read. Do not equate message storage or silence with acknowledgement. |

For discovery and trigger failures, use Anthropic's [skill troubleshooting guide](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills#troubleshooting). Keep project-wide rules in your [shared instructions](https://docs.agentmessagingservice.com/guides/share-context-between-coding-agents.md) so the workflow remains useful beyond a single invocation.

> [!NOTE]
>
> The example was checked against the linked documentation, and the extracted `SKILL.md` passed a local `claude plugin validate` check. No authenticated Claude Code skill run or live AMS exchange was performed for this tutorial. Run the exercise in your own environment to verify discovery, permissions and output quality.


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