7 Tips to Boost Development Efficiency with Agent Skills

Installed Agent Skills but feel like you're not getting the most out of them?

This article shares practical tips for using Agent Skills effectively in daily development.

Tip 1: Place Frequently Used Skills Globally

Skills used across projects go in the global directory.

Copy~/.claude/skills/
├── code-review/
├── git-commit/
└── docstring/

No repeated setup needed.

Good candidates:

• Code review
• Commit message generation
• Documentation generation
• General refactoring

Tip 2: Write Descriptions for Auto-Application

Specific descriptions enable automatic skill application for matching tasks.

Copy# ❌ Less likely to auto-apply
description: Check code

# ⭕ More likely to auto-apply
description: Review TypeScript pull requests for security, performance, and type safety

Keywords like "TypeScript," "pull request," and "security" trigger automatic use for related tasks.

Tip 3: Combine Multiple Skills

Chain multiple skills for complex workflows.

Example: PR Preparation

Copy1. /code-review to check code
2. Fix reported issues
3. /pr-template to generate PR description

Keep each skill focused on one responsibility and combine as needed.

Tip 4: Pass Context Explicitly

Improve skill accuracy by providing explicit context.

❌ Vague request

Copy/code-review

⭕ Request with context

Copy/code-review
Target: src/auth/login.ts
Focus: Security-heavy (authentication logic)

Especially effective for critical files or specific review criteria.

Tip 5: Template Your Output

For consistent output, define the format in your skill.

Copy---
name: bug-report
description: Generate bug report template
---

Create a bug report in this format:

## Summary
[Brief bug description]

## Steps to Reproduce
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]

## Expected Behavior
[What should happen]

## Actual Behavior
[What actually happens]

## Environment
- OS:
- Browser:
- Version:

Consistent output format makes downstream processing smoother.

Tip 6: Adjust Instructions When Skills Fail

When skills don't work as expected, tweaking instructions often helps.

Common issues and solutions:

Tip 7: Disable Unused Skills

Too many skills make it hard to predict which gets used. Temporarily disable unused ones.

Copy# Disable (rename directory)
mv ~/.claude/skills/old-skill ~/.claude/skills/_disabled_old-skill

# Re-enable
mv ~/.claude/skills/_disabled_old-skill ~/.claude/skills/old-skill

The _disabled_ prefix makes disabled skills obvious at a glance.

Bonus: Skill Aliases

Create aliases for long skill names with symbolic links.

Copy# typescript-code-review → ts-review
ln -s ~/.claude/skills/typescript-code-review ~/.claude/skills/ts-review

Now invoke with /ts-review.

Summary

Tips for mastering Agent Skills:

1. Place frequently used skills globally
2. Write descriptions for auto-application
3. Combine multiple skills
4. Pass context explicitly
5. Define output formats
6. Adjust instructions when needed
7. Disable unused skills

Try these one at a time to find what works for your workflow.

Browse the Skills list to discover new skills.

Related Articles

• Troubleshooting Agent Skills - When things don't work
• How to Create Your Own Skills - Create original skills
• How to Share Skills with Your Team - Standardize workflows
• 10 Best Agent Skills for Developers - Curated skills