If you keep pasting the same long prompt into your AI assistant, you already know the problem a Skill solves. A Skill is a small, reusable package of instructions that your assistant loads when a task calls for it, so you stop re-explaining the job every time.
What a Skill is made of
A Skill is a folder. The only required file is SKILL.md: a short header with a name and a description, followed by the instructions themselves.
---
name: sales-followup
description: Turn call notes into a short follow-up email, a CRM summary and a dated next step.
---
# Sales follow-up
1. Quote one specific thing the prospect said.
2. Name the next step and give it a date.
3. Keep the email under 120 words.A Skill can also include reference files, templates and worked examples that the instructions point to. Claude, ChatGPT, Codex and Cursor all read the name and description up front, and only open the rest when your request matches. That keeps your context small even when you have many Skills installed.
sales-followup/
SKILL.md
references/objections.md
assets/email-templates.md
examples/discovery-call.mdSkill, prompt, Bot or Dot?
| You want... | Use |
|---|---|
| A one-off answer | A normal prompt |
| A repeatable job done the same way whenever you ask | A Skill |
| The job done on a schedule, without you starting it | A Grok Bot |
| An ongoing job across your apps, run by your ChatGPT dot | A Dot |
Skills shine for jobs with a clear method: follow-up emails, release notes, meeting recaps, content repurposing, page audits. If you can describe the steps and show a good example, it belongs in a Skill.
How to install a Skill
Download the skill as a .zip. The same file works in every app:
- ChatGPT: Skills > Create > Upload from your computer. Mention it with
@. - Claude: Settings > Capabilities > Skills > Upload. In Claude Code, unzip it into
~/.claude/skills/. - Codex: unzip it into
.agents/skills/in your repo and mention it with$. - Cursor: unzip it into
.cursor/skills/in your project.
Then start a new chat and ask for the task in plain words. The install guide covers Skills, Bots and Dots step by step.
What makes a good Skill
- One job. A Skill that tries to do everything is a prompt dump with a nicer name.
- A specific description. The assistant decides whether to load the Skill from its description, so say exactly when it applies.
- Examples of good output. One before and after example teaches more than a paragraph of rules.
- A defined output format. Say what the result should look like: subject line, summary, next step.
- No secrets. Never put passwords or API keys in a Skill.
Where to find ready-made Skills
You can write your own, or start from one that already works. Every GetKits Skill is built for a single job, ships its templates, rubrics and a worked example, and shows a real before and after demo. The Life Assistant Skill is free if you want to try one. The official bundles pair each Skill with a Grok Bot and a ChatGPT Dot, so the same job also runs on a schedule. If you would rather build your own, the Bot Generator Kit interviews you and writes the Skill for you.