Desktop app Customize window doesn't show user-authored skills from ~/.claude/skills/
Status Closed — not planned
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 6 comments · opened Mar 27, 2026 · closed May 4, 2026
Description
In the Claude Desktop app on Mac, the Code tab's Customize window does not display user-authored skills located in ~/.claude/skills/. It only shows Anthropic-published / claude.ai skills (e.g., unstick, email-drafter, pdf, etc.).
The skills are loaded and functional at runtime — they appear in the system prompt and can be invoked normally. They just don't appear in the Customize UI, which makes it look like they aren't installed.
Steps to reproduce
- Create custom skills in
~/.claude/skills/(e.g.,todo.md,scope.md) - Open the Claude Desktop app on Mac
- Switch to the Code tab
- Open the Customize window
- Observe that only Anthropic-published skills are listed — user-authored skills from
~/.claude/skills/are missing
Expected behavior
User-authored skills from ~/.claude/skills/ should appear in the Customize window alongside Anthropic-published skills, or there should be a separate section for them.
Environment
- Platform: macOS
- Claude Desktop app (Code tab)
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