> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://labs.prompthon.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skills Introduction

> Understand what Codex skills are and where they fit after desktop-agent setup.

<div className="not-prose my-4 rounded-md border border-gray-200 bg-gray-50 p-2 text-sm dark:border-gray-800 dark:bg-gray-900/40">
  <div className="mb-2 px-1 text-xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wide text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">Need help?</div>

  <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
    <a className="inline-flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-gray-200 bg-white px-3 py-1.5 font-medium text-gray-700 no-underline shadow-sm hover:border-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-50 dark:border-gray-800 dark:bg-gray-950/60 dark:text-gray-200 dark:hover:bg-gray-900" href="https://discord.gg/sDE2HhGTg4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">
      <Icon icon="discord" iconType="brands" size={14} />

      <span>Ask in Discord</span>
    </a>

    <a className="inline-flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-gray-200 bg-white px-3 py-1.5 font-medium text-gray-700 no-underline shadow-sm hover:border-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-50 dark:border-gray-800 dark:bg-gray-950/60 dark:text-gray-200 dark:hover:bg-gray-900" href="https://github.com/Prompthon-IO/agent-systems-handbook/issues/new/choose" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">
      <Icon icon="github" iconType="brands" size={14} />

      <span>Open a GitHub issue</span>
    </a>

    <a className="inline-flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-gray-200 bg-white px-3 py-1.5 font-medium text-gray-700 no-underline shadow-sm hover:border-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-50 dark:border-gray-800 dark:bg-gray-950/60 dark:text-gray-200 dark:hover:bg-gray-900" href="https://github.com/Prompthon-IO/agent-systems-handbook/blob/main/SUPPORT.md" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">
      <Icon icon="life-ring" size={14} />

      <span>Support guide</span>
    </a>
  </div>
</div>

Skills are reusable instruction packages for Codex. They turn repeated work into
a named workflow with clear triggers, local scripts, supporting references, and
tool-specific guidance.

In this track, skills come after Codex and Claude Code setup because a skill is
not a replacement for the local agent surface. It is a way to make that agent
more consistent once the surface is already running.

## What A Skill Contains

A typical Codex-compatible skill can include:

```text theme={null}
skills/<skill-name>/
  SKILL.md
  agents/openai.yaml
  scripts/
  references/
```

* `SKILL.md` explains when to use the skill and how the workflow should run.
* `agents/openai.yaml` stores optional metadata for agent surfaces.
* `scripts/` contains deterministic helpers for repeatable work.
* `references/` contains supporting rules, examples, templates, or source notes.

## When To Use A Skill

Use a skill when the work has a repeatable shape:

* generating a morning brief
* cleaning local files with preview-first rules
* scraping a fixed source set
* publishing a report with the same structure each time
* following a workshop or contribution routine

Do not create a skill for a one-off answer, a single small edit, or content that
does not need reusable workflow rules.

## How Skills Fit This Site

* The [Practitioner Skills](/skills) page lists repo-owned skill packages.
* The [Workshops](/workshops) track teaches setup and guided execution.
* The [Contributor Kit](/contributor-kit) explains how public contributions are
  proposed, reviewed, and maintained.

## Safety Boundary

Skills can call tools, run scripts, and use local state. Keep secrets out of
tracked files, keep generated runtime artifacts out of git, and document any
external service that the skill depends on.