Open Skills

How Skills Work in Cotask

Skills are portable, open instruction files that tell the AI agent how to perform specialized tasks. No vendor lock-in. Take them anywhere.

What is a SKILL.md?

A SKILL.mdfile is a markdown document that defines how an AI agent should perform a specific task. It includes the skill's name, description, which tools it needs, and detailed instructions for the LLM.

This format is inspired by the OpenSkills standard: portable across agents, version-controllable with Git, and readable by humans. No proprietary configuration. No vendor lock-in.

--- name: draft description: Draft a new document from a brief or template tools: - create_document - read_document - list_documents trigger: slash: /draft keywords: [draft, write, create, compose] --- # Draft Skill You are a professional writing assistant. ## Instructions 1. Read any reference files using read_document 2. Identify the document's purpose and audience 3. Follow the user's house style and any agents.md instructions 4. Produce a clean, well-structured draft 5. Create the file using create_document ## Output Format - Use clear headings and a logical structure - Match the requested tone (concise, formal, etc.) - Keep it ready to download and use

Key Properties

FieldPurpose
nameUnique identifier for the skill
descriptionOne-line summary shown in menus and tool tips
toolsWhich tools the agent can use when this skill is active (tool filtering)
trigger.slashSlash command that activates the skill (e.g. /review)
trigger.keywordsNatural language keywords for automatic detection
Body (markdown)Full instructions injected into the system prompt when the skill is active
Built-in Skills

Four Skills, Ready to Use

/draft

Draft a new document from a brief or a template, applying your house style. Uses create_document, read_document, list_documents.

/research

Research any question on the live web. Returns answers with inline citations in [[N]](URL) format. Uses web_search, web_fetch.

/deck

Turn a brief or a document into a structured PowerPoint deck with speaker notes. Uses create_presentation, read_document, list_documents.

/summarize

Read long documents and PDFs and return a clean summary or a structured table. Uses read_document, summarize, list_documents.

Progressive Disclosure

Skills aren't loaded all at once. The agent loads only what it needs, when it needs it.

LevelWhat's LoadedWhen
L1: MetadataName, description, trigger keywordsAlways (listed in slash command menu)
L2: Full BodyComplete SKILL.md instructionsWhen skill is activated (slash command or auto-detected)
L3: InstructionsWorkspace and folder agents.md instructions relevant to this skillWhen the skill needs organizational context

This keeps the system prompt lean. A research query doesn't load review instructions. A review doesn't load drafting templates. Token budget stays focused.

Portable by Design

SKILL.md files are plain markdown with YAML frontmatter. This means:

  • Version control. Track changes to your skills in Git.
  • Share with teams. Copy a file, share a skill.
  • No vendor lock-in. Skills work with any agent that reads the format.
  • Customize freely. Edit instructions, add tools, change triggers.
  • Open source. All built-in skills are on GitHub.

Compare this to proprietary skill systems where your configurations are locked in a vendor's cloud database. With Cotask, your skills are files you own.

Try Skills in Action

Type /draft, /research, /deck, or /summarize in the chat to activate a skill.

Start Free TrialView Skills on GitHub →