Notion AI Skills Tutorial: Deep Dive + FREE Skill Pack Template
Notion AI Skills are reusable prompts and instructions you can save once and run anytime, so you don’t have to rewrite the same requests repeatedly. They’re especially useful if you want consistent formatting (like the same outline every time) or you use Notion AI for recurring workflows (planning, writing, cleanup, summarizing, etc.).
Two ways to use AI Skills
You can run a skill in two main places:
- Highlight text on any page and choose the skill from the text editor menu.
- In Notion AI chat, type @ and select the skill you want to run.
The highlight method is perfect when you only want to transform a specific block of text (like a messy note). The chat method is great when you want the skill to consider the whole page, reference linked databases, or create new pages.
Where to manage your skills
To view and manage your AI Skills:
- Go to Settings in Notion.
- Open Notion AI.
- Scroll to Skills.
From there, you’ll see a list of your skills, and you can choose whether each one shows up in the text editor menu (the menu you see after highlighting text).
How to create a new AI Skill
To create a new AI Skill, go to Settings → Notion AI → Skills → Add a skill.
When you choose Create new skill page, Notion generates a template with sections like Overview, Skill definition, and Examples. You can edit it like a normal page, the key is to make the instructions extremely clear.
Turn an existing page into a skill
If you already have a page of instructions you use often, you can convert it into an AI Skill:
- Open the page.
- Click the ••• menu.
- Select Use with AI → Use as AI Skill.
This is a great way to transform your “best prompts” into reusable tools.
Best practices for writing better skill pages
Here are the guidelines I use to get more consistent outputs:
- Start with a one-line “what it does.” This sets the goal instantly.
- Define your output format. Use headings, sections, and ordering so the AI knows exactly how to structure the result.
- Add rules that prevent over-editing. A favorite: “If a user selection is present, only edit the content within the selection.”
- Avoid adding new information. If you want the skill to work like a clean-up tool, explicitly say “do not add assumptions.”
- Iterate based on real usage. Each time you run the skill, note what you want it to do differently, then update the rules.
Example skill pack: Clarity & Planning
To help you get started faster, I created a free AI Skill Pack called Clarity & Planning. It includes:
- Brain Dump Organizer: turns messy thoughts into buckets and next actions.
- Weekly Reset: generates a weekly review using your notes and/or linked databases.
- Goal to Action Plan: turns a goal into milestones, next actions, and risks.
- Decision Clarity: helps you compare options and choose a next step.
- Messy Note Cleanup: reformats quick notes into a clean structure.
These skills show the range of what’s possible, from simple formatting to database-aware planning.
Try this next
Pick one recurring workflow you do every week (a brain dump, weekly review, or goal planning) and build one skill around it. Start simple, run it a few times, then tighten the instructions until the output feels exactly like your style.
If you want a plug-and-play starting point, download my free Clarity & Planning Skill Pack here:
https://theorganizednotebook.com/products/clarity-planning-notion-ai-skill-pack