Get started with Agent Skills in the API¶
- URL: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/quickstart.md
- Retrieved: 2026-01-08T05:11:24.075495+00:00
Get started with Agent Skills in the API¶
Learn how to use Agent Skills to create documents with the Claude API in under 10 minutes.
This tutorial shows you how to use Agent Skills to create a PowerPoint presentation. You'll learn how to enable Skills, make a simple request, and access the generated file.
Prerequisites¶
- Anthropic API key
- Python 3.7+ or curl installed
- Basic familiarity with making API requests
What are Agent Skills?¶
Pre-built Agent Skills extend Claude's capabilities with specialized expertise for tasks like creating documents, analyzing data, and processing files. Anthropic provides the following pre-built Agent Skills in the API:
- PowerPoint (pptx): Create and edit presentations
- Excel (xlsx): Create and analyze spreadsheets
- Word (docx): Create and edit documents
- PDF (pdf): Generate PDF documents
Step 1: List available Skills¶
First, let's see what Skills are available. We'll use the Skills API to list all Anthropic-managed Skills:
client = anthropic.Anthropic()
List Anthropic-managed Skills¶
skills = client.beta.skills.list( source="anthropic", betas=["skills-2025-10-02"] )
for skill in skills.data: print(f"{skill.id}: {skill.display_title}")
```typescript TypeScript
import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';
const client = new Anthropic();
// List Anthropic-managed Skills
const skills = await client.beta.skills.list({
source: 'anthropic',
betas: ['skills-2025-10-02']
});
for (const skill of skills.data) {
console.log(`${skill.id}: ${skill.display_title}`);
}
```bash Shell curl "https://api.anthropic.com/v1/skills?source=anthropic" \ -H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \ -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \ -H "anthropic-beta: skills-2025-10-02"
</CodeGroup>
You see the following Skills: `pptx`, `xlsx`, `docx`, and `pdf`.
This API returns each Skill's metadata: its name and description. Claude loads this metadata at startup to know what Skills are available. This is the first level of **progressive disclosure**, where Claude discovers Skills without loading their full instructions yet.
## Step 2: Create a presentation
Now we'll use the PowerPoint Skill to create a presentation about renewable energy. We specify Skills using the `container` parameter in the Messages API:
<CodeGroup>
```python Python
import anthropic
client = anthropic.Anthropic()
# Create a message with the PowerPoint Skill
response = client.beta.messages.create(
model="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
max_tokens=4096,
betas=["code-execution-2025-08-25", "skills-2025-10-02"],
container={
"skills": [
{
"type": "anthropic",
"skill_id": "pptx",
"version": "latest"
}
]
},
messages=[{
"role": "user",
"content": "Create a presentation about renewable energy with 5 slides"
}],
tools=[{
"type": "code_execution_20250825",
"name": "code_execution"
}]
)
print(response.content)
```typescript TypeScript import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';
const client = new Anthropic();
// Create a message with the PowerPoint Skill const response = await client.beta.messages.create({ model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929', max_tokens: 4096, betas: ['code-execution-2025-08-25', 'skills-2025-10-02'], container: { skills: [ { type: 'anthropic', skill_id: 'pptx', version: 'latest' } ] }, messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Create a presentation about renewable energy with 5 slides' }], tools: [{ type: 'code_execution_20250825', name: 'code_execution' }] });
console.log(response.content);
```bash Shell
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
-H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
-H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
-H "anthropic-beta: code-execution-2025-08-25,skills-2025-10-02" \
-H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
"max_tokens": 4096,
"container": {
"skills": [
{
"type": "anthropic",
"skill_id": "pptx",
"version": "latest"
}
]
},
"messages": [{
"role": "user",
"content": "Create a presentation about renewable energy with 5 slides"
}],
"tools": [{
"type": "code_execution_20250825",
"name": "code_execution"
}]
}'
Let's break down what each part does:
container.skills: Specifies which Skills Claude can usetype: "anthropic": Indicates this is an Anthropic-managed Skillskill_id: "pptx": The PowerPoint Skill identifierversion: "latest": The Skill version set to the most recently publishedtools: Enables code execution (required for Skills)- Beta headers:
code-execution-2025-08-25andskills-2025-10-02
When you make this request, Claude automatically matches your task to the relevant Skill. Since you asked for a presentation, Claude determines the PowerPoint Skill is relevant and loads its full instructions: the second level of progressive disclosure. Then Claude executes the Skill's code to create your presentation.
Step 3: Download the created file¶
The presentation was created in the code execution container and saved as a file. The response includes a file reference with a file ID. Extract the file ID and download it using the Files API:
Extract file ID from response¶
file_id = None for block in response.content: if block.type == 'tool_use' and block.name == 'code_execution': # File ID is in the tool result for result_block in block.content: if hasattr(result_block, 'file_id'): file_id = result_block.file_id break
if file_id: # Download the file file_content = client.beta.files.download( file_id=file_id, betas=["files-api-2025-04-14"] )
# Save to disk
with open("renewable_energy.pptx", "wb") as f:
file_content.write_to_file(f.name)
print(f"Presentation saved to renewable_energy.pptx")
```typescript TypeScript
// Extract file ID from response
let fileId: string | null = null;
for (const block of response.content) {
if (block.type === 'tool_use' && block.name === 'code_execution') {
// File ID is in the tool result
for (const resultBlock of block.content) {
if ('file_id' in resultBlock) {
fileId = resultBlock.file_id;
break;
}
}
}
}
if (fileId) {
// Download the file
const fileContent = await client.beta.files.download(fileId, {
betas: ['files-api-2025-04-14']
});
// Save to disk
const fs = require('fs');
fs.writeFileSync('renewable_energy.pptx', Buffer.from(await fileContent.arrayBuffer()));
console.log('Presentation saved to renewable_energy.pptx');
}
```bash Shell
Extract file_id from response (using jq)¶
FILE_ID=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r '.content | select(.type=="tool_use" and .name=="code_execution") | .content | select(.file_id) | .file_id')
Download the file¶
curl "https://api.anthropic.com/v1/files/$FILE_ID/content" \ -H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \ -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \ -H "anthropic-beta: files-api-2025-04-14" \ --output renewable_energy.pptx
echo "Presentation saved to renewable_energy.pptx"
</CodeGroup>
<Note>
For complete details on working with generated files, see the [code execution tool documentation](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/tool-use/code-execution-tool#retrieve-generated-files).
</Note>
## Try more examples
Now that you've created your first document with Skills, try these variations:
### Create a spreadsheet
<CodeGroup>
```python Python
response = client.beta.messages.create(
model="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
max_tokens=4096,
betas=["code-execution-2025-08-25", "skills-2025-10-02"],
container={
"skills": [
{
"type": "anthropic",
"skill_id": "xlsx",
"version": "latest"
}
]
},
messages=[{
"role": "user",
"content": "Create a quarterly sales tracking spreadsheet with sample data"
}],
tools=[{
"type": "code_execution_20250825",
"name": "code_execution"
}]
)
```typescript TypeScript const response = await client.beta.messages.create({ model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929', max_tokens: 4096, betas: ['code-execution-2025-08-25', 'skills-2025-10-02'], container: { skills: [ { type: 'anthropic', skill_id: 'xlsx', version: 'latest' } ] }, messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Create a quarterly sales tracking spreadsheet with sample data' }], tools: [{ type: 'code_execution_20250825', name: 'code_execution' }] });
```bash Shell
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
-H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
-H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
-H "anthropic-beta: code-execution-2025-08-25,skills-2025-10-02" \
-H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
"max_tokens": 4096,
"container": {
"skills": [
{
"type": "anthropic",
"skill_id": "xlsx",
"version": "latest"
}
]
},
"messages": [{
"role": "user",
"content": "Create a quarterly sales tracking spreadsheet with sample data"
}],
"tools": [{
"type": "code_execution_20250825",
"name": "code_execution"
}]
}'
Create a Word document¶
```typescript TypeScript
const response = await client.beta.messages.create({
model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
max_tokens: 4096,
betas: ['code-execution-2025-08-25', 'skills-2025-10-02'],
container: {
skills: [
{
type: 'anthropic',
skill_id: 'docx',
version: 'latest'
}
]
},
messages: [{
role: 'user',
content: 'Write a 2-page report on the benefits of renewable energy'
}],
tools: [{
type: 'code_execution_20250825',
name: 'code_execution'
}]
});
```bash Shell curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \ -H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \ -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \ -H "anthropic-beta: code-execution-2025-08-25,skills-2025-10-02" \ -H "content-type: application/json" \ -d '{ "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929", "max_tokens": 4096, "container": { "skills": [ { "type": "anthropic", "skill_id": "docx", "version": "latest" } ] }, "messages": [{ "role": "user", "content": "Write a 2-page report on the benefits of renewable energy" }], "tools": [{ "type": "code_execution_20250825", "name": "code_execution" }] }'
</CodeGroup>
### Generate a PDF
<CodeGroup>
```python Python
response = client.beta.messages.create(
model="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
max_tokens=4096,
betas=["code-execution-2025-08-25", "skills-2025-10-02"],
container={
"skills": [
{
"type": "anthropic",
"skill_id": "pdf",
"version": "latest"
}
]
},
messages=[{
"role": "user",
"content": "Generate a PDF invoice template"
}],
tools=[{
"type": "code_execution_20250825",
"name": "code_execution"
}]
)
```typescript TypeScript const response = await client.beta.messages.create({ model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929', max_tokens: 4096, betas: ['code-execution-2025-08-25', 'skills-2025-10-02'], container: { skills: [ { type: 'anthropic', skill_id: 'pdf', version: 'latest' } ] }, messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Generate a PDF invoice template' }], tools: [{ type: 'code_execution_20250825', name: 'code_execution' }] });
```bash Shell
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
-H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
-H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
-H "anthropic-beta: code-execution-2025-08-25,skills-2025-10-02" \
-H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
"max_tokens": 4096,
"container": {
"skills": [
{
"type": "anthropic",
"skill_id": "pdf",
"version": "latest"
}
]
},
"messages": [{
"role": "user",
"content": "Generate a PDF invoice template"
}],
"tools": [{
"type": "code_execution_20250825",
"name": "code_execution"
}]
}'
Next steps¶
Now that you've used pre-built Agent Skills, you can:
Use Skills with the Claude API<Card title="Create Custom Skills" icon="code" href="/docs/en/api/skills/create-skill"
Upload your own Skills for specialized tasks<Card title="Authoring Guide" icon="edit" href="/docs/en/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/best-practices"
Learn best practices for writing effective Skills<Card title="Use Skills in Claude Code" icon="terminal" href="https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills"
Learn about Skills in Claude Code<Card title="Use Skills in the Agent SDK" icon="cube" href="/docs/en/agent-sdk/skills"
Use Skills programmatically in TypeScript and Python<Card title="Agent Skills Cookbook" icon="book" href="https://platform.claude.com/cookbook/skills-notebooks-01-skills-introduction"
Explore example Skills and implementation patterns