How to find the Claude Code skills you never use

Start with /skill-doctor, then review the skills it flags before turning any off. No recorded use is a clue, not a verdict: history may be incomplete, a name may have changed, or the skill may be useful only occasionally. Disable a candidate first and try your usual work before deleting its files.

By Miguel Silva · Updated 2026-09-12

Start with recorded usage

Run /skill-doctor in the terminal on the machine where Claude Code runs. The report is available from v2.1.252 when feature-flag fetching is enabled. It shows usage and context cost for session skills other than bundled and enterprise skills. Remote Control cannot open it.

For an older installation or a missing report, the skill usage counter reference explains the observed file format and its limits.

Check why the skill appears unused

• Read its instructions and identify the task it serves. A release skill may be valuable even if you have not shipped recently.
• Check the skill name, plugin namespace and source folder. A renamed or shadowed skill can look unused under one spelling.
• Check available history and its time window. Removed transcripts and a different machine can hide real use.
• Open a representative session or run a small task with the skill. Evaluate the output separately from whether it was invoked.

Turn it off before deleting it

For personal and project skills, open /skills, highlight the skill, press Space until it is off, then Esc to save. The menu writes your local settings. Plugin skills use /plugin instead. Keep a note of what you changed so you can restore it if a workflow needs it.

If you use Loadout, review the recorded usage beside the skill, then use its disable action. Before deletion, keep a backup of your own instructions and supporting files. A zero count alone is not enough evidence to remove them.

Keep the cleanup specific

Removing a skill does not remove an MCP server or uninstall its parent plugin. Use the MCP disable guide or plugin removal guide for those separate jobs.

For a broader setup review, /checkup is an alias of /doctor. It can propose configuration and permission changes; read each proposal before accepting. The checkup guide explains the difference between a report and an edit.

Questions

Does no recorded usage mean a skill is safe to delete?

No. Check the history window, name and purpose first. Turn it off reversibly and test the workflows that may need it.

How do I disable a personal Claude Code skill?

Use /skills to change its visibility to off and save. The skill folder remains. Manage plugin skills through /plugin instead.

Can Loadout help review unused skills?

Yes. It puts recorded skill usage beside the inventory and editor. Check whether the relevant assistant history is supported and present before interpreting a zero.