An AI agent skill gives an agent a repeatable procedure for a defined task. It can describe required inputs, tool use, validation, error handling, security boundaries, and output formats, while including scripts or reference material that make the workflow more reliable.
Skills separate domain-specific operating knowledge from a general-purpose agent. They can be reused across tasks, updated independently, and connected to external services, but the agent must still enforce permissions and treat data returned by those services as untrusted.
ELI5
An agent skill is a reusable set of instructions for doing one kind of work well. It tells an AI agent when the skill applies, which steps to follow, what tools or references to use, and how to check the result.
For example, a presentation skill might tell the agent to read the brand guide, build a slide outline, create the deck, render every slide, and fix layout problems before delivering it. The same reliable process can then be reused for another presentation.
How is an AI agent skill different from a prompt?
A skill is a reusable workflow contract that can include tools, scripts, references, validation, and safety rules beyond one conversational instruction.
Can an AI agent skill call an external service?
Yes, when an authorized connector or API is available and the skill follows the required credential, validation, and permission boundaries.
