What are AI agent skills in the context of coding agents?

AI agent skills are files that instruct an AI coding agent on how to handle specific tasks. They differ from prompts by being persistent and contextually activated, and from plugins by teaching the agent "how to think about a task" rather than executing code.

How do AI agent skills differ from temporary prompts?

Prompts are temporary instructions, whereas skills persist in a folder, loading with each agent session. Skills also activate contextually based on the agent's understanding of a request, while prompts require manual input each time.

What is the distinction between AI agent skills and plugins?

Skills instruct an agent on how to approach a task without executing code or connecting to external services. Plugins, and MCP, connect agents to external services like databases or APIs and add executable code.

What is the typical format for an AI agent skill file?

The dominant format for AI agent skills is SKILL.md, which is a markdown file. It includes YAML frontmatter for metadata and a markdown body for structured instructions that the agent follows.

Why has the SKILL.md standard been widely adopted?

SKILL.md has been widely adopted due to its simplicity. It is a markdown file that any developer can easily write, read, and modify without needing SDKs, build tools, or runtime dependencies.

Where can developers find and install AI agent skills?

Developers can find skills in various marketplaces, including curated ones like Agensi and aggregators that scrape GitHub for SKILL.md files. Skills typically reside in a folder on the developer's machine and are loaded by the agent upon session start.

Why are AI agent skills becoming increasingly important now?

Skills are important because AI coding agents are becoming default tools, generic AI lacks team-specific conventions, and skills create a new market for packaging and selling developer expertise.

What are some examples of AI agent skill marketplace types?

There are different types of marketplaces: curated like Agensi, aggregators like SkillsMP, platform-specific ones like LobeHub, and official ones like dotnet/skills maintained by vendors.

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ai Agent Skills Explained Complete Guide

ai Agent Skills Explained Complete Guide