Skip to main content
A skill is a set of reusable instructions that Cora follows on demand. Instead of re-explaining the same workflow every time, you save it once as a skill and then ask Cora to run it whenever you need it. Each skill has a clear Title, a short Description that tells Cora when to use it, and an Instructions body written in plain language. A skill is different from an agent. A skill defines what to do: the steps, the format, the tone, the details Cora should follow. An agent defines when and how often something happens: its trigger, its schedule, and its autonomy. You can think of a skill as a reusable recipe and an agent as the thing that decides when the recipe gets cooked. The two work together, and you can ask an agent to run a skill on a schedule. If you are new to how automation works in Cora, start with Understanding Agents for the foundational concepts, then come back here to learn how skills fit in.

​
Creating a Skill from Chat

The natural way to build a skill is to work through the task with Cora in chat and then ask Cora to save it. This is the recommended way to create a skill. Walk through the workflow in a normal conversation, refine it until the output looks right, and then ask Cora to turn it into a skill. For example: “That is exactly the format I want. Save this as a skill called Weekly Executive Briefing.” Cora captures the instructions from your conversation and saves them as a new skill. Skills you create this way are Private by default, so only you can see and use them until you decide to share. Updating a skill works the same way. Just ask Cora in chat to change how a skill should behave, and Cora updates the saved instructions for you. For example: “Update my Weekly Executive Briefing skill to add a section on pipeline changes.”

​
Using a Skill

To use a skill, just ask Cora for it in chat. You do not need to open the Skills page or paste the instructions. For example: “Run my Weekly Executive Briefing skill.” Your skills are available to Cora automatically. Cora keeps your catalog of skills in mind during a conversation and uses each skill’s Description to decide when it applies. That means you can also describe what you need in your own words, and Cora will reach for the right skill on its own. A clear, specific Description is what makes this work well.

​
Viewing and Managing Skills

All of your skills live on the Skills page. Open Settings and go to Skills to see everything you have, with columns for Skill, Owner, Visibility, and Updated. This is the place to review your skills, keep them organized, and make quick changes. Most skills are created and updated in chat, but if you prefer to start from a blank form you can also select Create Skill to add one here directly.

​
Editing a Skill

For a minor change, open the skill and select Edit skill. You can update the Title, Description, Category, or Instructions (Markdown), then select Save Changes. For anything larger, it is usually faster to ask Cora to update the skill in chat.

​
Transferring and Deleting

A skill’s row actions also let you hand it off or remove it:
  • Transfer ownership: Hand ownership of the skill to another person in your organization.
  • Delete skill: Remove the skill when you no longer need it.

​
Sharing Skills

Each skill has a visibility setting that controls who can use it:
  • Private: Only you can see and use the skill. This is the default for skills you create.
  • Org: Everyone in your organization can use the skill.
To make a private skill available to your whole organization, select Share from its row on the Skills page.

​
Scheduling a Skill

Because a skill defines what to do, you can pair it with an agent to run it on a schedule. Just ask Cora to run a skill on a recurring basis. For example: “Run my Weekly Executive Briefing skill every Monday at 9am Eastern and post it to Slack.” Cora sets up an agent with the schedule you describe. To learn more about schedules and other trigger types, see Agent Triggers and Activation Rules. One helpful detail: the agent loads the latest version of the skill each time it runs. So when you edit a skill, every scheduled run picks up your changes automatically. You do not need to rebuild the agent after updating the skill.

​
Quick-Start Skills

Your organization may come with a set of pre-built skills to get you started. These quick-start skills are ready-to-use templates owned by Cora, and you will see them in your Skills list alongside any skills you create. Admins can tailor quick-start skills to fit how your team works by editing their instructions. If you ever want to return them to their original state, an admin can use Reset to Defaults to restore the pre-built skills.

​
Tips

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of skills:
  • Build and update in chat. The fastest way to a great skill is to refine the workflow with Cora first, confirm the output looks right, and then save it. When you want to change a skill later, just ask Cora in chat.
  • Write a clear Description. The Description is how Cora knows when to use a skill. A specific line like “Use when someone asks for the weekly executive briefing” works far better than a vague one.
  • Share what works. When a private skill proves useful, set its visibility to Org so the rest of your team can use it too.