> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://novu-c5de82d9-docs-homepage-redesign.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add skills

> Upload custom SKILL.md files to give your managed agent domain-specific instructions.

Skills are instruction files that teach your managed agent how to handle specific tasks. When the system prompt is not detailed enough for a multi-step workflow or a domain-specific process, a skill fills the gap.

## What a skill looks like

A skill is a SKILL.md file written in Markdown. It contains step-by-step instructions the AI platform follows when a relevant situation comes up in a conversation.

A skill might describe:

* How to triage a support ticket and assign it to the right team.
* How to walk a user through an onboarding checklist.
* How to pull data from an MCP server and format it as a summary.

The AI platform reads the skill and applies the instructions when it decides the skill is relevant to the current conversation turn.

## Add a skill

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="GitHub">
    1. Open the [Novu dashboard](https://dashboard.novu.co) and go to your managed agent's detail page.
    2. Open the **Skills** section in the agent settings.
    3. Select **GitHub URL** as the source.
    4. Paste the public repository URL. You can point to:
       * The root of a repo (Novu looks for SKILL.md at the top level).
       * A specific branch or subfolder (e.g. `https://github.com/org/repo/tree/main/skills/triage`).
    5. Click **Upload**.

    Novu downloads the files, bundles them, and sends them to the AI platform. The platform assigns a stable skill ID.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Inline">
    1. Open the **Skills** section in the agent settings.
    2. Select **Inline content** as the source.
    3. Paste your SKILL.md content directly into the text field.
    4. Click **Upload**.

    This is useful for quick iterations or skills that do not need to live in a repository.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Versioning

If you upload a skill with the same display title as an existing one, the platform creates a new version automatically. The agent always uses the latest version.

## Remove a skill

To remove a skill, go to the **Skills** section and delete it from the list. The agent stops using the skill on the next conversation turn.

## Tips for writing good skills

* **Be specific**: describe the exact steps the agent should follow, not just the goal.
* **Include examples**: show sample inputs and expected outputs when possible.
* **Keep it focused**: one skill per task. A skill that tries to cover too many scenarios becomes harder for the model to apply correctly.
* **Test with real conversations**: send messages that should trigger the skill and check whether the agent follows the instructions.

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card icon="link" href="/agents/managed-agent/configure-mcp-servers" title="Configure MCP servers">
    Enable external tools for your managed agent.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="brain" href="/agents/managed-agent/concepts" title="Concepts">
    Learn about connectors, MCP servers, skills, and how conversations work.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="zap" href="/agents/managed-agent/quickstart" title="Quickstart">
    Create a managed agent with Claude and connect it to Slack.
  </Card>
</Columns>