Skills
Estimated Time: 2 minutes
A skill is the capability layer behind a chatbot agent. It combines the instructions, knowledge, and tools the agent needs to do useful work.
The skill defines what the agent knows how to do.
What A Skill Contains
A skill can include:
- Instructions that define how the agent should behave.
- Knowledge sources the agent can search.
- Tools for APIs, app connections, or website payloads.
When you update skill instructions or add items under Knowledge and actions, you are configuring the agent's skill.
Today: One Default Skill
Right now, each agent has one skill created by default. That skill uses the instructions you add and the tools you configure.
This keeps setup simple:
One agent -> one skill -> instructions plus tools
For many chatbots, this is enough. A support chatbot can combine support instructions, product knowledge, an HTTP action for order lookup, and a Google Calendar connection for scheduling.
Tools Live Inside Skills
Tools are not separate from the skill. They are the things the skill can use when the conversation requires more than a text response.
Current tool types include:
Coming Later: Multiple Skills
In the future, a single agent will be able to have additional skills. Each skill can have its own instructions, knowledge, and tools.
That will make it easier for one agent to handle different jobs, such as product support, account actions, and scheduling, while still feeling like one consistent chatbot to the user.
Learn more: What Are Agent Skills?