Understanding skills in WRITER Agent | WRITER Knowledge Base

Understanding skills in WRITER Agent

Last updated 9 days ago

Skills are reusable capability packages that extend what WRITER Agent can do. Think of them as specialized toolkits that give the agent expert knowledge and workflows for specific tasks. WRITER Agent comes with over 200 skills, along with the ability to create custom skills for your unique workflows.

Who can use this feature

Skills are available to all WRITER customers

What are skills?

Skills are packaged expertise that teach WRITER Agent how to handle specialized tasks consistently and reliably. When you work with certain file types or request specific workflows, WRITER Agent automatically uses the right skill to ensure high-quality results every time.

Packaged expertise

Self-contained packages with documentation, scripts, and reference materials
Each skill includes a SKILL.md file that guides the agent through specialized workflows
Pre-built scripts and utilities for complex operations

Consistent results

Same proven workflow every time
Handles edge cases systematically
Tested scripts and patterns
Quality guarantees built in

Skills = Tools in a toolbox

Hammer, screwdriver, saw
You use them as needed
Expertise in using them well

Playbooks = Assembly instructions

Step 1: Use hammer to attach board A

Step 2: Use screwdriver for screws B

Step 3: Use saw to trim edge C

You need good tools (skills) to execute good instructions (playbooks) successfully

Using skills

WRITER provides 200+ official skills designed for common tasks across industries. These production-ready skills cover healthcare, financial services, CPG & retail, and general business operations. You can use skills within playbooks or during ad-hoc WRITER Agent sessions.

Add skills to WRITER Agent

In order for skills to be active in WRITER Agent you’ll need to either install the skills available to you or create your own.

To install a skill, navigate to Manage WRITER Agent > Skills and select either the Shared with me or WRITER Skills tab to see what skills are available to you. Use search to locate a specific skill or browse the library until you find a skill you’d like to install. Once you’ve located a skill select the + icon and the skill will be ready to use in WRITER Agent.

💡 Pro-Tip: Once you install a skill, WRITER Agent can automatically use it when relevant to your tasks. You don't always need to explicitly invoke skills with the / menu—the agent recognizes when installed skills would help and applies them automatically.

Basic skill invocation

To explicitly use a skill, type / and select the skill from the dropdown. WRITER Agent also automatically invokes installed skills when it determines they would benefit your task—no manual invocation needed. You can also select the skill creator from the "/" menu to create a custom skill. Learn more about creating custom skills here.

What happens when you invoke a skill:

Skills can be invoked in two ways:

Explicit invocation:

You mention a skill using /skill-name in your message
WRITER Agent acquires the skill's documentation from /skills//SKILL.md
The agent follows the skill's specialized instructions

Automatic invocation:

You describe a task in natural language
WRITER Agent analyzes your request and the skills you've installed
If a skill matches your needs, the agent automatically invokes it
The skill's capabilities are applied without requiring manual selection

In both cases, your task is executed following the skill's best practices and patterns, and the agent delivers results that match the skill's output standards.

Using skills with uploaded files

Skills work seamlessly with files you upload to the chat:

Upload your file to the conversation
Type / and select the relevant skill with your instructions
WRITER Agent processes the file using the skill's specialized capabilities

💡 Pro-Tip: Browse the complete skill library in Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > WRITER skills to discover all 200+ official skills available to your organization.

Adding skills to playbooks

Skills and playbooks work together powerfully. Playbooks orchestrate complex workflows while skills provide expert-level execution for specific steps.

How they complement each other:

Playbooks: Define the overall blueprint—what steps happen and in what order
Skills: Provide the fine-grained details—exactly how each step is executed, including which scripts to run

The combination is powerful: The playbook becomes your strategic orchestration, while skills handle the tactical execution with precision.

Adding skills to playbook steps

Method 1: In the playbook editor

Open your playbook in the editor
Look for the Skills section in the right-hand settings panel
Search for and select the skills you want to include in this playbook
The agent will have access to these skills when running the playbook

Method 2: In playbook step text

Use the / menu directly in your playbook steps .

Learn more about playbooks here.

⚠ Note: Skills aren't loaded until they're invoked in the playbook execution, so you can reference many skills without overwhelming the agent's context.

How to create custom skills

Navigate to the Skills tab within the Manage WRITER Agent screen and select New skill > Build a skill in chat.

Give your skill a name, describe what the skill should accomplish, and then select Create and insert prompt.

Once you see the skill generation prompt appear you can make adjustments to your skill description and then enter the input to begin the process. This will launch a new WRITER Agent session where it will build your skill.

Note: The maximum size for a custom skill's SKILL.md file and its associated reference materials is 50MB (for skill files that are zipped) and 10MB (for zip files).

Managing skills

Accessing your skills

My skills:

Skills you've created, installed, or saved
Found in Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > My Skills

Shared with me:

Custom skills shared by your organization
Found in Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > Shared with me

WRITER skills:

Official WRITER skills (200+ available)
Browse skills and use the + icon to add to your skills and use with WRITER Agent
Found in Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > WRITER skills

How to access:

Use the / menu in any chat to see available skills
Select Manage skills to view by category or search by name
Instant access to invoke any skill

Uploading skills

To upload a skills file or import skills from Github, navigate to Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > My skills and select New skill.

Sharing skills with your team

You can share custom skills with individuals or entire teams:

Go to Manage WRITER Agent > Skills
Select the three dot menu on the skill you want to share, and then select Share
Select who to share the skill with (individuals or entire teams) and select share.

Those you’ve selected to share with will now find the skill within Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > Shared with me.

Editing skills

You can edit custom skills you've created to refine their instructions, update documentation, or add new reference materials.

To edit a skill:

Go to Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > My skills. Locate the skill you want to edit and select the three-dot menu on the skill and choose Edit.

Two ways to edit your skill:

Method 1: Edit in the interface
- Once on the edit screen, you can make changes directly:
  - Adjust the skill description and instructions
  - Modify the SKILL.md content
  - Upload or replace files within the skill package
  - Update reference materials
Method 2: Upload a complete skill file
- If you've made extensive changes locally:
  - Prepare your updated skill as a complete .md file or .zip package
  - On the edit screen, upload the new file to replace the existing skill content
  - The skill will be updated with your new documentation and files

How skills work

Skills integrate seamlessly into WRITER Agent's workflow:

Auto-triggering: The agent automatically detects when an installed skill would benefit your task. This works for file types (PDFs, DOCX, PPTX), specialized workflows, and any other capabilities your installed skills provide. You don't need to manually invoke skills—the agent applies them when relevant.
Guided execution: The skill provides step-by-step instructions the agent follows precisely
Pre-built scripts: Instead of writing code from scratch, the agent uses tested scripts from the skill's scripts/ folder
Reference materials: Skills include specialized guides for complex scenarios

Example workflow

Example: Automatic skill invocation
You: "Extract all financial tables from this earnings report PDF"
↓
Agent: Detects PDF + installed PDF skill → Automatically acquires skill → Reads SKILL.md
↓
Follows instructions: Check for tables → Use extraction script → Format output
↓
Delivers: Structured data with proper citations

Example: Explicit skill invocation
You: "/pdf Extract tables from this earnings report"
↓
Agent: Explicitly invoked PDF skill → Reads SKILL.md
↓
Follows instructions: Check for tables → Use extraction script → Format output
↓
Delivers: Structured data with proper citations

Examples of skills

WRITER Agent comes with a few system skills that you won’t see when using WRITER Agent This includes PDF, DOCX, and PPT skills that extract data and generate content. You can find over 200 other skills within Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > WRITER skills. Below are a few examples of other skills you may consider using or creating through WRITER Agent.

Color Extraction

Analyze images to extract color palettes
Generate brand guidelines
Output in multiple formats (hex, RGB, color names)

Data Pipeline

Transform CSV files
Validate data
Enrich datasets
Output formatted reports

Code Review

Scan repositories for patterns
Generate security reports
Apply specific checks

Compliance Checker

Review documents against regulatory requirements
Include standard citations
Generate compliance reports

Skills vs playbooks

While skills and playbooks are both powerful features, they serve different purposes:


Aspect	Skill	Playbook
Purpose	Technical capability (HOW)	Business process (WHAT)
Trigger	Automatic when needed	Manual, scheduled-based, or event-based
Inputs	None (internal)	User variables, files, connectors
Scope	Single capability	End-to-end workflow
Scheduling	No	Yes

Real-world example

Scenario: Generate weekly sales reports from Gmail and Google Sheets

Playbook approach:

Playbook: "Weekly Sales Report Generator"

Data Collection
- Fetch emails from [w-connector](GMAIL)
- Read sales data from [w-connector](GOOGLE_SHEETS)
Analysis
- Calculate weekly metrics
- Compare to previous period
Report Generation
- Create formatted report
- Add charts and visualizations
- Export as PDF

Completion

Send report via email

This is a playbook because it:

Orchestrates multiple services
Requires user inputs
Defines a complete business process
Can be scheduled

Working together

The most powerful workflows combine both:

Playbook: "Generate Brand Guidelines Document"

Step 1: Extract colors (uses custom color-extraction skill)
Step 2: Create document (uses built in DOCX skill)
Step 3: Export PDF (uses built in PDF skill)

The playbook orchestrates the workflow, while skills provide the technical capabilities.

When to create a skill

Create a skill when:

✅ You do the same workflow repeatedly ✅ Quality and consistency matter ✅ Process has specific requirements ✅ Multiple team members need it ✅ Domain expertise is required ✅ Edge cases must be handled properly

Just ask the agent when:

❌ One-off task ❌ Exploratory work ❌ Requirements unclear ❌ Maximum flexibility needed

The consistency advantage

Without a skill (ad-hoc approach):

Agent figures out approach each time
Results vary between requests
May miss edge cases
Reinvents solutions

With a skill (structured approach):

Same proven workflow every time
Tested scripts and patterns
Handles edge cases systematically
Consistent quality

Example: Color extraction

Scenario: Your team needs to extract color palettes from brand images weekly

Without a skill:

Week 1: "Extract colors from logo.png"
→ Agent tries PIL, outputs RGB values
Week 2: "Extract colors from banner.jpg"
→ Agent tries different approach, outputs hex codes
Week 3: "Extract colors from mockup.png"
→ Agent uses yet another method, different format
Result: Inconsistent outputs, no standardization

With a skill:

Create skill: "extract-colors"
- Standard method (specific library)
- Consistent output format (hex + RGB + color names)
- Handles transparency, dominant colors
- Generates visual swatches
Every use: "Extract colors from "
→ Always same quality, same format, reliable results

FAQs

Can I share skills with my team?

Yes, skills can be shared across your organization to ensure consistent workflows and quality.

Do skills work with playbooks?

Absolutely! Playbooks often use multiple skills behind the scenes to execute their workflows.

What's the difference between a skill and a playbook?

Skills are technical capabilities that the agent uses automatically. Playbooks are specific steps that the agent follows to complete your workflow.

Does WRITER Agent come with any default skills?

Yes, you can find over 200 skills in Manage WRITER Agent > Skills > WRITER skills

How many skills can I have?

There's no limit to the number of skills you can create or use.