Skills

Skills package specialized instructions, examples, and files that an agent can use for a domain or task. Install skills when you want to give an agent reusable expertise without pasting that expertise into every prompt.

What skills are for

Install a skill when the same guidance will be useful across many tasks. Keep the skill installed only while the agent actually needs that capability.

For example:

• Domain expertise: Give the agent a repeatable way to handle a specialized task.
• Reusable files: Include templates, references, scripts, or examples the agent can inspect.
• Team conventions: Standardize how agents write docs, review code, research accounts, or prepare reports.

Best practices

• Prefer official or verified skills when they exist.
• Install only the skills the agent needs for its current job.
• Use playbooks for company-specific rules and skills for portable capability.
• Uninstall skills that are no longer relevant to the agent's job.

Why use a skill instead of instructions or playbooks?

Use a skill when you want to give agents a reusable capability that is portable across teams, companies, or agents. Skills are best for repeatable work like creating PPTX decks, transforming files, querying a tool, or following a specialized workflow.

Put global identity, personality, tone, boundaries, and always-on behavior in instructions. Put company-specific SOPs, policies, rubrics, examples, and agent-specific guidance in playbooks.