Skills
Skills are packaged instructions an AI assistant can load to do one kind of task well, like writing in a set format or using a tool.
Skills are packaged instructions an AI assistant can load when it needs them, so it can do one kind of task well. A skill is usually a folder with a short description, written instructions, and sometimes example files or scripts. The assistant reads the description, and loads the rest only when a task calls for it.
For marketers, skills are a way to teach an assistant your way of doing things once, and reuse it. Your report format, your brand's tone, the steps of your monthly review. Some brands are also starting to publish skills that tell assistants how to use their products.
How they work
An assistant with skills sees a list of what each one is for. When you ask for something that matches, it opens that skill and follows it. Because the full instructions only load when they're needed, an assistant can have many skills on hand without being slowed down by all of them.
Anthropic describes the format in its Agent Skills documentation. Other assistants have similar features under their own names.
Skills and connections
A skill teaches an assistant how to do a task. A connection, such as an MCP server, gives it access to a tool or data. They often work together.
For example, Fernhill Coffee's marketing lead writes a skill called "weekly AI visibility note." It tells the assistant which numbers to pull, how to compare them with last week, and how to lay out a five-line note for the team. The assistant gets the numbers through a connection to Fernhill's analytics, and the skill tells it what to do with them.
Writing a good one
Keep each skill to one job. Write the description so it's obvious when the skill applies. Spell out the steps, the format you want, and any rules, such as which numbers never to round. Then test it on a real task and fix what it gets wrong.
In AnswerOrbit
AnswerOrbit connects to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor through a server address, which lets your assistant read your numbers and suggest prompts. A skill you write can tell your assistant what to do with those numbers. See Connect your assistant.