using-skills

name	using-skills
description	Use when learning how to use the cliagents skills system
tags	["meta","help"]

Using Skills

Skills are reusable workflows that provide domain-specific guidance for tasks. They help you follow best practices and maintain consistency across projects.

Discovering Skills

1. List available skills: Use list_skills to see all available skills
2. Filter by tag: Use list_skills tag="debugging" to find relevant skills
3. Filter by adapter: Use list_skills adapter="claude-code" to find compatible skills

Invoking Skills

When you encounter a task that matches a skill's domain:

1. Invoke the skill: Use invoke_skill skill="skill-name" message="Your task description"
2. Follow the returned instructions: The skill provides step-by-step guidance
3. Adapt as needed: Skills are guidelines, not rigid rules

Skill Priority

Skills are discovered from three locations (in priority order):

1. Project skills (.cliagents/skills/): Project-specific workflows
2. Personal skills (~/.cliagents/skills/): Your custom workflows
3. Core skills (bundled with cliagents): Standard best practices

Higher-priority skills shadow lower-priority ones with the same name.

Creating Your Own Skills

Create a SKILL.md file in any of the skill directories:

---
name: my-skill
description: Use when [trigger condition]
adapters: [claude-code, gemini-cli]  # Optional: restrict adapters
tags: [category1, category2]          # For discovery
---

# My Skill

Your workflow instructions here...

Best Practices

• Keep skills focused on one domain or workflow
• Include clear trigger conditions in the description
• Use tags for discoverability
• Provide step-by-step instructions
• Include examples where helpful