How to install

🧩 How to install a Skill

A Skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that gives Claude extra instructions and knowledge for a specific task (e.g. editing PDFs or reviewing code).

On Claude.ai / Claude Desktop

1. Open Customize → Skills.
2. Click “+” → Browse skills.
3. Click Install on the skill you want.

Installed skills are view-only. To customise one, download a copy and re-upload it as your own.

In Claude Code

Copy the skill folder into your project's .claude/skills/ directory, or the global ~/.claude/skills/ directory to use it in every project:

# per-project (recommended)
mkdir -p .claude/skills/my-skill

# ...or globally, for all projects
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/my-skill

# then copy SKILL.md and any supporting files into that folder

Claude automatically detects and uses skills placed in that folder — no restart needed in most cases. If the skill ships inside a plugin, install it as a plugin instead.

🔌 How to install an MCP server

MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets Claude connect to external tools and services — Gmail, GitHub, databases and more — via a running server.

On Claude.ai

1. Open Settings → Connectors (or Customize → Connectors).
2. Click “+” and browse/search the connector directory.
3. Click Connect, then authenticate via OAuth if prompted.

In Claude Desktop / Claude Code

Add an entry to your config file — claude_desktop_config.json (Desktop) or .mcp.json / project settings (Claude Code):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "example-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "example-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

There are two common transport types:

• Local (stdio) — runs a command on your machine, as above.
• Remote — a hosted URL you connect to, often via OAuth.

After adding a server, restart the app (or re-enable the connector in settings) before it appears as an available tool. Exact config keys vary per server — always check the MCP's own README.

📦 How to install a Plugin

A Pluginis a bundle that can include one or more skills, subagents, commands, hooks and/or MCP servers, distributed through a “marketplace.” Plugins are a Claude Code feature.

1. Add the marketplace that hosts the plugin (only needed once per marketplace):

   /plugin marketplace add <owner>/<repo>

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2. Install the plugin:

   /plugin install <plugin-name>@<marketplace-name>

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Some plugins install multiple sub-packages (skills, agents, commands) at once. After installing, they're usually available immediately as slash commands, skills or new agents — check the plugin's docs for exact usage.

Manual alternative (git clone)

You can also clone the plugin's repository and copy the relevant folder into your .claude/directory, following the plugin's own README:

git clone https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>.git