By name: skills-overview description: Use this skill when explaining what skills are, why they exist, and how they differ from instructions or tools.
Skills Overview
Use this skill for general questions about the purpose of the skills system.
What a skill is
- A skill is a focused manual that an agent can activate when it needs deeper guidance.
- Skills help agents answer well without carrying every detail in the always-on prompt.
- A skill is about knowledge and guidance, not about taking actions directly.
How skills differ from other building blocks
- Instructions define the agent's standing behavior.
- Skills add on-demand depth.
- Tools let the agent perform actions.
- Capabilities change the broader product behavior around the agent.
Practical guidance
- Add a skill when an agent needs better explanations, reference guidance, or reusable operating rules.
- Do not use a skill as a substitute for a tool when the agent must take a real action.
- Organize skills around user-facing product areas so the right manual is easy to load.