# What Are Agent Skills: Passing Work Procedures to Agents as Files

A skill is a package that bundles the procedures, criteria, and examples for an AI agent to follow when performing a specific task into a SKILL.md file and supporting files. While MCP tells an agent what it can do, a skill tells it in what order and by what criteria to do it.

Danny Park · Topic hub · 2026-10-22 16:00 KST · https://daas.listeningmind.ai/en/wiki/skill

## Structure of a Skill

A skill is a single folder. The SKILL.md file inside contains its name, a description of when to use it, and the procedures to follow, along with scripts, reference materials, and template files if needed. The agent checks the description, selects and reads the skill matching the current request, and works according to the procedures.

## Why Use It with MCP

Connecting tools with [MCP](https://daas.listeningmind.ai/en/wiki/mcp) enables the agent to call data. However, it does not define which tools to call in what order, how to interpret the results, or what format to report them in. A skill specifies these details. As a result, the structure and quality of the output remain consistent even when asking the same question multiple times.

## Skills Are Organizational Knowledge Assets

Some believe that skills will no longer be necessary as models improve, but actual work environments are different. Even if a model understands general procedures well, it cannot know what criteria your company uses to make decisions, what data it relies on, or what format it expects for results. Skills provide a way to document this knowledge in files, and as they accumulate, they become an organization's unique operational assets.

## How to Install

- Claude: Add a skill in the Customization menu under Settings and upload the zip file. It runs when called by name or automatically when a similar request arrives.
- ChatGPT: Upload the zip file under Skills in the Plugins menu to install.
- Codex: Select the install skill command in a new chat and attach the zip file.

## ListeningMind Skills and External Skills

- Official ListeningMind skills are based on ListeningMind MCP. Figures are retrieved from actual search data, and the AI interprets numbers without fabricating them. Downloads are free, and running them costs Lima for each MCP call.
- Popular external skills are selected weekly from GitHub and SkillsMP and featured in the [Skill Catalog](https://daas.listeningmind.ai/en/catalog/skills).
- You can [submit](https://daas.listeningmind.ai/en/catalog/submit) skills you created. If you agree, we can also submit listing applications to other catalogs.

## FAQ

**Do I need to know development to create a skill?**

Basic skills can be created with a single Markdown document. You simply write the working order and criteria in sentences. You can add scripts when calculations or file conversions are needed.

**What is the difference between a skill and a prompt?**

A prompt must be rewritten for each conversation. Skills are saved as files, so an agent finds and reads them on its own when needed.

**Are public skills safe?**

Because skills can contain scripts, you should verify the source and contents before installing. The catalog displays the source, license, and recent activity together.


## Sources

- ListeningMind 카탈로그 https://daas.listeningmind.ai/ko/catalog 2026-10-21