---
title: Skills
---

Skills extend CLIver's capabilities through structured `SKILL.md` files. They follow the [Agent Skills specification](https://agentskills.io) and are activated by the LLM based on task context.

## How Skills Work

A skill is a markdown file with YAML frontmatter:

```markdown
---
name: my-skill
description: What this skill helps with
---

# Skill Body

Instructions and context for the LLM when this skill is active.
```

When the agent encounters a task matching a skill's description, it calls the `skill` tool to load the skill's body into context. The skill's body becomes part of the system prompt for the duration of the task.

## Built-in Skills

Built-in skills:

| Skill | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| `brainstorm` | Collaborative design dialogue before implementation |
| `write-plan` | Detailed step-by-step implementation planning |
| `execute-plan` | Systematic plan execution with verification checkpoints |
| `wbs-planner` | Work breakdown structure for complex projects |

## Skill Discovery Order

Skills are discovered from multiple locations (higher overrides lower):

1. **Built-in** — shipped with CLIver (`src/cliver/skills/`)
2. **User-global** — `~/.cliver/skills/` and `~/.agents/skills/`
3. **Project-local** — `.cliver/skills/`, `.agent/skills/`, `.claude/skills/`, `.gemini/skills/`

## Creating a Skill

Create a `SKILL.md` file in any discovery directory:

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.cliver/skills/my-domain
cat > ~/.cliver/skills/my-domain/SKILL.md <<'EOF'
---
name: my-domain
description: Expert knowledge about my specific domain
---

You are an expert in my domain. When answering questions:
1. Consider the specific constraints of our environment
2. Prefer approach X over approach Y
3. Reference our internal conventions at docs/internal/conventions.md
EOF
```
