{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/claude-code-reads-skills-only-from-claude-folder-test-finds","json":"https://digestai.news/story/claude-code-reads-skills-only-from-claude-folder-test-finds.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/claude-code-reads-skills-only-from-claude-folder-test-finds.md","slug":"claude-code-reads-skills-only-from-claude-folder-test-finds","headline":"Claude Code reads skills only from .claude folder, test finds","summary":"A test of 19 possible locations for skill files in Claude Code and Codex found only one location each read by the tools. Claude Code 2.1.290 detected skills only in the `.claude/skills` folder, while Codex 0.153.4 read from `.agents/skills` and `.codex`—though the latter is not officially documented. The author placed empty skill files in 19 folders, naming each `probe-*`, and queried both tools to list matching skills. Neither tool found skills in the remaining 16 locations, including `.cursor` and `.gemini`, which the author suspects are for other tools like Cursor or Gemini CLI.\n\nThe experiment revealed a mismatch between documented and actual behavior: Codex read from `.codex` despite no mention in its documentation. To share skills across tools without duplication, the author linked a single file in `.agents/skills` to a symbolic link in `.claude/skills`. This approach ensures consistency when updating skills, as copying files to multiple locations risks inconsistencies. The author advises users to verify their skill locations with `find .claude/skills .agents/skills -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 2>/dev/null` and notes that home-directory locations (e.g., `~/.claude/skills`) were not tested.","keyPoints":["Claude Code 2.1.290 reads skills only from `.claude/skills` folder, Codex 0.153.4 reads from `.agents/skills` and `.codex`","16 of 19 tested locations yielded no results for either tool, including `.cursor` and `.gemini`","Symbolic linking a skill file in `.agents/skills` to `.claude/skills` lets both tools access the same file"],"whyItMatters":"Users relying on skills for automation or workflows must place files in the correct folders to avoid visibility issues. The test highlights undocumented behavior and offers a workaround for cross-tool compatibility, reducing maintenance effort for shared skills.","category":{"slug":"agents","name":"Agents & Tools","url":"https://digestai.news/category/agents"},"entities":{"companies":["Claude","GitHub"],"models":["Claude Code 2.1.290","Codex 0.153.4"],"people":[]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-05T23:27:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-05T23:27:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"note.com","title":"18 out of 19 locations: Where your skill files are not read by Claude Code","url":"https://note.com/generativeai_new/n/n634ae7870a07?hl=en","publishedAt":"2026-10-05T23:27:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Claude Code reads skills only from .claude folder, test finds\", 5 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/claude-code-reads-skills-only-from-claude-folder-test-finds","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Claude Code reads skills only from .claude folder, test finds","datePublished":"2026-10-05T23:27:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/claude-code-reads-skills-only-from-claude-folder-test-finds"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}