Claude Skills are reusable instruction files written in markdown that help Claude perform tasks with accuracy and consistency. When stored inside HackMD, these skills become a clean, organized library you can refine, reuse, and share. This guide walks through what Claude Skills are, how to structure them, and how to build a workspace that scales.
What are Claude Skills?
Claude Skills are written as structured markdown documents that define how Claude should perform a specific task. Each skill acts like a small, reusable playbook that teaches Claude what the task is, what input it should expect, what output it should return, and what rules it must follow. By outlining your expectations clearly, you remove ambiguity from the process and help Claude produce more consistent, predictable results.
Instead of relying on scattered prompts or trying to remember what worked last time, you create a single source of truth that Claude can interpret again and again. Each skill usually contains a short description that explains its purpose, followed by an input section that tells the user what to provide.
Why store Claude Skills in HackMD?
HackMD supports everything you need for a scalable skill library:
- Markdown formatting
- Folders for organization
- Tags for filtering
- Internal note linking
- GitHub Sync for version control
- Public or private sharing
HackMD keeps your skills accessible and easy to manage, even as your collection grows.
Setting up your Claude Skills workspace
A simple folder structure makes your library easy to navigate. Here is a recommended layout:
claude-skills/ fundamentals/ advanced/ workflows/ integrations/
This structure mirrors how real teams manage internal documentation. It helps readers quickly understand where a skill belongs and encourages you to build a library that grows logically over time.
Creating a standard skill template
A template ensures consistency across your entire library. When every skill follows the same structure, Claude reads them more reliably, and you spend less time trying to interpret or revise old instructions.
Below is a complete template formatted entirely in Markdown. This can be saved as skill-template.md inside your HackMD workspace.
# Skill Name ## Description Explain what the skill does and why it is useful. ## Input Describe what the user must provide. ## Output List the expected output format. ## Constraints Set rules Claude must follow. ## Steps 1. Numbered instructions for Claude to perform in order. 2. Each step should be clear and actionable. 3. Keep steps specific enough to remove ambiguity. ## Sample Prompt A ready to copy prompt formatted for users. Example: Use the skill instructions below to complete the task. TEXT: {{insert text}} ## Example ### Before Provide a realistic example of the input text. ### After Show Claude’s improved or transformed output.
A template like this makes skill creation simple and repeatable.
Organizing your skills inside HackMD
Organizing your library well is what turns a collection of documents into a sustainable knowledge system. As your number of skills grows, you will want to make them easy to browse, filter, and update.
HackMD provides built in tools that make this process smooth, even as your library expands.
Using features like tags, folders, and linked notes, you can create a structure that feels intuitive for both individuals and teams. This organizational layer makes your Claude Skills more discoverable, easier to maintain, and far more useful during real work.
Add tags for better searchability
Tags allow you to categorize skills based on purpose, difficulty, or workflow type. This becomes increasingly important once your library grows beyond ten or fifteen skills.
By tagging consistently, you make it possible to quickly find all rewriting skills, all analysis skills, or all workflow related skills in just a few clicks.
tags: claude, skill, writing, workflow, analysis
When onboarding a new teammate or revisiting your library after months, tags make rediscovery effortless.
Link related notes
HackMD allows you to link one note to another using double bracket syntax. This is incredibly helpful because Claude Skills often build on each other.
For example, a blog workflow might link to rewriting skills, tone adjustment skills, or analysis skills.
Linking notes turns your workspace into a wiki style system where related concepts stay interconnected. This makes your skills easier to navigate, especially when training new team members or documenting complex workflows.
See also: [[Rewrite for Clarity]] [[Structured Analysis]] [[Blog Draft Workflow]]
Over time, these links create natural pathways through your knowledge base.
Track version history
Skills evolve as your needs evolve. You will refine steps, tighten constraints, or add new examples. Keeping a version history helps you track these improvements and understand how a skill has changed over time.
This is especially helpful in collaborative environments, where multiple contributors may update the same skill. It creates transparency and gives everyone confidence that the most recent version is accurate.
### Version History 2025-01-01: Created 2025-01-10: Added example 2025-01-20: Updated constraints
If you use GitHub Sync, you gain even deeper version history through commits and pull requests.
Using and sharing Claude Skills
Once your skills are stored in HackMD, using them becomes incredibly simple. You can pull up any skill, copy the sample prompt, and paste it directly into Claude to run the workflow. This eliminates guesswork and ensures consistency.
Beyond personal use, HackMD makes it easy to share skills with teammates. You can give access to specific folders, publish read only versions, or embed skills in onboarding guides.
Collaboration becomes natural and efficient, because everyone works from the same up to date instructions.
Start creating today
Claude Skills help you build a repeatable, reliable foundation for AI assisted work. HackMD gives you the structure to store, update, and share these skills effortlessly.
With a clear template, organized folder structure, internal linking, and collaborative features, you can transform scattered prompts into a polished system that supports writing, research, documentation, and more.
Start with a few fundamental skills, refine them, and gradually expand your library. Over time, you will build a toolkit that improves efficiency, consistency, and collaboration across your entire workflow.
