> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.delegateai.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skills

> Specialized procedures your delegate knows how to perform.

# Skills

Skills are specialized procedures your delegate knows how to perform. They're like recipes - step-by-step instructions for handling specific types of work.

## What Skills Are

A skill is a documented procedure that tells your delegate exactly how to handle a specific situation. Skills include:

* **When to use it** - What triggers this skill
* **Steps to follow** - The procedure to execute
* **Best practices** - Tips for doing it well
* **Edge cases** - How to handle unusual situations

## Why Skills Matter

Without skills, your delegate figures things out from scratch each time. With skills, it follows proven procedures consistently.

| Without Skills       | With Skills            |
| -------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Reinvents the wheel  | Follows best practices |
| Inconsistent results | Reliable outcomes      |
| More back-and-forth  | Gets it right faster   |

## Creating Skills

### Through Conversation

Teach your delegate by walking through a procedure:

> "When you draft meeting recaps, here's how I want you to do it:
>
> 1. Start with a one-sentence summary
> 2. List key decisions made
> 3. List action items with owners
> 4. Note any open questions"

Your delegate will save this as a skill.

### Direct Editing

Create skills directly in the brain:

1. Open the Delegate Brain
2. Click on the **Skills** section
3. Add a new skill with clear steps

### Example Skill

```markdown theme={null}
## Meeting Recap Skill

**When to use:** After any meeting that has action items or decisions.

**Steps:**
1. Write a one-sentence summary of what the meeting was about
2. List all decisions that were made (use bullet points)
3. Create an action items table with: Task, Owner, Due Date
4. Note any open questions that need follow-up
5. Tag relevant attendees for visibility

**Format:**
- Keep total length under 300 words
- Use headers to organize sections
- Bold the action items

**Edge cases:**
- If no decisions were made, note "No formal decisions" and summarize discussion points
- If action items are unclear, list as "TBD" and flag for clarification
```

## Good Skills to Create

Consider creating skills for:

* **Recurring documents** - Weekly reports, meeting notes, status updates
* **Communication templates** - How to draft certain types of emails
* **Research procedures** - How to gather and present information
* **Review processes** - How to evaluate proposals or requests

## Skills vs. Other Brain Sections

| Use Skills For            | Use Something Else             |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| How to do something       | What to do (Tasks)             |
| Reusable procedures       | One-time work (Tasks)          |
| Step-by-step instructions | General preferences (Identity) |
| Specific workflows        | Background context (Memory)    |

## Updating Skills

Skills should evolve as you learn what works. Update them when:

* You find a better way to do something
* Edge cases come up that aren't covered
* Your process changes

You can update through conversation:

> "For meeting recaps, also include the date and attendee list at the top."

Or edit directly in the brain.

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Schedules" icon="clock" href="/delegate-brain/schedules">
    Set up recurring automations
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tasks" icon="list-check" href="/delegate-brain/tasks">
    Assign specific work items
  </Card>
</CardGroup>