What are Claude skills, commands, agents, and rules? A jargon-free guide to the six building blocks of a workspace. With real examples for every role.
A Claude workspace has six types of components. Each one does something different, and together they turn Claude from a general chatbot into a specialized assistant.
A skill is a detailed instruction set for a specific task. Think of it as a playbook that Claude follows when you ask it to do something.
A command is a shortcut that triggers a multi-step workflow. You type a slash followed by a name, and Claude runs through the entire sequence.
An agent is a sub-process that handles a complex task independently. Think of it as delegating to a specialist.
A rule is a behavioral constraint that Claude follows automatically. Unlike skills (which are loaded on demand), rules are always active.
The real power isn't in any single piece. It's that the pieces are connected.
No. The Froject includes 306 skills, 48 commands, 31 agents, and 20 rules ready to use. You can customize any of them after downloading.
Yes. Skills are just text files. You can write new ones, edit existing ones, or ask Claude to help you create them.
System prompts are loaded every time. Skills are loaded on demand, only when relevant. This means skills can be much more detailed without wasting context on unrelated tasks.
Rules set boundaries but don't restrict your ability to work. If a rule says "use formal tone" and you ask for something casual, you can override it. Rules prevent accidental drift, not intentional choices.