4 Official Claude Skills for Your Files

Anthropic published the four skills behind Claude's file work: PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and spreadsheets. Here is what each one does, how to install all four in Claude Code with two commands, and prompts that name the right skill for the job.

What this helps you do

Get cleaner files from Claude by asking for the skill that matches the file, instead of one vague prompt for everything.

A skill is a set of instructions Claude loads for one kind of job. These four teach Claude the details of each file type, such as how to fill a PDF form, keep a Word report editable, lay out a slide deck, or write spreadsheet formulas that still recalculate when your numbers change.

The four skills

• PDF: reads and extracts text and tables, fills in and reads PDF forms, merges or splits files, and creates new PDFs. Use it when a finished document needs to become a PDF or when you need the fields out of a form.
• Word (docx): creates and edits Word documents with real headings, tables, page numbers, comments, and tracked changes. Use it for reports, memos, letters, and templates you want to keep editing.
• PowerPoint (pptx): builds slide decks from scratch or from a template, edits existing decks, and reads the text and notes out of a presentation.
• Spreadsheet (xlsx): opens, cleans, and builds spreadsheets with formulas, formatting, and charts. It also works with CSV files. Use it when the answer should live in a spreadsheet.

Before you start

• Claude Code installed and signed in.
• A folder with a copy of the file you want to work on. Keep your original somewhere else.
• Python and Node.js on your computer. The skills use them to read and write files. LibreOffice is also helpful, because the skills use it to convert files to PDF and to recalculate spreadsheet formulas. Claude Code may offer to install a missing package the first time. Review each install before you approve it.

Using the Claude app instead of Claude Code? These skills are already built in on paid plans. Turn on Code execution and file creation (called Create and edit files in newer settings) under Settings > Capabilities, and Claude uses them when your request involves one of these files. Anthropic's Using skills in Claude article has the details.

Terms to know

• Skill: a folder of instructions and helper scripts that Claude loads for one kind of task.
• Plugin: a package that installs one or more skills into Claude Code at once.
• Marketplace: a catalog of plugins you add to Claude Code once, then install from.
• document-skills: the plugin that holds all four file skills.
• Formula: a spreadsheet calculation such as =SUM(B2:B9) that updates when the numbers change, unlike a typed-in total.

Step-by-step

1. Open your terminal, go to the folder with your file, and type claude to start Claude Code.
2. At the Claude Code prompt, add Anthropic's skills marketplace: /plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills You should see a message that the marketplace was added.
3. Install the document skills: /plugin install document-skills@anthropic-agent-skills Prefer menus? Run /plugin, choose Browse and install plugins, pick anthropic-agent-skills, pick document-skills, then Install now.
4. Check it worked. Run /plugin and open the Installed tab. You should see document-skills listed.
5. Ask for the work and name the skill, using a prompt from the next section. For example: "Use the spreadsheet skill to show which product sold more each month."
6. Open the file Claude saves. Check the numbers, formatting, and anything it changed before you share it.

The full source and instructions are in Anthropic's skills repository.

Copy this

Paste one of these into Claude Code with your project folder open. Replace the [BRACKETED] parts with your file names and details.

PDF
Use the PDF skill to read [FILE.pdf]. List every form field and its current value in a table. Then fill in these fields: [FIELD: VALUE, FIELD: VALUE] and save the result as a new file. Do not change the original.

WORD
Use the Word skill to turn [NOTES FILE OR PASTED NOTES] into an editable Word report called [REPORT NAME].docx. Use real headings, a table for [TOPIC], page numbers, and a one-paragraph summary at the top.

POWERPOINT
Use the PowerPoint skill to build a [NUMBER]-slide deck from [FILE OR NOTES] for [AUDIENCE]. One idea per slide, a short headline on each, speaker notes under every slide, and a final slide with the next step. Save it as [DECK NAME].pptx.

SPREADSHEET
Use the spreadsheet skill to open [FILE.xlsx or FILE.csv] and answer this: [YOUR QUESTION, e.g. which product sold more each month]. Add a summary sheet that uses formulas, not typed-in totals, and a chart that shows the answer. Save it as a new file and tell me which cells hold the answer.

Things to know

• Name the skill. Claude usually picks the right one from the file type, but saying "use the PDF skill" or "use the spreadsheet skill" makes the request clear.
• Give it the file and the question. "Fix this spreadsheet" is vague. "Show which product sold more each month, with a chart" gets you a finished answer.
• Work on copies. Ask Claude to save new files so your originals stay untouched.
• Spreadsheets get formulas. The spreadsheet skill is written to use live formulas and to check for formula errors before it finishes. Still spot-check a few totals yourself.
• License. These four skills are source-available, not open source. You can read and use them, but check the license file in each folder before copying them into something you share or sell.
• There is a second plugin. The same marketplace has example-skills, with skills for design, web app testing, writing internal updates, and building your own skills. Want more to try? See 9 Claude skills worth testing.

If something goes wrong

• "Marketplace not found": run /plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills first, then the install command.
• The skill doesn't seem to load: run /plugin, confirm document-skills is installed and enabled, then start a new session.
• Claude says a tool is missing: it usually needs Python, Node.js, or LibreOffice. Let it explain what is missing, then approve the install or install it yourself.
• The PDF or Word conversion fails: install LibreOffice, then ask Claude to try again.
• Spreadsheet totals look wrong: ask Claude to recalculate the file and list any formula errors by cell.

Final check

Run /plugin and see document-skills installed. Then ask one prompt from above on a real file and open the result. If the new file opens in its usual app and the content matches what you asked for, you are done.