Skills and guidance
Package reusable instructions without confusing them with executable capabilities
A skill packages instructions and supporting files around a SKILL.md entrypoint. It gives a supported authoring, execution or validation path reusable guidance. It is distinct from a plugin capability, endpoint permission or saved pipeline.
What is stored
Standalone skills are workspace assets with saved versions, branches, comparison and activation. Plugin-bundled skills may be read-only. Supported creation paths include catalog starters, upload, blank packages and AI-assisted drafts.
Saving a skill makes an asset available. It does not automatically attach the instructions to every workflow, turn a filename/YAML keyword into a runtime trigger or make a bundled script a callable tool.
Example: maintenance review guidance
A team packages instructions explaining which incident evidence to inspect, how to distinguish preventive service from failure and how to describe missing measurements. Review and save the package, then reference its actual skill ID in a workflow that supports the required assist mode.
Check that the execution/authoring path consumes the guidance. Keep the revision reference when comparing results. Source access still comes from endpoint permissions and installed capabilities, not from instructions telling an assistant to read something.
Change guidance deliberately
Review a new revision, activate it through the supported workflow and test a bounded task. Examine removal dependencies before retiring instructions referenced elsewhere. A different instruction version is a reason to verify behavior, not proof that behavior changed as intended.
Create your first skill
Apply your first skill explains the practical path. Skills reference describes package/version detail. For executable extensions rather than instructions, use custom plugins.