# Does ChatGPT Have Skills Like Claude? Yes, Same SKILL.md (2026) **Author:** John Morabito (Founder, /winston) **Published:** June 14, 2026 **Last updated:** October 7, 2026 **Reading time:** 11 minutes **Canonical:** https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/playbooks/chatgpt-equivalent-of-claude-skills/ If you have built a Claude Skill and want the same thing in ChatGPT, the answer has changed. ChatGPT now has Skills of its own, built on the same open SKILL.md format Claude uses, so on the right plan your Skill moves over as a file. Here is what carries across, what breaks, which plans have it, and where a Custom GPT still fits. ## The short answer **Does ChatGPT have skills like Claude?** Yes. ChatGPT has a Skills feature, and it uses the same format. A ChatGPT skill is a folder with a `SKILL.md` file (a name and a description in the header) plus optional scripts and reference files. [OpenAI's documentation](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/build-skills) says its skills follow the open Agent Skills standard published at [agentskills.io](https://agentskills.io/), the format Anthropic originally developed for Claude and then released as an open standard. Before you upload anything, check three things. Your plan comes first: [OpenAI's help center](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001066-skills-in-chatgpt) lists Skills for eligible ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu users, and workspace admins can turn uploading off. Next, the file moves but your setup does not come with it, so anything your Skill leans on that only exists in Claude (a connector you set up there, a Claude Code tool it calls by name, a local path) has to be pointed at its ChatGPT counterpart. Last, the Custom GPT, which used to be the closest analogue, is still around and is still the better pick for some jobs. More on that below. Updated October 7, 2026: Earlier versions of this page said ChatGPT could not run a Claude Skill. That was accurate when we wrote it. OpenAI has since shipped Skills in ChatGPT and Codex on the same open format, so the answer is now yes, with the caveats on this page. ## What a Claude Skill actually is A Claude Skill is Anthropic's packaging format for a reusable, self-contained capability. In plain terms it is a folder: a `SKILL.md` instructions file with a short YAML header (a name and a description), plus optional scripts, reference files, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) server bindings. Claude reads the description, decides on its own when a task matches, then loads the Skill and follows the instructions and runs any bundled scripts. Two properties matter for this comparison. Because a Skill is just files, it is version-controlled and portable: the same Skill runs in Claude Code, the Claude Agent SDK, or Claude.ai, and since the format became an open standard it also runs in other agents that read it, ChatGPT and Codex included. A team can share one identical copy. And because it can carry scripts and MCP bindings, it is more tool-like than a chat persona: parts of it can execute the same way every single run rather than being re-improvised by the model. We cover the full anatomy in [custom GPTs vs Claude Skills](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/playbooks/custom-gpts-vs-claude-skills/). ## What a Custom GPT actually is A Custom GPT is OpenAI's packaging format for a task-specific assistant inside ChatGPT. It wraps a system prompt (the instructions), optional knowledge files you upload, and optional Actions, which are HTTP calls out to external APIs, behind a named assistant. You configure it in a UI rather than in a file, you invoke it by selecting it inside ChatGPT, and you distribute it through the GPT Store or a shareable link. A Custom GPT is an assistant configuration. You are shaping how a chat assistant behaves and what it knows, and then you talk to it. For a large share of marketing jobs that is exactly what you want, which is why we build them alongside Skills in our [Custom GPTs and Skills](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/services/ai-marketing/custom-gpts-and-skills/) work. It is just a different shape of object from a Skill. ## What a ChatGPT skill is A ChatGPT skill is OpenAI's implementation of the same standard. Per [OpenAI's help center](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001066-skills-in-chatgpt), a skill is a reusable, shareable workflow that can include instructions, examples, and code, and once it is installed ChatGPT can use it automatically when it helps. That is the same load-on-demand behavior Claude has. You find skills in the sidebar under Plugins, on the Skills tab. You can create one by asking ChatGPT (it uses a built-in skill-creator skill to draft it), build one in the Skills editor, install one a teammate shared, or upload one from your computer. Uploaded skills are scanned before they become available, and some come back marked Needs Review or Blocked. On Enterprise and Edu, admins decide which roles can create, upload, share, and install them. ## Where they map, and where they diverge With ChatGPT Skills in the picture there are three objects, and two of them share a file format. Before ChatGPT had Skills, the Custom GPT was the honest answer to the equivalence question, and the overlap with a Claude Skill is still real. Both are reusable, named packages that give an assistant a defined job through instructions and supplied knowledge. If your Skill is essentially "answer questions in this voice using these documents," a Custom GPT does the same thing, and your users would struggle to tell the output apart. The divergence shows up the moment the job gets more mechanical: | Dimension | Claude Skill | ChatGPT skill | Custom GPT | |---|---|---|---| | What it is | A folder of files (SKILL.md + scripts + references) | The same kind of folder, on the same open standard | An assistant configured in a UI | | How it is invoked | The model loads it on demand when a task matches the description | ChatGPT uses it automatically when a task matches, once installed | You select the GPT and chat with it | | Where it runs | Claude Code, the Claude Agent SDK, Claude.ai, and other agents that read the standard | ChatGPT (Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, Edu) and Codex | Inside ChatGPT | | Code and tools | Can bundle scripts that run the same way every time and bind to MCP servers | Can include code; external services connect through apps and plugins | Can call Actions (HTTP requests to external APIs) | | Portability | Files, version-controlled, readable by any agent that supports the standard | Uploads and downloads as the same SKILL.md folder | Lives in the OpenAI ecosystem | | Best fit | Agentic, code-adjacent, file-touching workflows | Repeatable workflows for teams on ChatGPT work plans | Conversational assistants for people already in ChatGPT | Claude Skills and ChatGPT skills are now two runtimes for one file format. Custom GPTs are assistant configurations you talk to, and they fit a different job. If you want the deeper split between a packaged procedure and a live, model-called capability, we work through it in [Anthropic Skills vs OpenAI tool use](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/playbooks/anthropic-skills-vs-openai-tool-use/). ## Can you run a Claude Skill inside ChatGPT? Yes, on an eligible plan, and for most Skills it is an upload rather than a rebuild. Open Plugins, go to the Skills tab, select Create, then Upload from your computer. Both products read the same `SKILL.md` format, so the name, description, and instructions come across as written. Whether it works on the first try depends on what the Skill needs from outside its own folder: - **Self-contained Skills move cleanly.** Instructions, examples, templates, and reference files inside the folder are the bulk of a content or brand-voice Skill, and they travel with the file. - **Scripts need a test run.** Both products can run code that ships with a skill, but a script that expects a specific library, a local file path, or a command-line tool on your machine may not find it in ChatGPT's environment. Run it on a real task before you share it. - **Tool and connector references need re-pointing.** If your instructions tell Claude to use an MCP connector you set up in Claude, or call a Claude Code tool by name, ChatGPT will not have that connector until you add its counterpart there. In ChatGPT, external services come in through apps and plugins. - **The upload scan can hold it.** OpenAI scans uploaded skills, and a skill can come back marked Needs Review or Blocked. Skills that run code or came from outside your organization deserve your own review first anyway. If your plan does not include Skills, the old answer still applies to you: rebuild the Skill's intent as a Custom GPT by pasting the instructions and uploading the reference files as its knowledge. ## Do your files and prompts transfer? On a plan with Skills, most of it transfers as-is. Split a Skill into two halves and the answer gets clear. - **The human-readable half transfers as a file.** The `SKILL.md` instructions and the reference files in the folder upload together and keep working, because both products read the same format. For a simple content-and-voice Skill, that is the whole job. - **The environment half needs checking.** Bundled scripts, and anything that relies on a connector or tool you configured in Claude, depend on what exists where the skill runs. Expect to adjust those. A full rewrite is rarely needed. The practical rule: keep one `SKILL.md` folder as the source of truth in version control, describe capabilities in plain language instead of one vendor's tool names where you can, and upload the same folder to both. For someone on a ChatGPT plan without Skills, the Custom GPT route still works. ## How a team running both vendors should think about it Plenty of teams pay for both ChatGPT and Claude. Until recently the advice was to pick one artifact per job. Now one Skill folder can serve both, and the choice comes down to who uses it and where. - **Ship one Skill to both** when the job is a repeatable procedure, such as a brief format or a QA checklist, and your people are split across tools. Same file, same output, one place to update it. - **Build a Custom GPT** when the job is a conversational assistant people pick from a list and chat with, or when the users are on a ChatGPT plan without Skills. Adoption is the win, and meeting people where they are beats a more capable tool they have to switch apps to reach. - **Keep the heavy automation where you can watch it.** Skills that run inside code, touch files, or slot into an agentic pipeline belong in the environment you control and test, which for us is usually Claude Code. Most of the [AI content automation](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/services/ai-marketing/content-workflows/) we build for marketing teams runs that way, with a human editor approving every piece before it ships. The one-line takeaway: ChatGPT has Skills now, and they read the same SKILL.md format as Claude. On a Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, or Edu plan, upload the folder and test its scripts and connectors. On other plans, the Custom GPT is still the fallback. If you want one Skill that runs cleanly in both, that is the exact work we do in our [Custom GPTs and Skills](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/services/ai-marketing/custom-gpts-and-skills/) engagement. ## Where this fits This page answers the reverse-direction question: you know Claude Skills and you want the ChatGPT counterpart. If you are starting from the other side and deciding which to build in the first place, read [custom GPTs vs Claude Skills](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/playbooks/custom-gpts-vs-claude-skills/) for the full comparison, and [Anthropic Skills vs OpenAI tool use](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/playbooks/anthropic-skills-vs-openai-tool-use/) for how a packaged procedure and a live tool call fit together in one build. ## Frequently asked questions **Does ChatGPT have skills like Claude?** Yes. ChatGPT has its own Skills feature, and it uses the same format as Claude: a folder with a SKILL.md file (a name and a description in the header) plus optional scripts and reference files. OpenAI's documentation says its skills follow the open Agent Skills standard, which Anthropic originally developed for Claude and released as an open standard. Once a skill is installed, ChatGPT uses it automatically when a task calls for it. OpenAI's help center lists Skills for eligible ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu users. **What is the ChatGPT equivalent of Claude Skills?** ChatGPT Skills, which you find in the sidebar under Plugins, then the Skills tab. A ChatGPT skill is the same kind of object as a Claude Skill: a SKILL.md instructions file plus optional scripts and references that the model loads when a task matches. Before ChatGPT had Skills, the closest equivalent was the Custom GPT, a packaged assistant with instructions, knowledge files, and optional Actions. Custom GPTs still exist and still suit chat-style assistants. For a reusable workflow, ChatGPT Skills are the direct match. **Can Claude Skills be used with ChatGPT?** Yes, on a plan that has Skills. Both products read the same SKILL.md format, so you can upload a Claude Skill folder in ChatGPT under Plugins, Skills, Create, then Upload from your computer. ChatGPT scans uploaded skills, and some come back marked Needs Review or Blocked. Self-contained Skills (instructions, examples, reference files) usually work as written. Skills that call a connector you set up in Claude, name a Claude Code tool, or run scripts that expect specific software need those pieces checked or re-pointed in ChatGPT. **Are Custom GPTs the same as Claude Skills?** No. A Custom GPT is an assistant configuration inside ChatGPT that you select and chat with, and it can call Actions (HTTP requests to external APIs). A Claude Skill is a folder of files the model loads automatically when a task matches its description, and it can bundle scripts. The closer match to a Claude Skill is now a ChatGPT skill, which uses the same SKILL.md format. Custom GPTs and Skills overlap on packaged instructions and knowledge. They differ on how they are invoked, how portable they are, and how much they can do inside a workflow. **Can you use Claude Skills in ChatGPT?** Yes, if your ChatGPT plan includes Skills (OpenAI lists Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu) and your workspace admin allows uploads. Upload the Skill folder from the Skills tab and test it on a real task before you share it. If your plan does not include Skills, the older workaround still works: paste the SKILL.md instructions into a Custom GPT and upload the reference files as its knowledge. **Do Claude Skills transfer to ChatGPT?** Mostly, as a file. The SKILL.md instructions and the reference files inside the folder transfer intact because ChatGPT reads the same open format. What may need work is the environment the Skill expects: connectors you configured in Claude, tool names specific to Claude Code, and scripts that assume particular software or file paths. Keep one Skill folder as the source of truth, describe capabilities in plain language instead of one vendor's tool names where you can, and upload the same folder to both. **Which ChatGPT plans have Skills?** OpenAI's help center lists Skills for eligible ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu users, subject to workspace settings. Enterprise and Edu admins control which roles can create, upload, share, publish, and install skills. Skills also work in Codex. If you do not see a Skills tab under Plugins, your plan or your workspace settings are the likely reason. ## We build these for teams Want one Skill that runs in both? Getting a Skill to behave the same in Claude and ChatGPT is the job we do for clients. We build custom Claude Skills and GPTs for your team, test them in the tools your people actually use, packaged with your brand voice and your guardrails, and hand the whole thing over with a walkthrough so your people can run it without us. It is a fixed-price build. Scope and what is included sit on the service page. Custom GPTs and Skills service: https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/services/ai-marketing/custom-gpts-and-skills/ Contact: https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/contact/ Service: https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/services/ai-marketing/custom-gpts-and-skills/ Audit: https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/audit/ ## Want the Skills we run on client work? The **[GEO Skill Pack](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/products/geo-skill-pack/)** is three Claude Skills that produce the deliverables of a full generative-search engagement: a 22-point AI visibility audit that builds its own Excel workbook, a content rewrite that turns a blog post into a branded Word document, and the client strategy deck. Your colors, your agency name, unlimited clients. $497, one payment. Or [have us build yours](https://www.winstondigitalmarketing.com/services/ai-marketing/custom-gpts-and-skills/).