---
title: "Skills"
description: "Create, publish, and attach Tracecat skills to preset agents so reusable instructions and files are available during agent runs."
icon: "pyramid"
---

<Badge icon="lock" color="blue" size="lg" shape="pill">Enterprise Edition</Badge>

Skills let you package reusable agent instructions and supporting files.
Attach published skill versions to a preset agent when the agent needs the same playbook, reference material, or helper files across runs.

## Create a skill

Open `Skills` from the workspace navigation.
Click `Create new`, then choose `Skill` to start with an empty working copy or `Upload` to import an existing skill directory.

![Skills list](/img/agents/skills-list.png)

Skill names use lowercase letters, numbers, and single hyphens.
Tracecat seeds new skills with a root `SKILL.md` file.

## Write SKILL.md

Use `SKILL.md` for the skill metadata and instructions.
The root file must include frontmatter with `name` and `description`.

```md
---
name: threat-intel
description: Enrich indicators and summarize threat intelligence findings.
---

# threat-intel

Use this skill when you need to enrich IP addresses, domains, URLs, or file
hashes during alert triage.
```

Tracecat uses the frontmatter `name` as the published skill name.
Keep published skill names unique among skills attached to the same preset agent.
Write the body as instructions the agent can follow during a run.

![Skill editor](/img/agents/skill-editor.png)

## Add files

Add supporting files when the agent needs more than instructions.
Use files for examples, checklists, schemas, helper scripts, or reference data.

Editable text files open inline in the skill editor.
Other file types can be replaced, deleted, or downloaded.

## Publish a version

Save the working copy, then click `Publish version`.
Publishing creates an immutable version from the current files and makes the skill available to preset agents.

![Published skill version](/img/agents/skill-version.png)

Publishing requires:

- A root `SKILL.md` file.
- Valid YAML frontmatter in `SKILL.md`.
- A frontmatter `name` that follows the skill name rules.
- No duplicate paths or path conflicts.

## Attach skills to a preset agent

Open the preset agent, then use the `Skills` tab to attach published skills.
Each attachment pins one published skill version.

![Attach skills to a preset agent](/img/agents/agent-preset-skills.png)

Only published skills can be attached.
When you publish a new skill version, update the preset if you want future runs to use it.

## How agents load skills

When a preset agent runs, Tracecat stages the pinned skill versions into the agent runtime.
The agent can discover the skill by its `SKILL.md` metadata and use the bundled files during the run.

Use skills for reusable agent behavior.
Use preset instructions for behavior that belongs only to one preset agent.

## Related pages

- See [AI agent](/agents/ai-agent) for the `ai.agent` and `ai.preset_agent` workflow actions.
- See [Secrets and variables](/agents/secrets-variables) to pass credentials and configuration to preset agent tool calls.
- See [MCP integrations](/automations/integrations/mcp-integrations) to attach MCP servers to preset agents.
