10 mins
How to build a Claude skill loaded with your pricing information, service descriptions, and past proposals — so you can price new work accurately and draft proposals in minutes instead of hours.
Here's the rewrite — swapped from a Claude Project to a Claude Skill, updated to "freelancer" language throughout, and pulled the technical steps from Anthropic's current docs so they're accurate.
A few notes before the copy: Skills work a little differently than Projects, so I restructured a couple of sections to reflect that (Skills auto-trigger based on a description instead of living in a dedicated workspace, and reference documents get bundled into the skill folder instead of uploaded to "Project Knowledge"). Flagging that in case you want it to read differently — happy to adjust.
How to Build a Claude Pricing Skill
One of the most useful things you can do for your freelance business is build a Claude skill for pricing and proposals. Once it's set up, Claude can help you price new work fast, build custom proposals in minutes, and keep your rates grounded in your real numbers – not guesswork.
The best part? You don't have to open a special workspace to use it. Once your skill is built, Claude recognizes when you're asking about pricing and pulls it in automatically, wherever you're chatting.
This lesson walks you through exactly how to build one.
What is a Claude skill?
A Claude skill is a set of instructions – plus, optionally, your own reference documents – that teaches Claude how to handle a specific task the way you want it handled. You write it once. Claude reads the description you give it, recognizes when a conversation matches that task, and automatically applies your instructions.
For pricing, this means you can teach Claude your rates, your service descriptions, your past proposals, and how you actually think about pricing a project – so every time you ask "how much should I charge for this," you get an answer based on your numbers, not generic freelance advice.
What you'll need before you start
Before you build your pricing skill, gather the following. They don't need to be perfectly formatted – just clear and accurate:
- Your current pricing guide – the document you send to potential clients with your rates and services
- Your rates calculator or baseline rate – whatever you use to calculate what you need to earn. See The Rates Calculator if you haven't built one yet.
- A description of your services – pull this from your website's services page or write it out simply. Include what each service is, what it includes, and roughly how long it takes you.
- 2–3 past proposals you've sent to clients – these give Claude a sense of how you structure and present pricing in the real world
- A proposal template, if you have one. If not, Claude can help you build one once your skill is set up.
Step 1: Turn on code execution and file creation
Skills live inside a settings area that needs to be switched on first.
- Go to claude.ai and sign in
- Click Settings
- Under Capabilities, make sure Code execution and file creation is turned on
- This unlocks the Skills feature
Step 2: Create a new skill
- In the left sidebar, click Customize
- Click Skills
- Click the "+" button, then "Create skill"
- Give it a name – something like "Pricing and Proposals" works great
Step 3: Write your description (this is the part that matters most)
Here's the thing that's different from how Projects worked: Claude decides whether to use your skill based entirely on the description you write. If it's vague, Claude won't know to pull it in. If it's specific, Claude will recognize "this is a pricing question" the moment you ask one.
Write a description that spells out exactly when this skill should kick in. Something like:
Use this skill whenever I ask what to charge for a project, whether a rate is fair, how to price something unusual, or ask for help writing a client proposal.
The more specific you are here, the more reliably Claude will use it.
Step 4: Write your instructions
This is the body of your skill – the actual briefing that tells Claude how to think about your pricing. Here's a template you can customize:
You are a pricing and proposal assistant for [your name], a freelance [your service type] specializing in [your niche].
You have access to [your name]'s pricing guide, baseline rate, service descriptions, past proposals, and proposal template.
When [your name] describes a new project or client, your job is to:
- Ask any clarifying questions you need to accurately scope the project
- Suggest a price based on [your name]'s existing rates, the scope of work, and the value being delivered
- Flag if the project seems to fall outside [your name]'s usual services or pricing structure
- Draft a proposal using [your name]'s proposal template and voice if requested
Always base your suggestions on the documents provided. Never suggest rates lower than [your name]'s baseline rate. If the project is complex or high-value, reference the guidance in [your name]'s pricing guide about charging above baseline.
Paste this into the instructions field, customized with your own details.
Step 5: Add your reference documents
This is where your skill gets its real power. Attach the documents you gathered earlier – your pricing guide, rates calculator, service descriptions, and past proposals – directly to the skill. Claude will reference them automatically anytime the skill is triggered.
If you're building a more advanced skill with multiple files, you can also zip your folder and upload it that way – but for most freelancers, attaching your documents directly inside the skill builder is plenty.
Step 6: Test it
Before you use this skill for a real client, test it with a project you've already priced. Describe the scope and see if Claude's suggestion matches what you actually charged. If it's off, go back into your instructions and clarify how you price that type of work.
A few prompts to try:
- "A SaaS startup wants me to write 4 blog posts per month, 1,500 words each, with SEO optimization. How should I price this?"
- "A small outdoor brand wants a brand voice guide. They have a team of 3 and want to use it for social, email, and their website. What would you charge and why?"
- "Can you draft a proposal for a 3-month SEO retainer for an e-commerce client? Their main goal is increasing organic traffic to their product pages."
Step 7: Keep it current
As your rates, services, and experience evolve, go back into your skill and update the attached documents and instructions to match. A pricing skill that's 18 months out of date isn't useful – build in a habit of updating it every time you raise your rates or add a new service.
How to use your pricing skill day to day
Here's the difference from a Project: you don't have to go find it. Once it's built and turned on, just ask Claude your pricing question in any conversation, and it'll recognize the task and use your skill automatically.
- When a new inquiry comes in: Paste in the project description from the client's email or discovery call notes and ask Claude to suggest a price
- When you need to write a proposal: Describe the project and ask Claude to draft one using your template. Edit it in your voice before sending.
- When you're not sure how to price something unusual: Describe the situation and ask Claude to reason through it based on your existing rates and the value being delivered
- When you're raising your rates: Go back into your skill and update your pricing guide so Claude always has your current numbers
A few important notes
- Always review and edit before sending. Claude will get close, but your proposals should sound like you and reflect the specific nuances of each client relationship. Nothing goes to a client without a human pass.
- Your pricing is your decision. Claude's suggestions are a starting point, not a final answer. If something feels off, trust your gut and adjust.
- Keep your documents current. An outdated pricing guide in your skill will produce outdated suggestions. Update it every time something changes.
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