What Are ChatGPT Skills? How Skills Work in ChatGPT (2026)
A ChatGPT skill is an Agent Skills SKILL.md workflow that ChatGPT loads from the Skills picker. Type @ to pick a skill, or let ChatGPT match the description. OpenAI documents Personal Skills for Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu. Official: help.openai.com/en/articles/20001066-skills-in-chatgpt.
By Skillselion, an Ellelion LLC publication · Updated August 16, 2026 · 3 min read · Stats verified against the live catalog
A ChatGPT skill is a reusable workflow — a SKILL.md file plus optional instructions, examples, and code — that tells ChatGPT how to do one task the same way each time. After you create or install a skill, ChatGPT can use it when the task matches, or you can pick it with @. OpenAI's product article: Skills in ChatGPT. Developer layout and invoke rules: Use skills with ChatGPT and Codex (both retrieved 16 August 2026).
Key takeaways
- ChatGPT skills follow the open Agent Skills standard. You can download a skill from ChatGPT and install it in Codex, and the other way around.
- In the ChatGPT desktop app, open Skills in the sidebar. Type
@in the composer to select a skill. - Personal Skills are documented for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu. They must be added separately on desktop and on web/mobile; they do not sync automatically across those surfaces.
- Skills bundled in plugins also show in Chat and Work on web, desktop, and mobile.
- Skillselion's ChatGPT skills directory ranks Agent Skills by skills.sh installs. Use it to inspect
SKILL.mdfiles; ChatGPT's picker is the product install path.
How do you use a skill in ChatGPT?
OpenAI documents two activation modes:
- Explicit. Type
@and select the skill. - Implicit. ChatGPT chooses a skill when your task matches the
description.
To author a skill in ChatGPT Work, invoke @skill-creator. The creator asks what the skill does, when it should trigger, and whether it should stay instruction-only (the default) or include scripts.
Standalone skills are available in the ChatGPT desktop app (and in Codex CLI / the IDE extension). Skills inside plugins also run in Chat and Work on web, desktop, and mobile.
Who gets ChatGPT skills?
OpenAI's Skills article (retrieved 16 August 2026) says Personal Skills are generally available for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu. Skills are also supported in Codex and the API. Check that article and your workspace admin settings before you assume a Plus or Free account has the picker.
Enterprise and Edu workspaces historically had skills off until an admin enabled them. OpenAI described turning Skills on by default for Enterprise workspaces that had not opted out beginning 23 July 2026. Confirm with your admin; do not treat that date as proof your workspace is on.
Do skills sync across devices?
No. OpenAI says Personal Skills must be added separately on desktop and on web/mobile. They do not sync automatically across those surfaces.
How is a ChatGPT skill different from a Codex skill?
Same SKILL.md standard. Different shell:
| ChatGPT | Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| UI | Skills picker / sidebar | /skills, $name |
| Disk | Product account + plugins | .agents/skills |
| Installer | Picker / plugins | $skill-installer |
Codex-framed copy: Codex skills and What are Codex skills?.
How is a ChatGPT skill different from a Claude Code skill?
Again the same Agent Skills file format. Claude Code loads .claude/skills after npx skills add. ChatGPT does not read that folder. Browse Claude-framed listings at Claude skills.
Sources
- Skills in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center, retrieved 16 August 2026)
- Use skills with ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI, retrieved 16 August 2026)
- What is a ChatGPT skill?
Skillselion is an independent directory. We are not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic, or Cursor.
Common questions
What is a ChatGPT skill?
A ChatGPT skill is a SKILL.md workflow that tells ChatGPT how to do one task consistently. ChatGPT can pick it when the task matches, or you select it with @. Official: help.openai.com/en/articles/20001066-skills-in-chatgpt.
How do I use a skill in ChatGPT?
In the ChatGPT desktop app, open Skills in the sidebar. Type @ in the composer to pick a skill. Skills bundled in plugins also show in Chat and Work on web, desktop, and mobile.
Which ChatGPT plans include skills?
OpenAI documents Personal Skills for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu. Confirm on the Skills help article and with your workspace admin. Skills also work in Codex and the API.
Do ChatGPT skills sync across desktop and web?
No. OpenAI says Personal Skills must be added separately on desktop and on web/mobile; they do not sync automatically.
Are ChatGPT skills the same as Codex skills?
Both use the Agent Skills SKILL.md standard, so you can download from one product and install in the other. ChatGPT uses the Skills picker and @. Codex uses .agents/skills and $skill-installer.
Ranked by Skillselion - an independent directory of AI-coding tools, not affiliated with Anthropic, OpenAI or Cursor. Tool rankings reflect real adoption (installs, then GitHub stars) from the skills.sh registry and GitHub, last updated August 16, 2026.