Manage Agent SkillsBeta
Browse the skills library, set up your organization's skills repository, create skills, and connect a GitHub repository with skills.
About This Task
Skills are versioned folders of files an Agent can read while it runs. You manage the skills available to your organization on the Skills page. Learn how to browse the skills library, set up the skills repository, create skills, and connect a GitHub or GitLab repository.
Once a skill is available, anyone building an Agent can attach it. For detailed instructions, see Add a Skill.
For an explanation of skills, see Agent Skills.
Prerequisites
- To create skills, skills repository, or connect a GitHub repository, you need write permission for skills. This is typically an administrator. With read permission, you can browse the skills library, view skills, and add them to your Agents.
- Create a skills repository.This is a one-time setup you must do once per organization before you can create and manage skills. It creates an underlying Github repository that stores and versions your skills.
- Log in to Haystack Platform and click Create Skills Repository.
- Confirm that you want to create the repository. A private repository for your organization skills is created. You can now add skills to it.
Browse the Skills Library
- In the navigation, go to Resources>Skills.
- Use the search box to find a skill by name, or use the filters to narrow the list:
- Filter by source: Made by deepset, Organization, or Workspace.
- Filter by storage: Internal or External.
- Click a skill card to open it. You can view its files and browse its version history.
Add a Skill
You can create a skill by uploading a local skill folder or by filling in the details yourself. When uploading a folder, add one folder per skill. The folder structure should be: skill_name/SKILL.md and any supporting files.
- On the Skills page, click Add skill.
- If you're uploading a folder with a skill, drag and drop the folder onto the upload area at the top.
- Choose the scope of the skill. You can make it available to your whole organization or only in the current workspace.
- Type the Name, Description, and Instructions for the skill. If you uploaded a skill folder, the platform prefills them from the
SKILL.mdfile. Edit them if needed. - Click Add skill.
Every skill undergoes a security check that detects vulnerabilities and security issues in the skill's files.
Update a Skill
You can edit organization and workspace skills that you have permission to change. Skills made by deepset are read-only. You can only edit a skill's latest version, and each save creates a new version.
- On the Skills page, click the skill you want to edit. This opens the skill editor.
- Click Edit and update the skill.
- Save your updates adding a note to describe the changes. This creates a new version of the skill.
To view all versions of a skill, click the skill and choose the version from the list.
Connect a GitHub or GitLab Repository
You can connect GitHub and GitLab repositories that store your organization's skills. Skills from these repositories appear on the Skills page with the External tag. You can also choose them when adding skills to Agents.
Your repository must have a top-level skills folder. Inside it, each skill lives in its own folder that contains a SKILL.md file and any supporting files:
skills/
web-research/
SKILL.md
reference/
sources.md
data-cleanup/
SKILL.md
scripts/
clean.py
To connect the repository:
- On the Skills page, click Connect External Repo.
- Choose the repository host:
- To connect a GitHub repository:
- Click Connect GitHub. A new browser tab opens.
- In the new tab, complete the GitHub App installation and choose the repository you want to connect.
- When you're done, close the tab. The platform checks the connection and refreshes the library so the connected repository's skills appear.
- To connect a GitLab repository:
- Click Connect GitLab.
- In Project path, type the full path to your GitLab projectr, including every group and subgroup, exactly as it appears in the project URL (for example,
my-group/my-project). - In Access token, enter a project or group access token that has the
apiscope. A token with onlywrite_repositoryscope is not enough. - Optional: If your organization uses a self-managed GitLab instance instead of gitlab.com, click Use a self-managed GitLab instance and type the instance Instance URL (for example,
https://gitlab.example.com). - Click Connect. The platform checks the connection and refreshes the library so the connected repository's skills appear.
To check which repository is connected, click the External repos on the Skills page. You'll see the connected repositories.
To disconnect the repository later, click External repos, then remove the repository and confirm your action. The repository's skills no longer appear in the library or when you add a skill to an Agent.
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