ChatGPT Skills, Perplexity Skills and Claude Skills: How to Install Each and What Differs (Nov 2026)

ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude all have skills: a folder with a SKILL.md file that teaches the assistant one task. In ChatGPT (Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu), open Plugins, then Skills. In Perplexity Computer, open Plugins, then Discover, and select Install. In Claude, open Customize, then Skills.

All three use the same open format, so one skill can often move between them. What differs is who gets the feature, where the menus are, how you call a skill, and how much each app checks it for you. This guide covers each app step by step, then the differences, then five checks to run before you install a skill someone else wrote.

Every step here comes from the vendors' own pages, checked on 11 November 2026: OpenAI's Skills in ChatGPT article and Academy guide, the Codex skills docs, Perplexity's What is a skill? and How to use Computer skills, and Anthropic's Using skills in Claude. Menus move often. If a step doesn't match what you see, check those pages first.

What is an AI skill?

A skill is a short set of instructions for one kind of task, such as "build a slide deck in our house style" or "triage a bug report the way our team does". The assistant reads it only when your request fits.

All three apps build on Agent Skills, an open format that Anthropic first developed and then released as a standard. Its overview puts it simply: "a skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file." That file holds a name and a description at minimum, plus the instructions. A skill can also carry scripts, reference files and templates.

---
name: weekly-report
description: Writes the weekly status report from the notes I paste. Use when I ask for a weekly report or status update.
---
1. Group the notes into Done, In progress and Blocked.
2. Keep each line under 15 words.
3. End with the top risk for next week.

The description matters most. The assistant first sees only each skill's name and description, and loads the full instructions when a task matches. Perplexity's help page says it plainly: "Because the description decides when a skill loads, it is the most important line in a skill."

ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude skills at a glance

	ChatGPT	Perplexity	Claude
Where skills live	Plugins, then the Skills tab	Perplexity Computer: the Plugins page	Customize, then Skills
Plans	Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, Edu	Plans that include Computer (Pro, Max, Enterprise Pro, Enterprise Max)	Every plan, Free included
Install a ready-made skill	Shared with me or Shared by your workspace, then Install	Discover tab, then Install	Turn it on with its toggle
Add your own	Create, then Upload from your computer, or ask ChatGPT to build one	Add custom, then Upload plugin or skill, or Create skill with Computer	+, then Create skill, then Upload a skill
Call a skill by name	@ mention	/ in the message box, for plugins	Claude picks it from your request
Turn off or remove	Admins can delete a workspace skill	Enabled switch, or Uninstall	Toggle, or ••• then Delete
Safety check on upload	Uploads are scanned	Not described	A warning: install only from trusted sources

The rest of this guide walks through each column.

ChatGPT skills: how to install a skill in ChatGPT

OpenAI's help article lists skills for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu users, subject to workspace settings. On Enterprise and Edu, skills started out off by default, so a workspace owner may have to turn them on first. Admins choose which roles can create, use, upload, share or install skills.

OpenAI describes a skill as "a reusable, shareable workflow that tells ChatGPT how to do a specific task." Skills "only instruct ChatGPT to use the tools and apps it already has access to." A skill doesn't give ChatGPT new access on its own.

Find the Skills page

Open Plugins in the sidebar, then the Skills tab in the plugin directory. It shows skills that are Installed, Created by me, Shared with me and Shared by your workspace.

Install a skill someone shared with you

1. Open Skills, then Shared with me or Shared by your workspace.
2. Open the ••• menu on the skill.
3. Select Install.

Build a skill in chat

Start a new chat and ask ChatGPT to "Build me a skill" for a task you repeat. It drafts the skill and shows it in a window. Read the draft, then select Install to install it for yourself. If your workspace allows it, you can share it with colleagues.

Upload a skill you already have

Open Skills, select Create, then Upload from your computer. OpenAI asks you to review the skill and make sure you trust its source before you upload it. ChatGPT scans an upload before it becomes available.

Use a skill

ChatGPT uses a skill on its own when your request matches its description. To call one directly, @-mention it in your message.

On Free, Plus or Pro?

OpenAI's skills article doesn't list Free, Plus or Pro. It lists Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu only (checked 11 November 2026). There's no skills menu to look for on those plans yet.

The nearest real feature is Codex, OpenAI's coding agent, which reads the same kind of skill from folders on your computer. OpenAI's Academy guide says skills "can be exported and imported into other tools that support the Agent Skills format," including Codex.

Skills in Codex

Per the Codex skills docs:

• Your own skills go in $HOME/.agents/skills. Project skills go in .agents/skills; Codex checks every folder from where you are up to the repo root. Admin skills live in /etc/codex/skills.
• To add a curated skill, type $skill-installer and its name, for example $skill-installer linear.
• In the Codex CLI or IDE extension, run /skills or type $ to mention a skill. Codex also picks one on its own when your task matches.

How to install a skill in Perplexity AI

Skills in Perplexity belong to Perplexity Computer, its agent mode. Perplexity says skills work "on the web and in the Perplexity apps on every plan that includes Computer." Its credits page says Computer comes with Pro and Max, including Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max, and that some free accounts get a few free Computer turns. The help pages describe skills only inside Computer, not in a normal Perplexity search.

Perplexity defines a skill as "a set of instructions that teaches Perplexity Computer how to do one type of task well." Each one is "built around a SKILL.md file, written in the open Agent Skills format."

Install a Perplexity skill

1. Open Plugins in the sidebar.
2. Browse the Discover tab, or search for a skill.
3. Open the skill's page and select Install.

Perplexity's own skills cover things like presentations, research and charts. If you don't see Plugins in the sidebar yet, use Customize, then Skills. Perplexity says the Skills page "is now part of the Plugins page."

Upload your own skill

1. Open Plugins, select Add custom, then Upload plugin or skill.
2. Drag in or browse for the file. Perplexity takes a single .md file, or a .zip with SKILL.md at its root.
3. The SKILL.md needs YAML front matter with a name and a description.

The limit is 20 MB, and a zip can hold up to 100 files.

Create a skill with Computer

Select Add custom, then Create skill with Computer, and describe the task. In Perplexity's words, "You don't need to write any files."

Use, pause or remove a skill

• Installed skills show on the Installed tab of the Plugins page.
• Computer loads a skill when your task matches it. To use a whole plugin, type / in the message box and pick it under Plugins.
• To pause a skill, turn off its Enabled switch.
• Uninstall removes that skill everywhere it's used.

On Enterprise plans, your admin decides whether you can upload or create personal skills. Skills your organization shares show on the Organization tab.

Looking for Perplexity's search inside another AI app instead? That's an MCP server, not a skill: see the Perplexity MCP server guide.

How to install a skill in Claude

Anthropic made the Agent Skills format. Anthropic's help page says skills are on every Claude plan, Free included, and they need code execution switched on.

1. Go to Settings, then Capabilities, and turn on code execution ("Code execution and file creation", or "Create and edit files" in the newer layout).
2. Open Customize, then Skills, and turn on the skills you want.
3. To add your own, select +, then Create skill, then Upload a skill. Upload the skill folder as a ZIP. The folder name should match the skill name.

Claude decides when to use a skill "based on your request." To turn one off, use its toggle. To delete one, open it, turn it off, then select ••• and Delete. Owners of Team and Enterprise organizations can add skills for everyone.

In Claude Code, skills are folders on disk instead: ~/.claude/skills/ for you, .claude/skills/ for one project, or a plugin that ships them. Our Claude Code skills guide covers that in full. To write your own and test it, see skill creator.

What differs between ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude skills

The file format is the same. The products around it are not.

• Who gets skills. Claude has them on every plan. Perplexity has them wherever Computer is included. ChatGPT has them on Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu.
• How you call one. All three pick a skill from your request. To force one: @-mention it in ChatGPT, $-mention it in Codex, use / for a plugin in Perplexity, or type /skill-name in Claude Code.
• What a skill can reach. In ChatGPT, a skill can use only the tools and apps ChatGPT already has. In Perplexity, a plugin can bundle connectors with skills. In Claude, skills need code execution, so bundled scripts can run.
• Sharing. ChatGPT shares skills within a workspace, if allowed. Perplexity Enterprise shares organization skills. Claude Team and Enterprise owners can add skills for all users.
• Checks. ChatGPT scans uploads. Claude tells you to install only from trusted sources and to review the files. Perplexity's skill pages don't describe a review step.

Can one skill work in all three?

Often, yes, since they share the format. Keep the skill to a name, a description and plain instructions, and it has the best chance of moving cleanly. Any other front matter field is product-specific, so check each app's docs before you rely on one. Package it the way each app asks: a zip with SKILL.md at the root for Perplexity, and a zipped folder named after the skill for Claude.

Skills vs plugins, connectors and MCP servers

• A skill is know-how: how to do a task with the tools the assistant already has.
• A connector or MCP server is reach: it gives the assistant access to an app, an API or your data. See what an MCP server is.
• A plugin bundles both. OpenAI's docs call a plugin "an installable bundle that can include skills and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers." Perplexity says a plugin "bundles connectors and skills into one install."

A common setup: an MCP server connects your issue tracker, and a skill tells the assistant how your team writes issues. For how the two compare in detail, see Claude Code skills vs MCP servers.

Need a skill or an MCP server built for your team, and checked the way this page describes? Tell us what you need.

Frequently asked questions

Does ChatGPT have skills?

Yes. Skills in ChatGPT are on Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu plans. Open Plugins in the sidebar, then the Skills tab. You can install skills shared with you, ask ChatGPT to build one, or upload your own.

What are skills in ChatGPT?

OpenAI describes a skill as "a reusable, shareable workflow that tells ChatGPT how to do a specific task." A skill only instructs ChatGPT to use the tools and apps it already has access to. It doesn't give ChatGPT new access.

How do I install a skill in ChatGPT?

Open Plugins, then Skills. For a skill someone shared, open its ••• menu and select Install. To add your own, select Create, then Upload from your computer.

Can I use skills in ChatGPT Free, Plus or Pro?

OpenAI's skills article doesn't list those plans (checked 11 November 2026). The nearest real feature is Codex, OpenAI's coding agent, which reads skills from folders such as $HOME/.agents/skills.

How do I install a skill in Perplexity AI?

Skills work in Perplexity Computer. Open Plugins in the sidebar, find the skill on the Discover tab or by search, open it and select Install. To add your own, select Add custom, then Upload plugin or skill.

Where did the Skills page go in Perplexity?

It's now part of the Plugins page. If you don't see Plugins in the sidebar yet, use Customize, then Skills.

What file does Perplexity need for a custom skill?

A single .md file, or a .zip with SKILL.md at its root. The front matter needs a name and a description. The limit is 20 MB and 100 files.

Can I use the same skill in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude?

Often, yes. All three use the open Agent Skills format. Stick to name, description and plain instructions, and package it the way each app asks.

Are AI skills safe?

They're as safe as their author. A skill is instructions your assistant will follow, and it can use whatever apps you've connected. Read the whole skill and its files first. See the five checks above.

What's the difference between a skill and a plugin?

A skill is one set of instructions. A plugin bundles skills with connectors or MCP servers, so it can add access as well as know-how.