Skills, freshly shelled
A skill is a folder of instructions and scripts that Claude loads only when a task needs it. MCP servers give Claude new tools; skills teach it how to use them well. These are the few we would install first.
MCP BuilderTurns Claude into a careful MCP server author, from API research to a tested release.Anthropic · Open sourceWeb App TestingHas Claude write throwaway Playwright scripts to poke, screenshot and check your local web app.Anthropic · Open sourceSkill CreatorA skill for making skills: drafts one with you, tests it, and tunes when it switches on.Anthropic · Open sourceFrontend DesignSteers Claude away from the same-again AI look toward pages with a point of view.Anthropic · Open sourcePDFReads, splits, merges, fills and builds PDF files with proven Python and command line tools.Anthropic · Source-availableExcel (xlsx)Builds and edits Excel workbooks that keep their formulas, then checks them for errors.Anthropic · Source-available
Skill or server: which pea do you need?
- Pick an MCP server when Claude needs to reach something it cannot touch today: a database, a browser, your GitHub.
- Pick a skill when Claude can already do the job but does it unevenly, and you want it done the same careful way every time.
- Many of the best set-ups use both. Each skill page lists the servers it works well beside.
We keep this list short on purpose. A skill gets a place when it comes from a maker we trust, does one job clearly, and holds up when we use it on real work.