| name | claude-code-capabilities |
| description | Use when unsure which Claude Code capability fits a task, when about to single-thread large/cross-cutting/repetitive work, or when you or the user ask what Claude Code can do — loads the full capability map (signal → capability) and points to the deep-dive skills. |
| user-invocable | true |
| argument-hint | (optional) a task or capability you want mapped, e.g. 'migrate 40 files' or 'hooks' |
Claude Code Capabilities
This skill is your capability index. Its job: before you plan, single-thread something big, or decide a thing is impossible, make sure you have considered the right built-in Claude Code capability.
Do this now
- Read the full map: open
references/capability-map.md (in this skill's directory). It maps concrete task signals → the capability to reach for → how to invoke it → which deep-dive skill to read. It also lists the anti-patterns that this primer exists to prevent.
- Match the task to a row. If a capability fits, invoke its deep-dive skill (below) for the exact mechanics before implementing.
- If nothing fits, proceed normally — not every task needs special machinery. The point is to consider these first, not to force them.
Condensed trigger list (full detail in references/capability-map.md)
| Signal | Capability | Deep-dive skill |
|---|
| Repeatable workflow / knowledge you keep re-deriving | Skills & slash commands | claude-code-skills |
| Research, exploration, big review, 2+ independent tasks | Subagents (Agent/Task) | claude-code-subagents |
| Broad audit, migration, fan-out > one context | Dynamic workflows (Workflow, ultracode) | claude-code-dynamic-workflows |
| "Each time X, do Y" the harness must enforce | Hooks | claude-code-hooks |
| Long build/test/watch, polling external state | Background agents & tasks | claude-code-background-agents |
| Undo a bad edit path / restore state | Checkpointing & /rewind | claude-code-checkpointing |
| Live external tool / API / data source | MCP servers | claude-code-mcp |
| Reuse skills/hooks/agents/MCP as a bundle | Plugins | claude-code-plugins |
| Server-side PR / issue automation | GitHub Actions (@claude) | claude-code-github-actions |
| Build a custom/headless agent | Agent SDK | claude-code-agent-sdk |
| Task too hard/trivial for current setting | Effort, models & fast mode | claude-code-effort-models |
Each row's deep-dive skill is a separate skill in this plugin — invoke it with the Skill tool when you are actually doing that kind of work (they auto-surface on the matching signal too).
Staying current (automatic)
This primer keeps itself current:
- An async SessionStart hook (
hooks/auto-update.sh) does a throttled git pull --ff-only so your install tracks the latest merged main, and flags this card when your installed Claude Code is newer than the version the content was generated for (references/.generated-for).
- A scheduled refresh agent fetches the latest official docs/changelog, adds or updates the card, map, and
claude-code-* skills for any new capabilities, verifies every claim against the live docs, and opens a PR — auto-merging only when verification passes (AUTO_MERGE_POLICY = verified; see references/refresh-runbook.md).
To refresh manually: run bash scripts/update-docs.sh, then follow references/refresh-runbook.md in a Claude session.
