> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.skillcreator.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What are skills?

> Agent skills are structured instruction files that teach AI coding agents how to perform specific tasks.

A **skill** is a structured Markdown file, typically named `SKILL.md`, that contains everything an AI coding agent needs to perform a specific task reliably.

## The problem skills solve

AI coding agents like Claude Code, Cursor, and Copilot are powerful but generic. Without specific instructions, they:

* Guess at your project's conventions
* Miss domain-specific requirements
* Produce inconsistent results across sessions
* Cannot learn from corrections

They give agents **persistent, structured knowledge** about how to do things in your specific context.

## What a skill contains

A skill typically includes:

| Section          | Purpose                                         |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Metadata**     | Name, version, description, tags, target agents |
| **Instructions** | Step-by-step directions for the task            |
| **Constraints**  | Rules and guardrails the agent must follow      |
| **Verification** | How to check that the output is correct         |
| **Context**      | Background information, conventions, examples   |
| **Examples**     | Sample inputs and expected outputs              |

## Skills vs. prompts

|             | Prompt                         | Skill                             |
| ----------- | ------------------------------ | --------------------------------- |
| Format      | Free text                      | Structured Markdown with metadata |
| Persistence | One-off, lives in chat history | Versioned file on disk            |
| Reusability | Copy-paste                     | Install once, use across sessions |
| Quality     | Varies                         | Scored on 6 dimensions            |
| Sharing     | Screenshots, gists             | Export, import, or publish        |

## Skills across agents

Skills are designed to be **agent-agnostic**. The same skill can be installed into:

* **Claude Code** via `.claude/skills/` files or CLAUDE.md sections
* **Cursor** via `.cursor/skills/` files
* **GitHub Copilot** via `.github/copilot-instructions.md`
* **Codex CLI** via `AGENTS.md`
* **Gemini CLI** via `GEMINI.md`
* **Amp** via `.amp/skills/` files
* **Goose** via `.goose/skills/` files

SkillCreator handles the format conversion automatically when you export.

## Skill lifecycle

```mermaid theme={"dark"}
flowchart LR
    A[Create] --> B[Edit]
    B --> C[Evaluate]
    C --> D[Install]
    D --> E[Use]
    E --> F[Patch]
    F --> C
```

1. **Create.** Write from scratch, generate with AI, or convert existing docs.
2. **Edit.** Refine instructions, add constraints, include examples.
3. **Evaluate.** Score quality and fix gaps.
4. **Install.** Deploy to one or more agent runtimes.
5. **Use.** Agents follow the skill during coding sessions.
6. **Patch.** Update based on real-world performance.