Agent Skills
Agent Skills is a lightweight, markdown-based framework introduced by Anthropic for defining modular, reusable agent capabilities. Skills enable you to specialize agents without modifying code by loading skill definitions from simpleSKILL.md files.
What are Agent Skills?
Agent Skills are:- Markdown-based: Written in simple Markdown format with YAML frontmatter
- Modular: Each skill is a self-contained capability
- Reusable: Skills can be shared across agents and projects
- Context-aware: Automatically loaded based on task similarity
- Code-free: No code changes needed to add new capabilities
Skills Directory Structure
SKILL.md Format
Basic Structure
EachSKILL.md file has two parts:
- YAML Frontmatter: Metadata about the skill
- Markdown Content: Instructions and methodology
Example: Financial Analysis Skill
Using Agent Skills
Static Loading (Load All Skills)
Load all skills from a directory when creating the agent:Dynamic Loading (Task-Based)
Dynamically load only relevant skills based on task similarity:Creating Custom Skills
Step 1: Create Directory
Step 2: Write SKILL.md
Step 3: Use the Skill
Skill Examples
Data Visualization Skill
Dynamic Skills Loader
Best Practices
1. Keep Skills Focused
2. Include Examples
Always provide concrete examples in your skills:3. Use Clear Instructions
4. Provide Guidelines
Sharing Skills
Skills can be easily shared across projects and teams:Next Steps
Structured Outputs
Get structured responses from agents
Creating Agents
Learn how to create agents
Reference
- Skills handling:
swarms/structs/agent.py:705-783 - Dynamic skills loader:
swarms/structs/dynamic_skills_loader.py - Example skills:
examples/single_agent/agent_skill_examples/ - Anthropic Agent Skills: Agent Skills Documentation