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How-to guide

What is an agent skill?

A skill is a folder of instructions your AI loads only when a task needs it. Learn what that means, how it differs from a prompt, and when to use one.

  • Time 8 min
  • Level Beginner
  • Steps 5
  • Updated

An agent skill is a small folder that teaches an AI assistant how to do one job well. The heart of it is a file called SKILL.md: a short header that says what the skill is for, followed by the instructions.

Step by step

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  1. 1 The problem skills solve

    Every time you paste the same long prompt into a chat, you pay for it again and hope you did not forget a line. A skill saves those instructions once, and the AI picks them up by itself when the task fits.

  2. 2 How a skill works

    The AI always sees a skill's name and description, which is only a sentence or two. When your request matches, it reads the full SKILL.md and follows it. Long reference files and scripts in the folder are opened only if needed. This keeps the AI fast and focused.

  3. 3 What is inside a skill 

    my-skill/
  SKILL.md        required: header + instructions
  reference.md    optional: long background
  scripts/        optional: code the AI can run

    Most skills are just the one file.

  4. 4 Skill, prompt, agent or MCP?

    • Prompt: a message you write each time.
    • Skill: saved instructions that load when relevant.
    • Agent: an AI worker with its own role, tools and context.
    • MCP server: a connection that gives the AI access to an app or data.

    They work together: an agent can use skills, and a skill can tell the AI to use an MCP server.

  5. 5 Where to go next

    Browse the skills library, then read How to install a skill and Write your first SKILL.md.

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