Anthropic appears to be preparing a major update for Claude users by quietly introducing a feature named Skills, now seen as a hidden toggle called “Skills Preview” in settings. This new addition is aimed at allowing users to upload repeatable and customizable instructions, referred to as skills, using either a .skill or zipped folder containing a SKILL.md file. The move suggests Anthropic is formalizing a file-based standard for user-defined capabilities, potentially mirroring concepts seen in other AI tools such as Dia Browser, which also explored user-activated custom functions under a Skills label.
The main audience for this feature would include power users, developers, and anyone wanting more control over Claude’s outputs, something that has been limited so far, with only style selectors available and no true custom prompt functionality. These skills are expected to support more granular workflow automations, likely enabling actions ranging from data transformations to content generation, and even triggering domain-specific tasks via keywords. For instance, testers who regularly use Claude for SVG Robot benchmaking (👀) or data extraction could script their own skill for instant execution, rather than relying on prompt engineering each time.
Anthropic has yet to clarify which types of tasks or automations will be possible, or provide any public samples, and no official launch date is mentioned. The Skills option sits within Claude’s settings, suggesting eventual mainstream availability across all user tiers if initial testing proves stable. The company’s recent push into real-time UI generation and modularity in Claude’s web interface also hints that skills might one day extend beyond text-based instructions into interactive or artifact-generating add-ons. This move would align with Anthropic’s broader strategy to make Claude more flexible for both technical and non-technical audiences, closing a gap with competitors like OpenAI, which already offer plug-in and custom function support. The discovery of the Skills Preview option seems to have originated from early user interface leaks and hidden settings exploration, with Anthropic remaining silent on any official channels so far.
