--- title: Using Skills sidebar_position: 2 sidebar_label: Using Skills --- Skills are reusable sets of instructions and resources that teach goose how to perform specific tasks. A skill can range from a simple checklist to a detailed workflow with domain expertise, and can include supporting files like scripts or templates. Example use cases include deployment procedures, code review checklists, and API integration guides. :::info This functionality requires the built-in [Summon extension](/docs/mcp/summon-mcp), available in v1.25.0+. ::: When a session starts, goose adds any skills that it discovers to its instructions. During the session, goose automatically loads a skill when: - Your request clearly matches a skill's purpose - You explicitly ask to use a skill, for example: - "Use the code-review skill to review this PR" - "Follow the new-service skill to set up the auth service" - "Apply the deployment skill" You can also ask goose what skills are available, or use the CLI `/skills` command to list available skills and load one or more by name (e.g. `/skills code-review edge-case-finder`). :::info Claude Compatibility goose skills are compatible with Claude Desktop and other [agents that support Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io/home#adoption). ::: ## Skill Locations Skills can be stored globally or per-project: 1. `~/.agents/skills/` — Global skills, available in all sessions 2. `.agents/skills/` — Project-level skills, scoped to the current project Place a `SKILL.md` file inside a named subdirectory. For example, a global skill called `code-review` goes in `~/.agents/skills/code-review/SKILL.md`. > **Backward compatibility:** goose also discovers skills from `.goose/skills/`, > `.claude/skills/`, `~/.claude/skills/`, and platform-specific config directories, > but `agents/skills/` is the recommended standard. ## Creating a Skill Create a skill when you have a repeatable workflow that involves multiple steps, specialized knowledge, or supporting files. ### Skill File Structure Each skill lives in its own directory with a `SKILL.md` file: ``` ~/.agents/skills/ └── code-review/ └── SKILL.md ``` A `SKILL.md` file requires YAML frontmatter with `name` and `description`, followed by the skill content: ```markdown --- name: code-review description: Comprehensive code review checklist for pull requests --- # Code Review Checklist When reviewing code, check each of these areas: ## Functionality - [ ] Code does what the PR description claims - [ ] Edge cases are handled - [ ] Error handling is appropriate ## Code Quality - [ ] Follows project style guide - [ ] No hardcoded values that should be configurable - [ ] Functions are focused and well-named ## Testing - [ ] New functionality has tests - [ ] Tests are meaningful, not just for coverage - [ ] Existing tests still pass ## Security - [ ] No credentials or secrets in code - [ ] User input is validated - [ ] SQL queries are parameterized ``` ### Supporting Files Skills can include supporting files like scripts, templates, or configuration files. Place them in the skill directory: ``` ~/.agents/skills/ └── api-setup/ ├── SKILL.md ├── setup.sh └── templates/ └── config.template.json ``` When goose loads the skill, it sees the supporting files and can access them using the [Developer extension's](/docs/mcp/developer-mcp) file tools.

Example Skill with Supporting Files

**SKILL.md:** ```markdown --- name: api-setup description: Set up API integration with configuration and helper scripts --- # API Setup This skill helps you set up a new API integration with our standard configuration. ## Steps 1. Run `setup.sh ` to create the integration directory 2. Copy `templates/config.template.json` to your integration directory 3. Update the config with your API credentials 4. Test the connection ## Configuration The config template includes: - `api_key`: Your API key (get from the provider's dashboard) - `endpoint`: API endpoint URL - `timeout`: Request timeout in seconds (default: 30) ## Verification After setup, verify: - [ ] Config file is valid JSON - [ ] API key is set and not a placeholder - [ ] Test connection succeeds ``` **setup.sh:** ```bash #!/bin/bash API_NAME=$1 mkdir -p "integrations/$API_NAME" cp templates/config.template.json "integrations/$API_NAME/config.json" echo "Created integration directory for $API_NAME" echo "Edit integrations/$API_NAME/config.json with your credentials" ``` **templates/config.template.json:** ```json { "api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE", "endpoint": "https://api.example.com/v1", "timeout": 30, "retry_attempts": 3 } ```

## Common Use Case Examples

Deployment Workflow

```markdown --- name: production-deploy description: Safe deployment procedure for production environment --- # Production Deployment ## Pre-deployment 1. Ensure all tests pass 2. Get approval from at least 2 reviewers 3. Notify #deployments channel ## Deploy 1. Create release branch from main 2. Run `npm run build:prod` 3. Deploy to staging, verify, then production 4. Monitor error rates for 30 minutes ## Rollback If error rate exceeds 1%: 1. Revert to previous deployment 2. Notify #incidents channel 3. Create incident report ```

Testing Strategy

```markdown --- name: testing-strategy description: Guidelines for writing effective tests in this project --- # Testing Guidelines ## Unit Tests - Test one thing per test - Use descriptive test names: `test_user_creation_fails_with_invalid_email` - Mock external dependencies ## Integration Tests - Test API endpoints with realistic data - Verify database state changes - Clean up test data after each test ## Running Tests - `npm test` — Run all tests - `npm test:unit` — Unit tests only - `npm test:integration` — Integration tests (requires database) ```

API Integration Guide

````markdown --- name: square-integration description: How to integrate with our Square account --- # Square Integration ## Authentication - Test key: Use `SQUARE_TEST_KEY` from `.env.test` - Production key: In 1Password under "Square Production" ## Common Operations ### Create a customer ```javascript const customer = await squareup.customers.create({ email: user.email, metadata: { userId: user.id } }); ``` ### Handle webhooks Always verify webhook signatures. See `src/webhooks/square.js` for our handler pattern. ## Error Handling - `card_declined`: Show user-friendly message, suggest different payment method - `rate_limit`: Implement exponential backoff - `invalid_request`: Log full error, likely a bug in our code ````

:::tip Other goose features that support reuse - [.goosehints](/docs/guides/context-engineering/using-goosehints): Best for general preferences, project context, and repeated instructions like "Always use TypeScript" - [recipes](/docs/guides/recipes/session-recipes): Shareable configurations that package instructions, prompts, and settings together ::: ## Best Practices - **Keep skills focused** — One skill per workflow or domain. If a skill is getting long, consider splitting it. - **Write for clarity** — Skills are instructions for goose. Use clear, direct language and numbered steps. - **Include verification steps** — Help goose confirm the workflow completed successfully. ## Additional Resources import ContentCardCarousel from '@site/src/components/ContentCardCarousel'; import skillsvsmcp from '@site/blog/2025-12-22-agent-skills-vs-mcp/skills-vs-mcp.png';