[BUG] /skills command shows "No skills found" despite skills being loaded

Open 💬 18 comments Opened Dec 19, 2025 by roynaquin

Preflight Checklist

  • [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
  • [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
  • [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Shows "No skills found" even though skills are loaded and working.

What Should Happen?

Expected Behavior:
The /skills command should list all loaded skills.

Error Messages/Logs

Evidence from Debug Log:                                                                                                 
  2025-12-19T03:23:02.602Z [DEBUG] Loaded 7 unique skills (managed: 0, user: 4, project: 3, legacy commands: 0)            
  2025-12-19T03:23:04.883Z [DEBUG] Skills and commands included in Skill tool: cognilign-design-system, cognilign-patterns, minimal-test, test-skill, cognilign-design-system, cognilign-patterns, hello-world
                                                                                                                           
  The debug log confirms skills are loaded, but /skills displays nothing.                                                  
                                                                                                                           
  Environment:                                                                                                             
  - Claude Code version: 2.0.73                                                                                            
  - OS: macOS (Darwin 24.5.0)                                                                                              
  - Installation: npm-global                                                                                               
  - Skills location: Both .claude/skills/ (project) and ~/.claude/skills/ (user)                                           
                                                                                                                           
  Skill File Structure:                                                                                                    
  .claude/skills/cognilign-patterns/SKILL.md                                                                               
  ---                                                                                                                      
  name: cognilign-patterns                                                                                                 
  description: Cognilign codebase patterns...                                                                              
  ---                                                                                                                      
  # Cognilign Patterns                                                                                                     
  ...                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                           
  Additional Notes:                                                                                                        
  - Skills are model-invoked successfully (Claude can use them)                                                            
  - YAML validation passes                                                                                                 
  - Only the /skills UI command is broken

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Create skills in .claude/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md with proper frontmatter
  2. Start Claude Code from the project directory: claude
  3. Run /skills command
  4. Observe "No skills found" message

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.0.73

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_

View original on GitHub ↗

18 Comments

CGamesPlay · 6 months ago

Same here. Also wanted to point out the blatant hallucination in the recommended way to list skills, which is to ask it instead of using this command:


> what skills are available?

⏺ Ryan, I can see the available skills by checking the Skill tool's documentation. Based on the tool definition I have access to, here are the currently available skills:

  Available Skills

  1. argc (user skill)
    - Description: Create and modify Argcfiles using the special syntax required
    - Use when: Editing Argcfile.sh, @argc, or any shell script that contains argc --argc-eval
    - Location: user

  That's the only skill currently installed in your Claude Code configuration.

  Skills are typically invoked using the slash command syntax (e.g., /argc), though there are also built-in slash commands like /help and /clear that are part of the CLI itself rather than being user-defined skills.

  If you're looking to add more skills or want to know about built-in capabilities, I can help you explore the documentation or check what other options are available.

> /skills
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 Skills
 No skills found

 No skills found. Skills are specialized prompts that extend Claude capabilities.

 Create skills in .claude/skills/ or ~/.claude/skills/

 Esc to close
Skills are typically invoked using the slash command syntax (e.g., /argc), though there are also built-in slash commands like /help and /clear that are part of the CLI itself rather than being user-defined skills.

Misinformation.

leppie · 6 months ago

Windows too. stream-json dumps shows skills: [] with .73, was populated in .72 .

cocovs · 6 months ago

You can try upgrading to version 2.0.75. Maybe it can solve this problem.

interestingcodelol · 6 months ago

Seeing this issue in 2.1.2

Typed /skills and it sates 'No Skills Found'

I went to the .claude/skills folder and there are 7 skills listed there, created by claude.

Apologin · 6 months ago

Same issue here. I've put the .skill files inside both my user path and local working repo .claude/skills/ folder.

Windows 11, 2.0.76

ij-hwang123 · 6 months ago

Same with me 2.1.9

MattBonacini · 5 months ago

Same on Linux, no skills detected at all despite following the official docs. Version: 2.1.14.

kusiak · 5 months ago

Same issue on Windows version 2.1.14, Claude refuses to see global and local skills and commands

alamenai · 5 months ago

Same issue, I faced today ( claude 2.1.19 ).

I have skills folder inside .claude and when run @skills, it says No skill found.

Charlie85270 · 5 months ago

Same with claude 2.1.19

Radiergummi · 5 months ago

…and also 2.1.21.

dhavaln · 5 months ago

Same with claude 2.1.19

foskaos · 5 months ago

Same with claude 2.1.19 (macOS)
Claude manages to find the skill by searching the dir, and follows the workflows by itself.

megori · 5 months ago

I was facing the same issue and this change made it work!!

The Fix
Problem: Skills weren't being recognized at all

Root Cause: Wrong file structure. Claude Code requires subdirectories:

.claude/skills/
└── skill-name/
└── SKILL.md
What I changed:

From this structure:

.claude/skills/list-curriculum-modules.md

To this structure:

.claude/skills/list-curriculum-modules/SKILL.md
Commands used:

For each skill:

mkdir -p .claude/skills/skill-name
mv .claude/skills/skill-name.md .claude/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md

alamenai · 5 months ago

@megori , Based on the documentation, you are right, I guess I was confusing between rules and skills format,

IvanKostyuk · 5 months ago

Claude Code v2.1.37 (macOS)

I created a skill

~/.claude/skills
└── good-skill/
    └── scripts/
    |   └── good-skill.py
    └── SKILL.md
    └── REFERENCE.md
    └── LICENSE

The current session says

Skills
 No skills found

 Create skills in .claude/skills/ or ~/.claude/skills/

Started new session and the skill was found.

Exited from the previously "confused" session and then resumed it — the skill is visible.

diannall · 5 months ago

This happens for me too. I have .claude/skills/push-and-pr in my project and when I try /push-and-pr it's not found and when I do skills it says there are none. I then ask Claude ...
❯ why are you not seeing all of my skills again??

⏺ I can see your skills - the system shows me:

  • push-and-pr - for pushing changes and creating PRs
rlconst · 2 months ago

Task should be closed and @megori proposal should be accepted as an answer