Guides · ADHD at work

Free ADHD skill for Claude, Claude Code and Copilot

Quick answer: an "ADHD skill" is a SKILL.md file: plain instructions that tell Claude, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot or Cursor to answer first, keep it short, give a few steps and one question at a time, and recap where you are when you come back. Build yours below in about 2 minutes, then upload the .zip to the Claude app or drop the file in your skills folder. Free, no sign-up.

Test prompts (copy one in after installing)

I need to write a project update for my manager and I don't know where to start.

Add a dark mode toggle to this app.

where was I?

With the skill on, the first reply should open with one line you can act on, not a wall of text.

What an ADHD skill is (and isn't)

A skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file in it. The top of the file (the "frontmatter") has a name and a description; the rest is plain instructions. The AI reads the descriptions of all your skills, and loads a skill's instructions when the description fits what you're doing. You can also run one by name, like /adhd-mode in Claude Code. The same format works across Claude, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and Cursor (Agent Skills specification).

The rules: the name can be up to 64 characters of lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens, and must match the folder name; the description can be up to 1,024 characters and should say what the skill does and when to use it. The builder handles both. An ADHD skill doesn't make the AI smarter. It changes how it talks to you: less to read, the next action first, and fewer things to hold in your head at once.

Where the file goes

One file, three tools: a repo's .claude/skills/adhd-mode/SKILL.md is read by Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and Cursor. On your own machine, ~/.claude/skills/ covers Claude Code and Cursor. Paths and plans checked against each vendor's docs in October 2026; they change, so check if something doesn't load.

Skill or always-on instructions?

A skill switches on when the AI decides it fits, which is usually what you want. If you'd rather have ADHD-friendly answers in every reply, click Copy always-on version in the builder and paste it into the always-on file for your tool:

• Claude Code: ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md for all your projects (Claude Code memory docs).
• GitHub Copilot: .github/copilot-instructions.md in a repo (GitHub Docs).
• Cursor: User Rules in Cursor's settings, or an AGENTS.md file in the project (Cursor rules docs).
• ChatGPT, Claude chat, Gemini: custom instructions, project instructions or a Gem. See set up an ADHD mode in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.

Always-on rules apply to everything, including tasks where you want a long, detailed answer. If that gets annoying, switch back to the skill.

Why these rules

• Answer first. If the action is in paragraph four, you have to read and hold three paragraphs to find it. One line up top means you can start before you lose the thread.
• A few steps at a time. A 12-step plan is a list to keep track of. Three steps, then "ready for more?", turns it into a conversation you can follow.
• One question at a time. Five questions in one reply usually get one answer, and the other four get lost.
• A first tiny step. Starting is often the hardest part. A 2-minute step is small enough to do now.
• "Where was I?" Interruptions are expensive. A 4-line recap (goal, done, next, parked) gets you back in without rereading the whole chat.
• Parked tangents. A good idea mid-task doesn't get lost, and doesn't take over either.
• Small diffs when coding. One change you understand beats ten you have to review at once, and a 3-line handoff note makes tomorrow's restart easy.

Open-source ADHD skills on GitHub

If you'd rather start from someone else's, these are the most-starred ADHD skills we found on GitHub (star counts on 19 October 2026). We haven't tested them all, and we're not affiliated with any of them.

• cedricrabarijohn/adhd-mode (20 stars): A Claude Code skill that makes Claude explain things in short, chunked steps instead of dense paragraphs. Closest to the builder on this page.
• ravila4/claude-adhd-skills (166 stars): Claude Code skills and hooks for staying organised: time awareness so Claude tells you when to stop, nudges, and Obsidian daily logs. More moving parts, and it assumes you use Obsidian.
• dsx0511/adhd-copilot (39 stars): A Claude Code skill that acts as an ADHD-friendly companion, with a daily mode and a research mode (English and Chinese versions).
• JackReis/neurodivergent-visual-org (73 stars): A Claude Code skill that draws task breakdowns and decision trees as Mermaid diagrams, with colourblind-safe modes.
• UditAkhourii/adhd (4,435 stars): The one with thousands of stars is not for people with ADHD. It's a reasoning technique for coding agents (tree-of-thought with pruning) that borrows the name.

Read before you install. A skill can include scripts as well as instructions (GitHub Docs), and the AI follows what's in it. Open the SKILL.md and any scripts before you add a skill from the internet, especially at work.

Using Microsoft 365 Copilot (not GitHub Copilot)?

Microsoft 365 Copilot in Outlook, Teams and Word doesn't read SKILL.md files. The equivalent is an agent with saved instructions, if your organisation allows it. Copy our ready-made Focus buddy agent instructions, and see the 28 Copilot prompts for ADHD at work.

What the research says (and doesn't)

We found no study that tests skills, custom instructions or "ADHD modes" for AI assistants. The closest is the UK Department for Business and Trade's Microsoft 365 Copilot evaluation, where neurodiverse staff were "statistically significantly more satisfied" with Copilot than other users, but the same report found no evidence that it improved productivity overall (DBT evaluation). So treat these rules as sensible defaults to try, not a treatment. Keep what helps, change what doesn't, and check what the AI gives you. If ADHD is affecting your work, a GP or psychologist can talk you through support and treatment options.

Want the prompts too?

The skill fixes how the AI answers. ADHD AI Playbook Pro gives you what to ask: the full 123-prompt library sorted by moment (can't start, can't decide, inbox, meetings, planning, money admin, study), Notion imports, 15 printables and 4 Google Sheets templates. US$19 until 31 Oct, 14-day refund. Get Pro for US$19

More for ADHD at work

• 28 Copilot prompts for ADHD at work
• ADHD email management: a low-effort system and a free inbox reset
• ADHD meeting notes template: actions first
• Task Breaker: turn a big task into small steps
• All ADHD at work guides

FAQ

Is there an ADHD skill for Claude?

Yes. You can make one in about 2 minutes with the free builder on this page: pick your tool and your preferences, then download a SKILL.md file (or a .zip for the Claude app). It tells Claude to answer first, keep it short, give a few steps at a time and ask one question at a time. Skills in the Claude app are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans and need code execution turned on (Claude's help centre, checked October 2026).

What's the difference between a skill and custom instructions?

A skill is a file the AI loads when its description matches what you're doing, and you can also run it by name (for example /adhd-mode in Claude Code). Custom instructions, CLAUDE.md, copilot-instructions.md and Cursor rules are always on. If you want ADHD-friendly answers in every reply, use the always-on version from the builder; if you only want it sometimes, use the skill.

Does it work with GitHub Copilot?

Yes. GitHub Copilot supports agent skills in the cloud agent, code review, the Copilot CLI, the Copilot app and agent mode in VS Code and JetBrains (GitHub Docs, checked October 2026). Put the file in .github/skills/adhd-mode/SKILL.md in a repo, or ~/.copilot/skills/adhd-mode/SKILL.md for all your projects.

Can one file work in Claude Code and Cursor?

Yes. Cursor also loads skills from ~/.claude/skills/, so a skill saved at ~/.claude/skills/adhd-mode/SKILL.md works in both. In a repo, .claude/skills/ is read by Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and Cursor.

What's the ADHD skill on GitHub with thousands of stars?

UditAkhourii/adhd is a reasoning technique for coding agents (tree-of-thought with pruning) that uses ADHD as a metaphor. It isn't designed to help people with ADHD. For that, look at skills that change how the AI talks to you, like the one this page builds.

Can Claude or ChatGPT diagnose ADHD?

No. An AI chat can't assess or diagnose ADHD, and prompts that promise an "ADHD test" are guessing. If you think you have ADHD, a GP or psychologist can assess you. The skill on this page only changes how the AI formats its answers.

Is anything I type into the builder saved or sent?

No. It runs in your browser and saves your choices only in this browser's local storage. The SKILL.md and .zip files are created on your device. Nothing is sent to us, and there's no account.

General productivity information, not medical advice. Not affiliated with Anthropic, GitHub, Microsoft or Anysphere (Cursor). Tool features, paths and plans change; check each vendor's docs.