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

# Skills

> Add a named, self-contained procedure the agent only reads when that exact situation comes up — instead of cramming everything into Instructions.

## What is this?

A **Skill** is a specific standard operating procedure, kept separate from your main [Instructions](/workspace/ai-agents/tabs/instructions). Think of it as a one-page SOP a new employee only pulls out when that exact situation comes up — a refund policy, a warranty claim, an escalation script — rather than something they're expected to have memorized on day one.

## What can I do here?

Click **Add Skill** and fill in three fields:

| Field            | What it's for                                                                                |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Skill Name**   | A short internal name, e.g. `refund-policy`                                                  |
| **Description**  | One sentence saying when this skill applies — this is what the agent checks on every message |
| **Instructions** | The actual step-by-step procedure — only read once the description matches                   |

Toggle a skill **on/off**, or **Edit**/**Remove** it, from the same list.

## How to use it

### The description is what makes it a skill, not just more text

The agent scans a skill's **Description** on every incoming message to judge "is this relevant right now?" — the longer **Instructions** only get pulled into its thinking once that description matches. This is exactly why a skill isn't just "more Instructions": it keeps your main Instructions box short and general, while still giving the agent detailed, situation-specific guidance without it having to hold everything in mind at once.

### A worked example

**Skill Name:** `refund-policy`
**Description:** "Use this when a customer asks about a refund, return, or cancellation."
**Instructions:**

```
Our refund policy:
- Full refund within 7 days of delivery if the item is unopened.
- No refund on custom or personalized cakes.
- For anything outside these rules, apologize and hand off to a person — don't make an exception yourself.
```

Without this skill, you'd otherwise have to pack the whole refund policy into the main Instructions box, even though it's only relevant to a fraction of conversations.

### When to use a Skill instead of just adding to Instructions

<Tip>
  If a topic needs more than a sentence or two of detail, and it only comes up sometimes — a policy, a multi-step procedure, a script for a specific scenario — it belongs in a Skill. If it's a rule that should apply to every single reply (tone, what to never say), it belongs in Instructions.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting / Technical Notes

* **The agent doesn't seem to use a skill I added.** Check it's toggled **on**, and that its Description is specific enough to match a real customer message — a vague description won't reliably trigger.
* **The tab is empty right after creating the agent.** Save the agent on [General](/workspace/ai-agents/tabs/general) first.

## Related docs

* [Instructions](/workspace/ai-agents/tabs/instructions)
* [External Capabilities](/workspace/ai-agents/tabs/external-capabilities)
* [Capabilities](/workspace/ai-agents/tabs/capabilities)