internal-comms

Overview

What the internal-comms skill does

The internal-comms skill is a writing-focused Claude skill for internal company communication. In the repository, it is positioned as a reusable set of resources for drafting recurring internal updates in formats a company already uses. The included guidance covers common communication types such as status reports, leadership updates, project updates, company newsletters, FAQ responses, incident reports, and 3P updates.

This makes internal-comms a practical fit for teams that want more consistent internal writing without starting every draft from scratch.

Who should use internal-comms

Use internal-comms if you regularly prepare updates for employees, leadership, cross-functional partners, or broad internal audiences. It is especially useful for:

• team leads writing weekly or monthly updates
• chiefs of staff or operations partners preparing leadership summaries
• internal communications teams drafting company-wide newsletters
• managers collecting and organizing recurring team updates
• anyone turning Slack, email, calendar, or document activity into a readable internal summary

Because the examples explicitly reference tools like Slack, email, calendar, and documents such as Google Drive or Google Docs-style sources, the skill is also a good match for companies that already communicate across those channels.

What problems it helps solve

The main value of internal-comms is structure. Instead of asking Claude for a generic update, you can route the request into a known format and follow a matching example file. That helps with:

• choosing the right internal communication format
• keeping updates short and readable
• matching the expected tone for executives, teams, or company-wide audiences
• surfacing recurring questions for FAQ-style communication
• turning scattered workflow evidence into a cleaner narrative

The repository shows a simple pattern: identify the communication type, open the matching file in examples/, and follow the instructions for formatting, tone, and content gathering.

Included files and format coverage

The repository evidence for internal-comms is intentionally lightweight and focused. The key files are:

• SKILL.md
• examples/3p-updates.md
• examples/company-newsletter.md
• examples/faq-answers.md
• examples/general-comms.md
• LICENSE.txt

Those examples map to distinct internal writing jobs:

• examples/3p-updates.md for Progress, Plans, Problems updates
• examples/company-newsletter.md for company-wide newsletter summaries
• examples/faq-answers.md for recurring employee questions and answers
• examples/general-comms.md for internal communication that does not fit the standard formats

When internal-comms is a good fit

internal-comms is a good fit when you already know you need an internal message and want Claude to follow a proven structure. Based on the repository, that includes:

• weekly team updates
• leadership updates
• project updates
• company newsletters
• FAQ responses
• incident reports
• 3P updates

It is particularly useful when the writer can gather source material from collaboration tools and needs help compressing it into a concise, shareable format.

When it may not be the right fit

This skill may be less useful if:

• you need external PR, press releases, or customer marketing copy
• you want a deeply customized communications framework beyond the included examples
• you do not yet know the audience, tone, or purpose of the message
• your organization does not use recurring internal formats and prefers entirely ad hoc writing

For unusual internal messages, the repository points users to examples/general-comms.md, which suggests clarifying audience, purpose, tone, and formatting requirements before drafting.

How to Use

Install the internal-comms skill

Install internal-comms from the anthropics/skills repository with:

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill internal-comms

If you are reviewing the source before installing, the GitHub page for this skill is:
https://github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/internal-comms

Start with the core file

Open SKILL.md first. That file defines:

• what the skill is for
• when to use it
• the communication types it supports
• the recommended workflow for selecting the right example

The repository guidance is straightforward: first identify the communication type, then load the corresponding file from examples/.

Choose the right example file

Use the example that best matches the message you need to produce:

• examples/3p-updates.md: choose this for Progress, Plans, Problems updates intended for executives, leadership, or teammates who need a quick read
• examples/company-newsletter.md: choose this for company-wide newsletter-style summaries sent through Slack or email
• examples/faq-answers.md: choose this when employees are asking repeated questions and you need a concise FAQ-style internal document
• examples/general-comms.md: choose this when the request does not cleanly fit one of the standard formats

This structure is the main installation and usage decision point: if your team commonly writes one of these formats, internal-comms will likely be easy to adopt.

Gather the source material Claude needs

The example files indicate the kinds of sources that improve output quality. Depending on the communication type, the repository mentions:

• Slack activity, including widely discussed posts, updates, reactions, and threaded questions
• email, especially company-wide or executive announcements
• calendar context for all-hands or larger meetings
• documents such as Google Drive or Google Docs-style materials linked from meetings or internal discussion

In practice, internal-comms works best when Claude has access to the signals your company already uses for internal workflow and documentation.

Follow the format-specific guidance

Each example file adds practical constraints that shape the final draft:

3P updates

The 3P example defines the structure as Progress, Plans, Problems. It emphasizes brief updates that can be read in about 30 to 60 seconds and notes that the level of detail should match team scope. It also says to confirm the team name before writing if it is missing.

Company newsletter

The newsletter example calls for a company-wide summary that is short, link-rich, and readable in both Slack and email. It suggests using first-person plural language such as "we" and keeping bullets concise.

FAQ responses

The FAQ example focuses on identifying questions that are confusing large parts of the company and then drafting summarized answers that reduce repeated uncertainty.

General communications

The general communication example advises asking about audience, purpose, tone, and formatting requirements before drafting. This is the best fallback path for custom internal announcements.

Practical workflow for first-time use

A simple first run with internal-comms can look like this:

1. Install the skill.
2. Read SKILL.md.
3. Pick the closest file in examples/.
4. Gather source material from Slack, email, documents, or meeting notes.
5. Give Claude the audience, timeframe, and communication goal.
6. Ask for a draft in the selected format.
7. Review for company-specific language, links, and sensitive details before sending.

Best practices for rollout inside a team

If you are deciding whether to adopt internal-comms, these practical habits will make it more useful:

• standardize which communication types your team will support first
• define where source material should come from each week
• tell writers which example file to start from
• add company-specific review rules outside the repository if needed
• keep a short checklist for audience, tone, links, and approvals

Because the repository ships examples rather than a heavy automation framework, it is easiest to implement as a writing standard and prompt workflow.

FAQ

What is the internal-comms skill best at?

internal-comms is best at helping Claude draft recurring internal company communications in recognizable formats. Repository-supported use cases include 3P updates, company newsletters, FAQ responses, status reports, leadership updates, project updates, and incident reports.

Is internal-comms mainly for email writing or broader internal docs?

Both. The repository supports company newsletters that can be sent by Slack and email, and it also supports FAQ-style communication and general internal updates that may live in documents or knowledge-base-style pages. That makes it useful for both message writing and lightweight internal documentation.

Do I need Slack or Google Docs access to use internal-comms?

No, but the examples show that outputs are stronger when Claude can pull from real internal sources. The repository explicitly mentions sources like Slack, email, calendar events, and documents such as Google Drive materials. If those sources are not available, you can still provide the relevant notes manually.

How do I know which example file to use?

Start with the communication goal:

• use examples/3p-updates.md for Progress, Plans, Problems updates
• use examples/company-newsletter.md for broad company recap newsletters
• use examples/faq-answers.md for repeated employee questions
• use examples/general-comms.md when the request is more custom

If the message type is unclear, the repository guidance says to ask for clarification or more context.

Can internal-comms help with leadership updates?

Yes. SKILL.md explicitly lists leadership updates among the intended use cases. For a standard recurring format, choose the nearest example and adapt it to the leadership audience.

Is internal-comms a good fit for incident reports?

The skill description includes incident reports as a supported use case. However, the file tree shown here does not include a separate incident-report example, so you would likely start from examples/general-comms.md or adapt another suitable structure to your organization's incident communication style.

What should I review before sending a draft created with internal-comms?

Review audience fit, confidentiality, factual accuracy, links, timeframe, and tone. The skill provides examples and structure, but internal company communications often include sensitive or fast-moving information that should be checked before distribution.

Where can I inspect the internal-comms source files?

You can review the repository at https://github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/internal-comms and inspect SKILL.md plus the files in examples/ to see exactly how the skill approaches each communication type.