Skills

A skill is a packaged set of instructions for a specific kind of task — a name, a short “when to use this” description, and the guidance to follow. The AI Assistant applies a matching skill automatically, and Expert Code can load one on demand while it works.

What a skill is

Each skill has three parts: a short name, a one-line description of when to use it (this is what gets matched against your request), and the instructions to follow when it applies. Skills come from three places: ones you create in your account, built-in skills we provide for everyone, and — for Expert Code — skills kept inside a project.

Your own skills

Create and manage your skills in your account area under Skills (sign-in required). Give each one a name, a “when to use it” description, optional keywords, and the instructions. Your skills follow your account across the web, mobile, and desktop apps; you can disable one without deleting it.

Not sure how to write one? Just ask the AI Assistant something like “make me a skill for…” — when you’re signed in it drafts the name, description, and instructions and saves the skill to your account for you, then tells you it’s there (you can edit or disable it any time). Signed out, it gives you the drafted fields to add yourself.

Project skills (Expert Code)

Expert Code also picks up skills kept in the project folder it’s working in. Create a file at:

.expert/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md

with a short front-matter header and the instructions below it:

---
name: pdf-extraction
description: Use when extracting text or tables from PDF files.
---
Step 1. …
Step 2. …

Any other files you place in that skill’s folder can be read by the agent when the instructions point to them. Project skills travel with the repository, so a whole team shares them.

How they get used

In the AI Assistant, a matching skill is applied automatically — when your message matches a skill’s description or keywords, its instructions shape that answer. There’s nothing to click.

In Expert Code (desktop and the terminal CLI), the available skills are offered to the agent as a short list; when one fits your task it loads that skill and follows it — you’ll see a Skill step in the transcript when it does. If two skills share a name, a project skill wins over one of your own, which wins over a built-in.