CUSTOM SKILLS

The prompt-to-skill progression

Most people start by typing the same instructions over and over. The video this week shows how a single task — extracting action items from meeting minutes — moves through four levels:

• > Ad-hoc prompt — You type instructions each time. Works, but slow and inconsistent.
• > Saved prompt — You save that prompt in a document so you can copy-paste it. Better, but still manual.
• > Custom slash command — You save the prompt as a file in .claude/commands/, and Claude Code loads it when you type the slash command. Consistent and shareable.
• > Hook — An automated check that runs in the background. No invocation needed — it fires on its own when certain conditions are met.

Skills vs. commands

Both are markdown files invoked with a slash, but they work differently. A skill contains domain knowledge Claude consults and applies using judgment — the right tool when the task requires interpretation. A command is a deterministic trigger — the same steps, the same sequence, every time. The journalism analogy: a skill is a style guide (reference material, applied with judgment). A command is a mandatory pre-publication checklist (fixed sequence, no skips).

Both are stored as .md files in .claude/commands/. The filename becomes the slash command — save source-verification.md and Claude Code creates /source-verification automatically.

Where skills live

Skills can be stored in several locations:

• > Global: ~/.claude/commands/ - Available in all projects
• > Project: .claude/commands/ - Available only in that project
• > Remote: GitHub repositories that you clone or reference

Hooks: notify vs. stop

Hooks are skills that run automatically — you don't invoke them. They fire at specific points in your workflow without any input from you. There are two kinds, and the distinction matters:

• > Notify hooks run in the background and flag issues without stopping your work. Think of them as an automated second reader — problems get marked for your review, but the work continues. A notify hook might flag an unattributed quote or highlight filler language.
• > Stop hooks pause execution and ask for confirmation before proceeding. These exist for one-way doors — actions that are difficult or impossible to undo. Before Claude Code deletes files, pushes to a repository, or publishes something, a stop hook can pause and require your approval.

The journalism parallel: editorial workflows don't just catch errors, they build in deliberate pause points before irreversible actions. A stop hook is the automated version of "does a human need to see this before it goes out?"

Skill trust and safety

Skills are just text files with instructions — they can't run arbitrary code. However, they can influence Claude's behavior, so review skills before installing them. Prefer skills from trusted sources, check what instructions they contain, and be cautious of skills that ask Claude to access external services or sensitive data.

Session commands

Module 1 introduced the commands you use inside a Claude Code session. Here's a quick reference for the ones you'll use most this week:

• /help — list available commands and installed skills (use this to confirm your new skill shows up)
• /plan — ask Claude to think through an approach before acting (useful before writing a skill file)
• /compact — compress conversation history when a long session slows down
• /clear — start fresh without leaving the session

When CLI tools are worth the setup cost

Not every task justifies leaving the browser. CLI tools pay off when you have repeatable work — the same kind of document, the same verification steps, the same data format — and the upfront cost of writing a skill or context file is recovered across many uses. If you're doing a one-off task you'll never repeat, the web interface is fine.

The question to ask: "Will I do this same thing next week?" If yes, the time you spend writing a skill now saves time every future run. If no, a browser prompt is faster. Skills, context files, and hooks are investments — they only pay off with repetition.