How to Write Production-Ready Claude Code Skills That Actually Trigger

Claude Code skills — folders containing a SKILL.md file with YAML metadata and Markdown instructions — are a largely underused feature that can automate tasks from Git commits to content creation. The system loads skills across three levels: a lightweight discovery phase using roughly 100 tokens per skill, a full activation phase under 5,000 tokens, and an on-demand execution phase for referenced files or scripts. Keeping the SKILL.md body under 5,000 tokens is critical, as oversized files waste context every time a skill activates. The frontmatter description is the most important element, since it is the only text Claude reads before deciding whether to trigger a skill, and should include explicit use-case phrases in all languages users might employ. Skills written in this open standard, created by Anthropic, are also compatible with other AI coding tools such as Cursor.