> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://meepa.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Skills
> Markdown skill files that inject context and instructions into the agent when triggered
## Overview
Skills are markdown files with YAML frontmatter that inject additional context, instructions, or tools into the agent loop when a message matches. They let you extend an agent's capabilities for specific topics without modifying its core persona.
When a message matches a skill, the skill's markdown body is appended to the system prompt for that turn.
***
## Skill File Format
Skills are stored in the agent's `skills/` directory. Two layouts are supported:
* **Flat file**: `skills/my-skill.md`
* **Directory** (preferred): `skills/my-skill/SKILL.md` — allows bundling reference files alongside the skill
### Basic Structure
```markdown theme={null}
---
name: "Go Expert"
description: "Expert knowledge for Go programming questions"
triggers:
- "golang"
- "go code"
- "goroutine"
tools:
- shell
- read_file
---
You are an expert Go developer. When helping with Go:
- Prefer idiomatic Go patterns
- Use `go vet` and `staticcheck` for code quality
- Explain goroutine safety when relevant
## Go Version
The project uses Go 1.24 with the standard library preferred over third-party packages.
```
***
## Frontmatter Fields
Human-readable skill name shown in skill listings.
One-line description shown in the Captain Dashboard and skill catalog.
Keywords or phrases that trigger this skill via keyword matching. Case-insensitive substring match against the incoming message.
```yaml theme={null}
triggers:
- "golang"
- "go code"
- "goroutine"
```
Tool names this skill is allowed to use. Restricts tool access to only these tools when the skill is active. Empty means no additional restriction.
```yaml theme={null}
tools:
- shell
- read_file
- web_search
```
Optional URL to the skill's upstream source or documentation.
Optional SPDX license identifier (e.g. `"MIT"`, `"Apache-2.0"`).
Whether users can explicitly invoke this skill by name. When `false`, the skill can only be matched automatically.
When `true`, the skill is never auto-matched — it can only be selected by the model itself.
***
## Skill Matching
When a message arrives, the skill registry checks all loaded skills. The first match wins.
### Keyword Matching
Each string in `triggers` is checked as a case-insensitive substring of the incoming message. This is the primary matching mechanism and requires no embeddings.
```yaml theme={null}
triggers:
- "kubernetes"
- "k8s"
- "helm chart"
```
### Semantic Matching
When embeddings are available, cosine similarity between the message embedding and skill embeddings is used as a fallback or secondary ranking. Similarity scores range from `-1.0` to `1.0`; a higher score means a closer match.
### No Match
If no skill matches, the agent runs with only `SOUL.md` as its system context.
***
## Managing Skills
### Via CLI
```bash theme={null}
# List skills for an agent
meepagateway agent skill list meepa
# Add a skill from a local file
meepagateway agent skill add meepa ./my-skill.md
# Remove a skill
meepagateway agent skill remove meepa go-expert
# Browse the skill catalog
meepagateway agent skill catalog
# Install a skill from the catalog
meepagateway agent skill install meepa go-expert
```
All ID arguments are optional — omitting them shows an interactive picker.
### Via Captain Dashboard
Navigate to **Agents → {agent} → Skills** to view, add, edit, and remove skills through the web UI.
### Via API
```bash theme={null}
# List skills
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
http://localhost:63372/api/agents/meepa/skills
# Upload a skill file
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
-F "file=@my-skill.md" \
http://localhost:63372/api/agents/meepa/skills
# Delete a skill
curl -X DELETE -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
http://localhost:63372/api/agents/meepa/skills/go-expert
```
***
## Skill Catalog
**Users can request skills on the fly.** During a conversation, a user can say "install the code-runner skill" and the agent will pull it from the catalog and load it immediately — no restart or CLI needed.
The skill catalog is a curated library of ready-made skills. Browse and install from the catalog:
```bash theme={null}
# Browse available skills
meepagateway agent skill catalog
# Install a skill by name
meepagateway agent skill install meepa code-runner
```
The catalog is also browsable from the Captain Dashboard under **Skills → Catalog**.
***
## Examples
### Flat File: `skills/devops.md`
```markdown theme={null}
---
name: "DevOps Helper"
description: "Infrastructure and deployment assistance"
triggers:
- "deploy"
- "docker"
- "kubernetes"
- "ci/cd"
tools:
- shell
- read_file
- web_fetch
---
You are a DevOps expert. When helping with infrastructure:
- Prefer immutable deployments
- Always check `docker ps` and logs before suggesting restarts
- Kubernetes resources should include resource limits
```
### Directory Format: `skills/agent-browser/SKILL.md`
```markdown theme={null}
---
name: "Web Browser"
description: "Browse and summarize web pages"
triggers:
- "browse"
- "visit url"
- "fetch page"
tools:
- web_fetch
- web_search
---
You can browse the web. When given a URL:
1. Use `web_fetch` to retrieve the page
2. Summarize the relevant content
3. Include the source URL in your response
See `REFERENCE.md` in this directory for supported URL patterns.
```
***
## How Skills Integrate Into the System Prompt
When a skill matches, its markdown body is appended after `SOUL.md` and before the auto-generated tool/memory reference (`AGENTS.md`). The final system prompt structure is:
```
[SOUL.md content]
[Matched skill body]
[AGENTS.md — tools, memory, skill list]
[Injected memory facts]
```