/skill-packager — Claude Code Handout

Summary

Packages a Claude Code skill folder as an upload-ready ZIP file for Claude Desktop or claude.ai, ensuring the ZIP's top-level folder name matches the skill's name: frontmatter field (a hard requirement of the Anthropic uploader).

When to use

Use /skill-packager when you need to deliver a Claude Code skill to Claude Desktop or claude.ai via the Settings → Customize → Skills → Create skill → Upload flow. It is also the mandatory auto-follow-up after creating any new Claude Code skill — the Desktop ZIP is built alongside the Code version automatically.

Trigger phrases (from SKILL.md):

"package this skill"
"zip this skill for Desktop"
"make the Desktop version"
"bundle the skill for upload"
"produce the Desktop ZIP"

Also triggers automatically as the follow-up step after any new Claude Code skill is created, so the Desktop version is built without prompting.

Note: Code execution must be enabled in Claude settings, or the Skills section in the UI is hidden and the upload will fail.

Invocation

Invoke as a slash command, optionally naming the skill folder to package:

/skill-packager [skill-folder-path]

Parameters:

Skill folder path — absolute or ~-anchored path to the skill folder (e.g. ~/.claude/skills/my-skill/). If omitted, the skill asks which skill to package — it never guesses.
Output path (optional) — if named, the ZIP is written there; otherwise defaults to ~/.claude/dist/<name>.zip.

The skill verifies the folder contains SKILL.md, reads the name: frontmatter, confirms the folder basename matches, builds the ZIP excluding OS noise / build artefacts / secrets / editor backups, then reports the path, size, file count, and three-step install instructions.

Example 1 — Package an existing skill (illustrative example)

Input:

/skill-packager ~/.claude/skills/aaa/

Output / Result:

Packaging skill: aaa
Source folder : ~/.claude/skills/aaa/
Output ZIP    : ~/.claude/dist/aaa.zip

Building ZIP (excluding __pycache__, .git, .env, .DS_Store, node_modules)...
Done.

ZIP path  : /Users/you/.claude/dist/aaa.zip
Size      : 14 KB
Files     : 2 (SKILL.md, references/)

Install steps:
1. Open Settings → Customize → Skills in Claude Desktop or claude.ai.
2. Click + Create skill → Upload a skill.
3. Select /Users/you/.claude/dist/aaa.zip

Example 2 — Mismatch rejection (illustrative example)

Input:

/skill-packager ~/.claude/skills/my-aaa-skill/

(The folder is named my-aaa-skill but SKILL.md has name: aaa)

Output / Result:

ERROR: Folder name mismatch.
  Folder basename : my-aaa-skill
  SKILL.md name:  : aaa

The Anthropic uploader requires the ZIP's top-level entry to equal the skill's
name: field. Please either:
  (a) Rename the folder to "aaa", or
  (b) Change name: in SKILL.md to "my-aaa-skill".

No ZIP was created.

Related tools

/documentation-standard — Governs how skills and commands are documented; use it to ensure a skill's SKILL.md is complete before packaging.