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ai-docs/docs/ai/skills.md
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Skills Library

You are here: AI Docs Home > Skills Library

Contents

  • Skills vs Agents vs Instructions
  • Skills Governance And Sync
  • skills.sh (Optional Skills Installer)
  • How To Connect Skills
  • Central Assets Repo
  • Next Steps

Skills vs Agents vs Instructions

  • Skills are reusable workflows you load for specific tasks.
  • Agents are full modes/personas that control behavior end-to-end.
  • Instructions are always-on repo rules that auto-apply by file pattern.

What Skills Are

Skills are reusable instructions and workflows that guide the assistant through specialized tasks.

When To Use A Skill

  • The task has a repeatable workflow.
  • You want consistent structure and outputs.
  • The task spans multiple files or steps.

Skills Directory

Store skills in the team-approved skills directory for your environment. If you do not know the location, ask your team lead or check your internal setup docs.

Example Question To Ask

Example prompt:

Where is the approved skills directory for our team, and how do I add a new skill?

Skills Governance And Sync

To keep skills consistent across teams, use a central skills registry plus a per-project manifest. Avoid copying skills into every repo unless the skill is tightly coupled to the project.

Recommended Pattern

  • Central skills registry repo (single source of truth)
  • Project-level manifest that pins required skills and versions
  • Sync script that pulls the approved set to each developer's laptop
  • Agents.md points to the manifest and sync command

Project Manifest Example

Use a small manifest to declare the approved skills and versions for the project:

version: 1
registry: git@<host>:org/mobile-ai-skills.git
skills:
	- name: swiftui-expert-skill
		version: 1.2.0
	- name: onboarding-cro
		version: 1.0.0

Sync Workflow

  1. Run the sync script.
  2. The script pulls the registry and copies required skills to your local skills directory.
  3. Restart your editor if required.

Example Sync Command

./scripts/sync-skills.sh

skills.sh (Optional Skills Installer)

skills.sh provides a public skills catalog and a CLI to install skills by name. Use this only if your team allows it and you understand the source of the skills you install.

Where To Find Skills

How It Works (High-Level)

  1. You run the skills CLI via npx.
  2. The CLI downloads the skill and configures it for your agent environment.
  3. The skill becomes available to your AI agent.

Install The CLI (No Global Install Required)

The CLI runs via npx, so you do not need a global install.

Example Install Command

npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills

Notes

  • The leaderboard uses anonymous telemetry from the CLI. You can opt out by setting DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1.
  • Review skills before installing. The ecosystem is audited, but quality varies.

How to Download Existing Skills

  1. Locate the skill in the team or org repository.
  2. Add the skill to your local skills directory following team guidance.
  3. Restart the editor or chat if required so the skill is recognized.

How to Enable or Configure Skills

  • Follow the instructions provided in each skill's README or SKILL file.
  • Some skills require additional setup, such as environment variables or tools.

How To Connect Skills

  1. State the primary skill you want to use.
  2. Provide the inputs that skill expects.
  3. If needed, add a secondary skill and explain the handoff.

Example Skill Request

Example prompt:

Use swiftui-expert-skill to review this view for best practices. Then use webapp-testing to validate the web flow.

Central Assets Repo (Recommended)

Do not list every skill in this guide. Instead, point readers to a single repo that contains the approved agents, skills, and instructions they can download.

What To Include In The Assets Repo

  • Agents (agent prompt files)
  • Skills (SKILL files and any required setup)
  • Instructions (repo-level and editor-level guidance)
  • A short README with install and update steps

Link To The Assets Repo

  • Repo: (link)

Next Steps