> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.packmind.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Skills: reusable knowledge for AI agents ## What are Skills? Skills are reusable knowledge packages that AI coding agents can discover and use to perform tasks more accurately. Based on Claude Code skills and Agents skills specifications, they provide specialized capabilities that agents can trigger based on the task at hand. Unlike standards (which apply automatically) and commands (which require explicit invocation), skills are **agent-discovered**—the AI automatically loads relevant skills based on context and triggers defined in the skill. ## Skill Structure A skill is a folder containing at minimum a `SKILL.md` file, plus optional supporting files. ### Required: SKILL.md The `SKILL.md` file contains YAML frontmatter followed by Markdown instructions: ```markdown theme={null} --- name: 'skill-name' description: 'Brief description of what this skill does' --- # Skill Name Instructions for when and how AI agents should use this skill. ``` **Frontmatter fields:** | Field | Required | Description | | ------------------ | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | `name` | Yes | Unique identifier for the skill | | `description` | Yes | Brief explanation of what the skill does | | `license` | No | License type (e.g., MIT, Apache-2.0) | | `compatibility` | No | Which AI agents support this skill | | `allowed-tools` | No | List of tools the skill may use | | `disallowed-tools` | No | List of tools the skill is not allowed to use (Claude Code only) | | `metadata` | No | Additional custom metadata | ### Optional Supporting Files Skills can include additional files alongside `SKILL.md`: * **Templates** — Boilerplate code, configuration files, or scaffolding * **Scripts** — Automation scripts the skill may reference or execute * **Resources** — Documentation, examples, or reference materials * **Subdirectories** — Organize complex skills with multiple related files All files in the skill directory are packaged together when you upload the skill. ## Creating Skills The easiest way to create a skill is using the `/packmind-update-playbook` skill in your AI coding assistant. Simply type: ``` /packmind-update-playbook create a Packmind skill for ``` The AI agent will guide you through creating a skill with proper structure and documentation. Alternatively, you can create skills manually through the CLI by uploading a skill directory: ```bash theme={null} # Create your skill directory with SKILL.md mkdir my-skill # Add your SKILL.md and any supporting files # ... # Upload to Packmind packmind-cli playbook add ./my-skill packmind-cli playbook submit --no-review ``` Use `--no-review` to trigger a [direct update](/playbook-maintenance/updating-your-playbook#direct-updates). Omit `--no-review` to use the [change proposals](/playbook-maintenance/change-proposals) system and get validation of your changes. For a complete walkthrough, see [Create Your First Skill](/getting-started/gs-create-skill). ## Updating Skills When you upload a skill that already exists in your organization, Packmind automatically handles versioning: 1. **Content comparison** — The CLI compares the uploaded content against the latest version 2. **New version created** — If any content differs (changes to `SKILL.md`, new files, modified scripts, or updated assets), a new version is created 3. **No duplicate versions** — If the content is identical to the current version, no new version is created To update an existing skill, simply upload it again: ```bash theme={null} packmind-cli playbook add ./my-skill packmind-cli playbook submit --no-review ``` Use `--no-review` to trigger a [direct update](/playbook-maintenance/updating-your-playbook#direct-updates). Omit `--no-review` to use the [change proposals](/playbook-maintenance/change-proposals) system and get validation of your changes. ### Viewing Version History You can view all versions of a skill in the Packmind web app: 1. Navigate to **Skills** in the main menu 2. Click on the skill you want to inspect 3. View the **Version history** section to see all versions Each version includes a timestamp, allowing you to track when changes were made. ## Deleting Skills You can delete skills that are no longer needed through the Packmind web app. ### Delete a Single Skill 1. Navigate to **Skills** in the main menu 2. Click on the skill you want to delete 3. Click the **Delete** button 4. Confirm the deletion in the dialog ### Delete Multiple Skills To delete multiple skills at once: 1. Navigate to **Skills** in the main menu 2. Select the skills you want to delete using the checkboxes 3. Click **Delete selected** 4. Confirm the batch deletion in the dialog **Impact on packages** — When you delete a skill that's included in one or more packages, those packages will be updated. You'll need to redistribute the affected packages to remove the skill from your repositories. ## Viewing Skills Access your skills through the Packmind web app: 1. Navigate to **Skills** in the main menu 2. Browse the list of available skills 3. Click a skill to view its details The skill details view shows: * **Description** — What the skill does * **Files** — All files included in the skill * **Version history** — Track changes over time * **Packages** — Which packages include this skill ## Skills in Packages Skills can be added to packages alongside commands and standards. To add a skill to a package: 1. Go to **Packages** in the web app 2. Edit an existing package or create a new one 3. Select skills to include 4. Save the package When you distribute a package, all included skills are deployed together with your other artifacts. **Default skills included** — When packages are distributed (via the web app push strategy or CLI install), Packmind's default skills are automatically included. This ensures the `packmind-update-playbook` skill is always available for creating and updating playbook artifacts with AI assistance. ## Where Skills Appear After Distribution After distributing a package containing skills, they appear in specific locations based on the AI assistant: | AI Assistant | Where Skills Appear | | -------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | GitHub Copilot | `.github/skills/{skill-slug}/SKILL.md` | | Claude Code | `.claude/skills/{skill-slug}/SKILL.md` | | Cursor | `.cursor/skills/{skill-slug}/SKILL.md` | | GitLab Duo | `.gitlab/duo/skills/{skill-slug}/SKILL.md` | | OpenCode | `.opencode/skills/{skill-slug}/SKILL.md` | | Codex | `.agents/skills/{skill-slug}/SKILL.md` | The source files are always stored in `.packmind/skills/` regardless of which AI assistants are enabled. Skills are currently available for Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Codex, OpenCode and GitLab Duo. Other AI assistants do not support skill rendering. For complete details on where artifacts appear, see [Understanding Where Your Artifacts Appear](/concepts/artifact-rendering). ## How Skills Differ from Commands and Standards | Aspect | Standards | Commands | Skills | | -------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------- | -------------------- | | **Activation** | Automatic | User-invoked | Agent-discovered | | **Purpose** | Enforce guidelines | Execute tasks | Provide capabilities | | **Creation** | CLI or Web UI | CLI or Web UI | CLI | | **Format** | Rules with examples | Step-by-step instructions | SKILL.md + resources | * **Standards** are coding guidelines that AI assistants follow automatically * **Commands** are tasks you invoke explicitly with slash commands * **Skills** are knowledge packages that AI agents discover and use as needed ## Related Documentation * [Create Your First Skill](/getting-started/gs-create-skill) — Step-by-step guide to creating skills * [CLI Reference](/tools/cli#skills-command) — Skills CLI command details * [Packages Management](/concepts/packages-management) — Organize and distribute artifacts * [Understanding Where Your Artifacts Appear](/concepts/artifact-rendering) — See where skills are rendered