Skills and MCPs Together: The Full Stack

This is where Claude Code stops feeling like a tool and starts feeling like a team

You have skills. You have MCPs. Now you combine them.

Skills make Claude expert at a task. MCPs give Claude access to external information and tools. When you use both in the same session Claude can go out and gather real information through the MCP, process and use that information like an expert through the skill, and produce output that is both current and high quality.

Example 1: Competitor Research + Landing Page

Without skills or MCPs you would say "Build me a landing page for my AI video editing tool" and get generic copy and generic design.

With skills and MCPs you say:

• I am building a landing page for an AI video editing tool for content creators.
• Step 1: Use the fetch MCP to visit the websites of these three competitors and

read their landing pages:

[URL 1], [URL 2], [URL 3]

Step 2: Identify the gaps — what claims and angles none of them are using.

Step 3: Use the /frontend-design skill and my @CLAUDE.md design rules to build

a landing page that leads with our unique angle.

Headline should position us against what the competition is not saying.

Result: a landing page built on real competitor intelligence with professional design in one session.

Example 2: Content Creation + Research

I want to write a LinkedIn post about why most AI-generated websites look cheap.

Step 1: Use brave-search to find the top 5 results for "why ai websites look generic"

and summarise the main arguments.

Step 2: Use my /ccm-content skill to write a LinkedIn post in my voice.

The post should challenge the conventional wisdom and give one specific actionable tip.

It should not sound like every other AI post.

Example 3: Audit and Fix

I deployed my portfolio site last week. I want to audit and improve it.

Step 1: Use the puppeteer MCP to take a screenshot of [YOUR NETLIFY URL] and show me

how it looks on desktop.

Step 2: Use the /frontend-design skill to identify 3 specific improvements that would

make it look more professional.

Step 3: Update the local files with those improvements.

Building a Compound Workflow

Once you are comfortable using skills and MCPs together you can build compound workflows covering multi-step tasks that would have taken hours manually:

Research and content workflow:

1. Use brave-search to find the 5 most discussed topics in [YOUR NICHE] this week

1. Pick the one with the most genuine debate or useful insight
2. Use fetch to read the top two articles on that topic
3. Use my /content-skill to write:

• One LinkedIn post (under 200 words, one specific takeaway)
• One Twitter/X thread (5 tweets, starts with a hook)
• One newsletter paragraph (80 words, includes a call to action)

All three should be in my voice, reference real information from the articles,

and not sound like AI wrote them.

This workflow covering research, read, write, and format used to take 2 to 3 hours. With skills and MCPs together it runs in one session.

The Decision Framework

When planning any Claude Code session ask yourself two questions.

Does Claude need special expertise for this task? If yes, activate the relevant skill.

Does Claude need information or tools it cannot access from my files alone? If yes, identify which MCP provides that access.

Then build your prompt around both answers.

Your Action Right Now

Pick one project you are working on right now. Plan a compound prompt that uses at least one skill, even just /frontend-design if it is a web project, and at least one MCP where fetch is fine by visiting one relevant URL as part of the workflow.

Write the prompt, send it, and watch how the quality of the output compares to a standard prompt without either.