# 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 (https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys)
- 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

For custom Skills, see the Agent Skills Cookbook at: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-cookbooks/tree/main/skills

## 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:

**Python:**
```python
import anthropic

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}`);
}
```

**Shell:**
```bash
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"
```

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:

**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);
```

**Shell:**
```bash
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 use
- **`type: "anthropic"`**: Indicates this is an Anthropic-managed Skill
- **`skill_id: "pptx"`**: The PowerPoint Skill identifier
- **`version: "latest"`**: The Skill version set to the most recently published
- **`tools`**: Enables code execution (required for Skills)
- **Beta headers**: `code-execution-2025-08-25` and `skills-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:

**Python:**
```python
# 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');
}
```

**Shell:**
```bash
# 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"
```

## Try more examples

Now that you've created your first document with Skills, try these variations:

### Create a spreadsheet

**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'
  }]
});
```

**Shell:**
```bash
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

**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": "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"
    }]
)
```

**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'
  }]
});
```

**Shell:**
```bash
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"
    }]
  }'
```

### Generate a PDF

**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'
  }]
});
```

**Shell:**
```bash
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"
    }]
  }'
```