# Skills vs Other Options **Purpose**: When to use Skills versus other Claude Code customizations --- ## Comparison Table | Option | When It Runs | Best For | |--------|--------------|----------| | **Skills** | Claude chooses when relevant | Specialized knowledge (review standards, patterns) | | **Slash commands** | You type `/command` | Reusable prompts (`/deploy staging`) | | **CLAUDE.md** | Every conversation | Project-wide instructions | | **Subagents** | Claude delegates or you invoke | Isolated context, different tools | | **Hooks** | Specific tool events | Auto-format, logging, protection | | **MCP servers** | Claude calls as needed | External tools and data sources | --- ## Key Distinctions ### Skills vs Slash Commands - **Skills**: Claude decides when to use based on task - **Commands**: You explicitly type `/command` ### Skills vs Subagents - **Skills**: Add knowledge to current conversation - **Subagents**: Separate context with own tools/permissions ### Skills vs MCP - **Skills**: Tell Claude *how* to use tools - **MCP**: *Provide* the tools themselves ### Skills vs CLAUDE.md - **Skills**: Loaded only when relevant - **CLAUDE.md**: Always loaded into every conversation --- ## Decision Guide **Use Skills when**: - Teaching domain-specific knowledge - Defining review/coding standards - Want Claude to decide when to apply **Use Subagents when**: - Need tool isolation - Task produces verbose output - Want separate context window **Use CLAUDE.md when**: - Rules apply to ALL interactions - Project-wide coding standards --- ## Related - `../concepts/agent-skills.md` - Skills overview - `../concepts/subagents-system.md` - Subagents overview - `../../standards/subagent-structure.md` - Subagent patterns **Reference**: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills