How to Create and Manage AI Agent Skills in BoldDesk

AI Agent Skills in BoldDesk are reusable instruction packages that extend AI Agent capabilities by providing task-specific guidance, workflows, and supporting resources. Skills help AI Agents perform specialized tasks consistently by loading the appropriate instructions only when required. This article explains how to create, upload, publish, manage, and assign AI Agent Skills in BoldDesk. It also covers skill package requirements, version management, publishing workflows, skill-to-agent linkage, troubleshooting steps, and best practices for maintaining effective AI Agent Skills.

Prerequisites

Before creating or managing AI Agent Skills, ensure that:

You have Full Access to the AI Agent Builder portal. Explore more on How to Configure AI Agent Builder Access Permission.

Accessing the AI Agent Skills Page

To access AI Agent Skills:

Navigate to AI Center > AI Agents and Tools > AI Agent Builder.
Open the Skills tab. The Skills page displays all available AI Agent Skills and provides options to:
- Create new skills.
- Upload existing skills.
- Search for skills.
- Filter skills by category.
- Sort skills using different sort options and sort orders.
- View and manage all available skills from a single location.

How to Add an AI Agent Skill

The Add option gives you two options from the dropdown. You can either create or upload a new skill.

Create an AI Agent Skill

To create a new skill:

On the Skills page, click Add.

Select Create Skill. You will see the following fields on this page.

Field	Description
Display name	Specifies the user-friendly name of the skill. This name is displayed throughout the application and helps users quickly identify the skill’s purpose. (The display name must contain between 1 and 64 characters and consist of lowercase letters separated by hyphens.)
Category	Assigns the skill to a category for easier organization, filtering, and management within the Skills page.
`SKILL.md`	The required skill definition file that contains the skill metadata and instructions. Every skill requires a `SKILL.md` file that contains the instructions the AI Agent should follow.
Add file	Adds supporting files to the skill package, such as documentation, reference materials, templates, or other resources required by the skill.
Preview	Opens a preview of the selected file, allowing you to review its contents before creating the skill.
Edit	Enables modification of the selected file’s content within the skill package.
Delete	Removes the selected file from the skill package.
Format checks	Displays validation results to verify that the skill package complies with the required structure and formatting rules.
Create	Creates and saves the skill after all required validation checks pass successfully.
Cancel	Closes the Create Skill dialog without saving the skill.

Once you have filled the relevant fields, click on Create. The skill is added to the Skills library and becomes available for use by AI Agents.

Explore the GIF below for more insights

You can add while creating AI Agent, also edit existing agent

Upload an Existing Skill

If you already have a prepared skill package, you can upload it directly.

To upload a skill:

On the Skills page, click Add.
Select Upload Skill.
Click Choose file or drag and drop a package into the upload area.
Optionally, you can choose the preferred category.
Click Upload.

Explore the GIF below for more insights.

A skill package must contain a valid SKILL.md file at the root level and can include optional reference files or templates. Supported package formats are .md, .zip, and .skill, with a maximum package size of 30 MB and up to 100 files per package.
The package is unzipped and validated on the server after upload, which can take a few minutes. Name and description are read from SKILL.md; they appear once validation finishes.
Security review required: After validation, the version is queued for internal review and can only be published once it passes; agents keep running the current published version until then.

Managing Added AI Agent Skills

Once the skills have been added, you can manage the skills by performing various actions when you open the particular skill. The following are the options available on the particular AI Agent skill page.

Management Option	Description
Version	Allows you to view and switch between available versions of the skill. This helps track changes, review previous versions, and manage skill updates.
Edit details	Enables modification of the skill’s metadata, such as the display name, category, and description.
Edit files	Allows you to add, remove, or modify files included in the skill package, including the required `SKILL.md` file and any supporting resources.
Upload new version	Creates a new version of the skill by uploading an updated skill package while preserving the existing version history.
Description	Displays the skill’s purpose, supported use cases, and guidance on when the skill should be invoked.
Package	Lists all files included in the skill package and provides access to review their contents.
Details	Displays key skill information, including the category, owner, published version, latest version, package size, and number of linked agents.
Category	Shows the category currently assigned to the skill. Categories help organize and filter skills.
Owner	Identifies the user who created or currently owns the skill.
Published version	Shows the skill version currently published and available for use.
Latest version	Displays the most recent version of the skill, whether published or in draft status.
Package size	Indicates the combined size of all files included in the skill package.
Linked agents	Shows the number of AI Agents currently associated with the skill.
Linked agents section	Lists the agents that use the skill, helping administrators understand its current usage and dependencies.
Delete Skill	Permanently removes the skill. If the skill is linked to agents, it is automatically unlinked from those agents before deletion. This action cannot be undone. All versions and linked data will be deleted.

To be able to use this skill, it must be published. To publish the skill, click on the version dropdown and click on publish this version.

Adding Skills to an AI Agent

After creating or uploading skills and publishing, they can be assigned to an AI Agent. To add a skill to an AI Agent:

Open the required AI Agent.
Navigate to the Skills tab.

You can add skills using either of the following options:

Browse Skills

Use Browse Skills to navigate and select a skill from the available skill repository. This option only helps you preview the available skills. You can choose the particular skill to view in detail.

Check the GIF below

Link Skills

Use Link Skills to attach skills that are already available in the Skills library. You can link more than one skill to the particular AI Agent.

Explore the GIF file below.

The selected skill is now available for use by the AI Agent. The AI where the skill will then be listed under Linked Agents of the particular skill.

Best Practices

Use descriptive skill names that clearly identify their purpose.
Organize skills using categories to simplify management.
Keep instructions in the SKILL.md file clear and task-focused.
Include supporting files only when additional context is required.
Periodically review and update skills to maintain accuracy and relevance.

Troubleshooting

Skill upload completes but skill details are not immediately visible

Server-side unzipping and validation can take a few minutes. Wait for validation to finish.

Uploaded skill cannot be published immediately

After validation, the uploaded version is queued for internal review and can only be published after it passes review.
AI Agents continue using the currently published version until the new version is published.

Skill does not appear usable by an AI Agent

Confirm the skill version is published using the version dropdown on the skill page.
Confirm the skill is linked from the AI Agent Skills tab using Link Skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create an AI Agent Skill without a SKILL.md file?
No. Every AI Agent Skill requires a SKILL.md file at the root level.
What file formats can I upload for an AI Agent Skill package?
Supported formats are .md, .zip, and .skill.
What are the upload limits for an AI Agent Skill package?
A package can be up to 30 MB and contain up to 100 files.
Can an AI Agent Skill include supporting documents or templates?
Yes. A skill can include optional reference files or templates in addition to SKILL.md.
Do AI Agents automatically use a newly uploaded version of a skill?
No. AI Agents keep using the current published version until the new version is published.
Why does an uploaded skill version require review before publishing?
After validation, the version is queued for internal review and can be published only after it passes.
How do I assign an AI Agent Skill to an AI Agent?
Open the AI Agent, go to the Skills tab, then use Link Skills to attach one or more skills.
What happens if I delete a skill that is linked to AI Agents?
BoldDesk automatically unlinks the skill from associated AI Agents, then permanently deletes the skill and all versions. This action cannot be undone.

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