AI Skills

Skills are currently available in Ask AI and Managed Agents. The core idea works the same way in both - you can write or upload a process once, and the AI follows it consistently whenever it applies. However, a few details differ depending on which tool you're using, which we’ve noted throughout this guide.

A Skill teaches an AI tool how to do something. It’s a process that AI follows the same way every time, whenever a matching situation or request comes up. A scheduled task (in Ask AI) or trigger (in Managed Agents) controls when something happens automatically.

You can actually pair these together. For example, you could build a Skill for a process you want handled consistently, then schedule a task or trigger to run it automatically without you needing to ask.

1. From the main Ivorey™ menu, go to:

   1. Ask AI > click on the [Customize] tab, in the left-hand panel > on the Skills tab, click the [+] plus icon

   2. AI Agents > Agent Studio > click the [⋮] three dots on any Agent you want to create a Skill for > select [Edit] > in the settings panel on the right, next to Custom skills, click [+ Manage skills]

2. Choose how you want to create your Skill:

   1. (in Ask AI only) Create with Ask AI - let Ask AI create the skill for you, based on your details

      1. Complete the prompted questions at the bottom of the chat window > and click [Submit]

      2. Review the Skill that Ask AI drafts for you > reply with any changes, or confirm to add it to your library
         
         Note: You can also prompt Ask AI to create a skill directly in a new chat - type something like "Help me create a new skill to.." and describe your intended outcome and the steps you want followed (or upload an existing PDF or Doc).

   2. Upload a Skill - if you have an existing Markdown (.md) file with the instructions or process outlined

      1. Select an .md file from your device to upload

      2. Review the Skill and edit as needed
         
         Note: Your file needs to be saved as a Markdown file, with a .md extension. It also needs the Skill's name and description in a block at the very top - without both, it won't upload. Please refer to our tips below, and use our template for guidance.

   3. Write Skill Instructions - manually write out the full skill (see our tips below)

      1. Fill in the Name and Description (what situations it applies to so the AI recognises when to use it),

      2. Provide full Instructions for the skill, describing the process you want followed

      3. Click [Create/Save Skill]

3. The Skill is applied automatically whenever a request or situation matches its description:

   1. In Ask AI, you can also call a specific Skill manually - type / (forward slash) in any Ask AI chat > and select the Skill from the drop-down

   2. In Managed Agents, a newly created Skill is enabled automatically for the Agent you built it in

      1. Tick the box next to any other Skill in your library to enable it for this Agent too,

      2. Open Manage skills on any of your other Managed Agents to enable this new Skill there

4. To make changes, open your Skills library > select the Skill:

   1. Switch between 👁 preview and <> code to view different formats

   2. Click the ✏ pencil icon to edit the description or the instructions

   3. To disable the Skill, without deleting it:

      1. In Ask AI, toggle it OFF

      2. In Managed Agents, deselect the Skill under Available custom skills
         
         Note: This is controlled per-Agent, so disabling it for one doesn't remove it from your shared library or disable it for any other Agents using it.

   4. Click the 🗑 trash icon to delete it completely (not recoverable once deleted)

• Only include what AI wouldn't already know - Focus the Skill on your specific process, conventions, or exceptions, rather than general explanations it can already work out on its own, or access from connected Knowledge Bases.

• Keep it to one clear process - If a Skill is trying to cover several unrelated tasks, it's usually better split into separate Skills.

• Give it a template - If you need output in a specific format, show the AI the shape you want rather than describing it in words. AI is far more reliable at matching a concrete example. For example:

  • ## Report structure

    # [Title]

    ## Summary

    [One paragraph overview]

    ## Key points

    - Point one

    - Point two

    ## Next steps

    1. Action

    2. Action

• For more general guidance on writing effective AI skills, refer to this helpful Agent Skills resource.

If you upload an .md file twice in Ask AI, it will automatically create a second versioned copy (e.g. Your File 2) instead of overwriting the original. You can then enable, disable, or delete any version.

In Managed Agents, re-uploading a file with a name that matches an existing skill is rejected with a Duplicate skill name error, rather than creating a new version. To update an existing skill, either edit it directly in Managed Agents, or rename the file before re-uploading it as a separate skill. Then enable, disable, or delete any version.

Other team members in your account may be able to access and use your Skills, depending on which AI it was created in/for.

For Ask AI - No, currently Ask AI Skills are limited to a per-user basis. If you want all of your team members to have the same Skill, copy the instructions and save them as an .md file. Then your team members can upload them, to create the same Skill in their own accounts.

For Managed Agents - Yes, a Managed Agent Skill is shared within your account's Agent library. Anyone who can access that Managed Agent can see and use its enabled Skills, and can enable the same Skill across multiple Agents.

You can’t automatically transfer or share Skills between Ask AI and Managed Agents, because the two have separate libraries. However, you can copy the instructions and save them as an .md file, and then upload it to the other AI to reuse it there.