Introduction
One of the hottest words in programming circles recently is non- Skills None other than.
It does not refer to the technical ability of the programmer; “Skills Pack” for AI Programming Assistants .
A set of standardized workflow modules that allows AI to transform from “writing code randomly” to “delivering according to process”.
In today’s article, I have compiled the 10 most popular Skills in the programming circle in 2026.
The code can be copied and used after installation.
Hope it will be helpful to you.
More practical projects are on my technical website: susan.net.cn/project
1. First understand what Skills is
Before talking about specific Skills, let’s spend 2 minutes to clarify one thing:What exactly are skills?
In October 2025, Anthropic launched Agent Skills Open standards. Its core idea is simple:
Package the complete process of "how to do something" into a reusable Skill file.
A Skill is essentially a folder containing a SKILL.md Files - Instructions written in Markdown, plus optional scripts and reference files. put it in ~/.claude/skills/ directory, AI can be automatically loaded and used when needed.
The core differences between Skills and traditional Prompts:
- Prompt It's a "suggestion" - the AI can refer to it or ignore it
- Skill It’s a “process” – AI must follow steps and cannot skip them
As of July 2026, there are 1400+ Claude Code Skills, the official marketplace includes more than 658.
There are more than 15,000 officially indexed warehouses alone, and the three major marketplaces total more than 490,000 entries.
But quantity does not mean quality.
Someone specifically tested 100 community skills, and the results 70% failed.
There are no more than 10 people who can really stay in daily work.
The following 10 have been tested in actual combat.
2. Top 1: Superpowers—
It is the "engineering discipline manual" of the AI programming world
GitHub Star: 243,000+
Say it clearly in one sentence: Equip AI with a complete set of software engineering methodologies, turning it from an "inspired coder" into a "reliable delivery team".
Superpowers is currently the most successful collection of Skills in the entire Skills ecosystem.
It is not a function, but a complete workflow framework containing 20+ sub-modules - TDD, systematic debugging, plan writing, code review, parallel Agent distribution, Git Worktree management... Each is an independent Skill that can be triggered independently.
core concept: Process over Prompt (process is greater than prompt word).
The core sub-skills:
① brainstorming⭐ most commonly used
This is the entry Skill and the most critical one. Its core logic is:AI is never allowed to write a line of code without explicit user approval. AI, like Socrates, only asks one question at a time, gradually clarifies the needs, and proposes 2-3 solutions for you to choose from.
② subagent-driven-development (sub-agent-driven development) ⭐ Core Skill
Dispatch independent sub-agents for each scheduled task to isolate context from each other.
Each task undergoes a two-stage review after completion: specification compliance review + code quality review.
If the review fails, it will be sent back and redone.
③ test-driven-development(TDD)
Enforce following the “red light-green light-refactor” cycle and write tests first and then code.
④ requesting-code-review (code review)
AI automatically obtains the git diff of the current branch, reviews it file by file, and identifies key issues that prevent advancement.
Installation command:
npx skills add obra/superpowers
# or via Claude Code Official plug-in market
/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official
Applicable scenarios: Core modules for medium and large-scale functional development that require high-quality delivery.
Things to note: Simple tasks will take an extra 15 minutes to complete the process.
3. Top 2: Karpathy Guidelines
It makes AI think like a top engineer.
GitHub Star: 125,000+
The AI coding rules summarized by Andrej Karpathy (co-founder of OpenAI and former Tesla AI director) were compiled into Skills by the community.
Four core rules:
- Think before reading code: Do not start grep or modify directly
- Modifications should be precise: not "rewrite this file"
- Prioritize simplicity: is not a "heap function"
- Always check original requirements
Installation command:
/install forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills
Applicable scenarios: New project startup, any scenario that requires AI to understand first before taking action.
The value of this Skill lies in what it changes AI behavior patterns, rather than providing a specific tool.
This is especially effective when starting a new project - Claude will be more inclined to understand first and then start, rather than start refactoring directly with confidence.
4. Top 3: Frontend Design
It says goodbye to cookie-cutter “AI style” UI.
Installs: 277,000+
This is the star skill in Anthropic's official Skills repository. If you have used AI-generated front-end code, you will definitely find that they all look similar—the “AI style” that can be seen at a glance.
Frontend Design specializes in solving this problem. It lets AI generateDistinctive and stylishUI instead of a cookie-cutter template style.
Installation command:
npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design
Applicable scenarios: Front-end page generation, UI prototype design.
Things to note: It only provides style constraints and cannot replace professional design drafts.
5. Top 4: Webapp Testing
It lets AI do UI automation testing for you.
source: Anthropic official Skills repository
This is a UI automation testing skill based on Playwright. You just tell the AI "Test this login page" and it will automatically:
- Start browser
- Perform actions (click, type, navigate)
- Verify expected results
- Generate test report
Installation command:
npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill webapp-testing
Applicable scenarios: Web application regression testing, UI automation verification.
6. Top 5: Security Review
It can automatically scan code security vulnerabilities.
source: Claude Code built-in Skill
Security Review is a skill that comes with Claude Code by default. It automatically runs a semantic vulnerability scan before pushing a PR.
Security issues it can detect include:
- SQL injection risk
- XSS cross-site scripting vulnerability
- Sensitive information leaked
- Unsafe dependency version
- Authentication and authorization flaws
Usage:
/security-review
Applicable scenarios: Security check and code security audit before submitting PR.
7. Top 6: MCP Builder
It can build an MCP server like building blocks.
source: Anthropic official Skills repository
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is one of the hottest infrastructures in the field of AI programming in 2026.
MCP Builder allows you to automatically generate a complete MCP server through natural language description.
You only need to say: "Build me an MCP server that can query the weather", and the AI will automatically generate:
- Server skeleton code
- Tool definition
- Configuration files and deployment scripts
Installation command:
npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill mcp-builder
Applicable scenarios: Build MCP server, rapid prototyping.
8. Top 7: Skill Creator
It can create skills by itself.
source: Anthropic official Skills repository
Skill Creator is a “meta-Skill” – it’s here to help youCreate new Skill.
You just need to describe what you want the AI to do, and Skill Creator will automatically generate a complete SKILL.md File, containing:
- YAML frontmatter(name, description)
- Standardized instruction structure
- Optional script and reference file templates
Usage:
/skill-creator
Then follow the prompts to enter the description of the Skill you want to create.
Applicable scenarios: Customize exclusive skills for the team and solidify repetitive workflows.
9. Top 8: GSD (Get Shit Done)
Stop talking nonsense and just do it.
GitHub Star: Rapidly growing
The philosophy of GSD is completely opposite to that of Superpowers. Superpowers lets you think clearly before taking action, GSD lets youDon't think about it, just do it.
This skill is suitable for scenarios where you are very sure about what you want to do and don’t need to confirm it again and again.
It skips brainstorming, skips planning, skips reviewing—and goes straight to execution.
Installation command:
git clone https://github.com/gsd-build/get-shit-done ~/.claude/skills/gsd
Applicable scenarios: Repetitive tasks, clear operating instructions, emergency repairs.
Things to note: Only use it when you are 100% sure about what you want to do, otherwise it is easy to overturn.
10. Top 9: GStack
Coding workflow recommended by YC partners.
GitHub Star: 93,000+
Coding workflow skills recommended by Garry Tan (current CEO of YC). It encodes the "rapid iteration, continuous delivery" concept advocated by Y Combinator into an AI-executable workflow.
Installation command:
npx skills add garrytan/gstack
Applicable scenarios: Startup projects develop products quickly and require frequent iterations.
11. Top 10: Composio
It can connect to 1000+ external applications.
GitHub Star: 65,000+
Composio is a connector skill that allows Claude Code to directly operate 1,000+ external applications such as Jira, Linear, Slack, and GitHub.
Once installed, you can direct the AI to:
- Create tasks in Jira
- Send a message in Slack
- Create a PR in GitHub
- Update work order status in Linear
Installation command:
git clone https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills.git
cd awesome-claude-skills
claude --plugin-dir "$PWD/connect-apps-plugin"
Applicable scenarios: Automated workflows that require AI to interact with external tools.
12. Skill installation and usage quick check
Universal installation method
Method 1: Through npx (the most common)
npx skills add <Warehouse name>
Example:npx skills add obra/superpowers
Method 2: Through the Claude Code plug-in market
/plugin install <skillname>@<Market name>
Example:/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official
Method 3: Manual git clone
git clone <Warehouse address> ~/.claude/skills/<skillname>
Skill storage location
| Location | Scope | Whether to include version control |
|---|---|---|
~/.claude/skills/ | Personal overall situation | no |
.claude/skills/ | Current project | Yes (recommended) |
| Plug-in market installation | Managed by plugin | no |
best practices: Put project-level Skills into .claude/skills/ And submit it to Git. Team members will automatically obtain the same Skill capabilities after cloning.
More practical projects are on my technical website: susan.net.cn/project
Summarize
Back to the original question:What are the 10 most popular Skills in the programming circle in 2026?
Let me use a table to help you summarize:
| Ranking | Skill | core value | The most suitable scenario |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Superpowers | Enforce engineering discipline and reduce detours | Medium and large function development |
| 2 | Karpathy Guidelines | Coding thinking from top engineers | New project started |
| 3 | Frontend Design | Say goodbye to cookie-cutter AI style UI | Front-end page generation |
| 4 | Webapp Testing | Playwright UI automated testing | Web application regression testing |
| 5 | Security Review | Automatic scanning of code security vulnerabilities | Pre-PR security check |
| 6 | MCP Builder | Natural language generation MCP server | Build MCP quickly |
| 7 | Skill Creator | Create skills yourself | Customized team-specific skills |
| 8 | GSD | Skip the process and execute it directly | Repeated tasks with clear instructions |
| 9 | GStack | Coding workflow for YC partners | Rapid iteration of entrepreneurial projects |
| 10 | Composio | Connect to 1000+ external applications | AI interacts with external tools |
Some usage suggestions:
-
Don't be greedy for too much. Installing 50 Skills is not as good as installing 5 fine ones. 70% of community skills are of substandard quality, so selection is more important than selection.
-
Start with Superpowers. It is the cornerstone of the entire ecosystem. With it installed, you have complete engineering process capabilities.
-
Add as needed. When you encounter repetitive work, think about it - "Can this be made into a Skill?" Skill Creator can help you quickly turn your ideas into reusable Skills.
-
Pay attention to skill quality. A good Skill is precise - the description reads like a routing rule, not a slogan; the core SKILL.md is streamlined, and details are pushed to the references/ directory and loaded on demand.
If you haven’t tried Skills yet,It is recommended to install a Superpowers today and try it..
No need to install them all, just start with brainstorming and test-driven-development These are the two most commonly used to start with.
Experience the feeling of "AI thinks clearly before taking action", and you will find that——Programming can be so refreshing.