Section 07 · Anthropic Academy — Introduction to Agent Skills · Builder
Introduction to Agent Skills
Skills as user-invoked capabilities. Routing between skill / slash / CLAUDE.md / hook by invocation model.
Learning objectives
- Distinguish Skill from slash command, CLAUDE.md, and hook by invocation model.
- Critique a skill description for discoverability (specific, action-oriented, scoped).
- Place a skill at project, personal, or plugin scope based on the audience.
- Detect a kitchen-sink skill and split it into single-purpose ones.
Lesson map
Mastery loads after hydration
Click a node to jump to that lesson. Colours track your mastery — neutral · below 60% · passing · strong.
Flashcards · 24 cards
Tap a card or press Enter to flip. Spaced repetition lands with Flashcard Battle (PR4).
Apply this section
Real-world tasks that close the loop between reading and doing. A section isn't complete until you've tried at least one of these in your own context.
Summarise the core idea
Analyse~10 minIn your own words, summarise the central idea of "Skill vs slash vs CLAUDE.md vs hook (by invocation model)". Aim for one paragraph, no jargon you haven't earned.
Done when: A non-expert could read your paragraph and explain it back to you.
Use it to a real situation
Apply~15 minFind a real situation from your own work / life where "Detect kitchen-sink skill" applies. Use the idea — describe the situation, the move you'd make, and the alternative you considered first.
Done when: You can name a specific situation (not a hypothetical), state your move, and explain the trade-off in one paragraph.
Teach it back
Evaluate~5 minPick someone (a colleague, a peer, a rubber duck) and explain the section to them in under 5 minutes. Use your own example, not the one from the lesson.
Done when: Your listener can repeat the core idea + the trade-off back to you without prompting.
Why this matters. Reading + quizzing prove recall; applying it in a real situation is the only evidence of transfer. Treat at least one of these as non-negotiable before you move on.
Mini-games
These mini-games unlock as we ship them — Time Trivia next.
Time Trivia
10 questions, 15 seconds each. Cumulative score with streak bonus. Reinforces speed under exam pressure.
Play →
Flashcard Battle
Self-paced battle through the section's flashcards. Hard / Good / Easy keeps the right cards in front of you.
Play →
Concept Match
Match each technical term with its definition. Timer + score reward speed and accuracy on exam vocabulary.
Domain Rush
Concepts appear one by one — classify each into the right CCA-F domain. 5 levels, mastery-graded.
Complete the Code
Real Claude API snippets with missing parameters. Pick the correct value to reinforce exact syntax.
Interactive Scenarios
Make decisions in real-world scenarios — which model, which pattern, how to handle errors. Mirrors the exam shape.