AI PICKS / FIELD NOTES
Claude Code Skills Not Loading or Triggering?
Check the skill directory, SKILL.md frontmatter, invocation settings and missing runtimes. A practical checklist for diagnosing Claude Code skills.
QUICK ANSWER
First distinguish discovery from execution: a missing skill points to installation or naming; a visible but unused skill points to invocation; a skill that starts and fails points to tools or supporting files. Fix the relevant layer before reinstalling.
The skill is missing
Confirm that SKILL.md is inside the intended skill folder and that you opened the correct project. Check the project or personal scope, filename case, frontmatter syntax and any same-name installation that could take precedence. Consult the client's documented discovery rules.
It appears, but is not triggered
Try an explicit /skill-name invocation in Claude Code. If that works, make the description identify when the skill should be used and give a specific task. Check invocation controls such as disable-model-invocation; do not remove an intentional restriction merely to force automatic use.
/frontend-design Propose a layout and typography direction for this page. Explain your choices before implementation.Example command or prompt; not a recorded execution.
It runs, but a tool or script fails
Capture the exact error and the command that failed. Compare installed runtimes and supporting files with the author's requirements. Check working-directory assumptions and relative paths. Handle a missing dependency separately from a permission denial; grant only the access needed for the task.
The output does not follow the skill
Try a small, explicit task in a fresh session and inspect the loaded instructions. Conflicting instructions, an unclear brief or unsupported client features can change the result. Ask for a proposed approach first, then compare it with the skill's actual instructions.
A useful troubleshooting report
Record the client and version, installation scope, source URL, invocation, expected behavior and exact error. Remove tokens, environment-file values and private project content before sharing. These checks isolate a problem; they are not a guarantee that every third-party skill is compatible.
Sources & updates
2026-10-02: First edition; sources and installation guidance checked. Review the latest source before running commands.