Create a Skill
Create a skill that bundles tools, credentials, and knowledge into a reusable package. Skills are the primary way to give agents capabilities -- assign a skill to an agent, and it gains access to everything the skill contains.
Prerequisites
- Tools available in your organization (built-in or from an MCP server)
- Credentials stored for any tools that need them (see Add a Credential)
Steps
1. Navigate to Skills
Open the sidebar and click Settings, then Skills. You see a grid of skill cards, including any platform skills that were auto-installed and a catalog of skill templates.
2. Choose how to create
Option A: Use a skill template. The skill catalog shows pre-defined skill packages for common use cases (web research, code execution, file management, etc.). Click a template to create a skill with tools, credential requirements, and knowledge pre-configured.
Option B: Create from scratch. Click the New Skill button to start with a blank skill.
Skill templates include curated tool selections and knowledge text written by the ORQO team. Start with a template and customize it rather than building from scratch.
3. Name the skill
Enter a clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Web Research", "GitHub Integration", "Email Outbound"). The name appears in the Team Builder palette and agent configuration screens.
4. Add a description
Write a brief description of what this skill enables an agent to do. This helps other users understand the skill's purpose when browsing the library.
5. Select tools
The tool selector organizes all available tools into category tabs displayed as a horizontal pill strip. Categories include built-in groups (Filesystem, Shell, Git, Web) and one tab per connected MCP server (e.g., "Slack", "Brave Search"). Scroll the pill strip horizontally to see all categories.
Select a category tab to see its tools. Each tool appears as a row with a toggle switch -- flip the switch on to include the tool in the skill. The tool's name is shown next to the toggle.
If the skill is linked to an App, only tools from that App's MCP server are shown -- the category tabs are scoped to that single server.
6. Assign credentials
If any selected tools require credentials (e.g., GITHUB_TOKEN for Git tools, BRAVE_API_KEY for web search), the form shows the required credential keys with their satisfaction status:
- Satisfied -- A matching credential exists in your organization and is assigned
- Missing -- No matching credential found; the tool will fail at runtime without it
Select the appropriate credential for each requirement from the dropdown.
When you create a skill from a template, ORQO automatically resolves credential assignments by matching the template's required keys against your organization's existing credentials. If a credential does not exist yet, you need to add it and then assign it.
7. Write knowledge text
The Knowledge field is a free-text area where you provide guidance for agents that use this skill. This text is injected into the agent's context when the skill is active.
Good knowledge text includes:
- When and why to use specific tools
- Constraints or best practices
- Expected input/output formats
- Error handling guidance
Use the web_search tool to find current information. Always verify facts
from at least two sources before including them in output. Prefer
authoritative sources (.gov, .edu, established publications).
8. Link a runtime (if needed)
If any tools in the skill require code execution (e.g., bash, python), select a runtime from the dropdown. The runtime provides a sandboxed execution environment during workflow runs.
The form shows a runtime status indicator:
- Satisfied -- Runtime is assigned and running
- Not running -- Runtime is assigned but not currently active
- Missing -- No runtime assigned (tools requiring one will fail)
9. Save the skill
Click Create Skill. The skill appears in the skill library and is immediately available for assignment to agents via the Team Builder.
10. Assign to agents
Open the Team Builder for any team. Drag the skill from the Skill Library section in the sidebar palette onto an agent node. The skill's tools and credentials become available to that agent during workflow execution.
What's next
- Build a Team to assign the skill to agents
- Assign Tools via Skills for detailed assignment instructions
- Add a Credential if tools need credentials you have not added yet