Today, many of us think of crafts as procedures for producing or decorating objects by hand, in contrast to producing objects by machine on an assembly line. A craft guild is a collection of craft workers who collect and transmit knowledge about the craft. A craft guild may be limited to one craft only, such as pottery or lace, or it may be a larger organization of crafters in many disciplines. Some craft guilds are organized quite formally, while others are very informal.

In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a craft guild was an organization of workers trained in a particular specialty. The guild trained new workers through a long period of apprenticeship and evaluated samples of the trainee's work to award journeyman or master status. The medieval craft guild monitored the quality of products in the marketplace, participated in government locally and nationally, and in general protected the interests of its members. Today, trade unions have inherited some of the functions of the medieval craft guild, especially those relating to contracts and government interactions, while modern craft guilds retain the emphasis on craftsmanship and artistry.

Members of a craft guild may be professional artisans, skilled amateurs, or beginners with an interest in a specific craft. Most craft guilds have a series of tests, which both evaluate a crafter's skill and provide a framework for training new crafters. Some guilds offer formal training, while others share expertise and methodology informally.

A craft guild that has members practicing many different crafts may offer certain financial benefits to craft workers. Arts and crafts fairs are often organized by a craft guild, and they are an important way for artisans to present their work to the public. Galleries are often managed by a craft guild as well. Typically, a jury chosen by the craft guild reviews an artisan's work before including it in a show.

Educating the public is an important task for a craft guild, since many people in an industrialized society have no idea how objects are made. A craft guild may take an historical approach, writing and lecturing on the history of the craft, demonstrating craft procedures, and even maintaining museums. Another craft guild might take a more "hands-on" approach by providing basic instruction in a variety of crafts and providing studio space.