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Customize and Add Skills - How To Documentation

Your guide to unlocking the full power of Agent Skills. Browse the sections below to learn how Agent Skills extend DeepAgent's capabilities — and how to create and manage them effortlessly.

In This Guide​

What Are Agent Skills?​

Agent Skills give DeepAgent specialized expertise in specific domains — think of them as hiring expert consultants for your AI. Each skill equips DeepAgent with domain knowledge, proven workflows, and best practices tailored to particular types of tasks.

Unlike generic AI responses, skills ensure:

  • Consistent quality - Following established methodologies every time
  • Specialized expertise - Technical writing, data analysis, code reviews, research, and more
  • Automatic activation - DeepAgent detects when to use each skill based on your request
  • Time savings - No need to explain requirements repeatedly

When you enable a skill, DeepAgent automatically uses it when relevant — seamlessly integrating expert-level knowledge into every conversation.

How Agent Skills Work​

Accessing Skills​

Navigate to the Agent Skills management page:

  1. Click your Profile icon in the top right
  2. Select Customize & Add Skills
  3. Switch to the Deep Agent tab

Your skills dashboard shows:

  • Custom instructions for all Deep Agent conversations
  • List of available skills (both custom and built-in)
  • Toggle switches to enable/disable skills
  • Import and create buttons

Skill Types​

TypeDescription
CustomSkills you or your team created for specific needs
Built-inPre-configured skills from Abacus.AI (e.g., tech-writer, docx-expert, excel-expert, pdf-expert)

How Many Skills Can I Use?​

There's no hard limit, but we recommend 5–10 active skills for optimal performance. DeepAgent can automatically activate multiple skills in a single conversation when needed.

Where Do Skills Work?​

Agent Skills currently work in:

  • Deep Agent mode - Full skill activation
  • Projects with Deep Agent enabled - Skill persistence across project chats

Creating a Custom Skill​

Quick Start​

Click + New Skill to open the creation form:

Required Fields​

Name (required) Use lowercase with hyphens for consistency.

Example: tech-writer, data-analyst, code-reviewer

Description Brief explanation of what the skill does and when to use it.

Example: Creates API documentation, user guides, and tutorials with emphasis on clarity and technical accuracy.

Skill Package (required) Upload a .zip file containing SKILL.md at the root level. Maximum file size: 50 MB.

File Structure​

Your skill package should follow this structure:

your-skill-name.zip
├── SKILL.md        (required)
├── examples/       (optional)
├── templates/      (optional)
└── references/     (optional)

Important: SKILL.md must be at the root of the .zip file, not inside a subfolder.

✅ Correct:   skill.zip/SKILL.md
❌ Incorrect: skill.zip/folder/SKILL.md

SKILL.md File Structure​

Your SKILL.md file defines how DeepAgent behaves when using this skill. A well-structured skill file includes:

1. Skill Description​

Explain what the skill does and when it should be activated.

Example: This skill specializes in writing comprehensive API documentation following industry-standard formats like OpenAPI/Swagger.

2. Workflow​

Provide a step-by-step process the agent should follow.

Example:

  1. Analyze the API endpoints and parameters
  2. Generate structured documentation
  3. Include code examples
  4. Add authentication details

3. Tools & Capabilities​

Specify which tools and approaches to use.

Example: Use web search to find similar API docs for reference. Use code execution to validate example code snippets.

4. Quality Standards​

Define what makes excellent output for this skill.

Example: Documentation must be complete, accurate, include working code examples, and follow consistent formatting.

5. Examples​

Include sample inputs and expected outputs.

Example:

  • Input: "Document the /users endpoint"
  • Output: Comprehensive API reference with request/response examples, parameters, error codes

Managing Your Skills​

Enable/Disable Skills​

Toggle the switch next to any skill to turn it on or off:

  • ON (blue toggle) — DeepAgent can use this skill automatically
  • OFF (grey toggle) — Skill won't be activated until re-enabled

Export Skills​

Share skills with your team:

  1. Click on the skill name
  2. Click Export
  3. Download as a .zip file
  4. Share with teammates via email or file sharing
Security Note

Only import skills from trusted sources. Skills contain instructions that affect DeepAgent's behavior. Ensure shared skills don't contain sensitive information in examples or templates.

Edit Skills​

To modify an existing skill:

  1. Click on the skill name
  2. Download the current skill package
  3. Modify the SKILL.md file
  4. Re-upload the updated .zip package

Delete Skills​

  1. Click on the skill name
  2. Click Delete
  3. Confirm deletion
warning

This action cannot be undone. Export the skill first if you might need it later.

Import Skills​

Import skills shared by colleagues or downloaded from other sources:

  1. Click + New Skill and select the Import option
  2. Upload a .zip file
  3. Review the skill definition
  4. Click Import

Project-Level Customization​

Apply custom instructions and skills to specific projects for consistent behavior across all chats within that project.

How to Customize a Project​

  1. Open any project in your workspace
  2. Find the Customize AI card in the right sidebar
  3. Click + Customize
  4. Add project-specific instructions
  5. Enable skills relevant to this project
  6. Click Save

Benefits​

Context Consistency Set context once (e.g., "We're building a React e-commerce app") and it applies to all project chats.

Team Alignment Everyone working on the project gets the same AI behavior and capabilities.

Focused Skills Enable only the skills needed for this project's work, improving response quality.

Example: Enable the "tech-writer" skill for a documentation project to ensure all team members get consistent documentation style and format.

Troubleshooting​

Skill Not Activating​

  • Check if enabled: Make sure the toggle switch is ON (blue).
  • Review description: Your skill description might not match your request type. Be more specific.
  • Include keywords: Ensure your request includes keywords that align with the skill's purpose.

Example: If your skill is "tech-writer", include words like "document", "write guide", or "API reference" in your request.

Upload Failed​

  • File size: Maximum upload size is 50 MB. Compress large files or remove unnecessary content.
  • File structure: Verify SKILL.md is at the root of your .zip file, not inside a subfolder.
  • File format: Only .zip files are accepted. Convert other archive formats (.rar, .7z, .tar) to .zip.

Invalid Skill Package​

Missing SKILL.md: Your .zip file must contain SKILL.md at the root level.

Correct structure:

✅ skill.zip/SKILL.md
✅ skill.zip/examples/example1.md
❌ skill.zip/my-skill-folder/SKILL.md

Duplicate Skill Name​

  • Choose a different name: Try adding a version number (e.g., "tech-writer-v2") or a more specific descriptor.
  • Delete existing: If updating an existing skill, delete the old one first or use the edit functionality.

How Do I Know Which Skill Is Being Used?​

DeepAgent indicates when it's using a specific skill during task execution. Look for skill activation messages in the response or check the conversation context.

Can Skills Access My Files?​

Yes, skills can access files you've uploaded to projects or shared in conversations, following normal DeepAgent permissions. Skills do not have access to files outside the current conversation or project context.

Need More Help? Visit our ChatLLM Help Center or contact Support.