Skills in ThreoAI
Give ThreoAI chat task-specific know-how with Skills. Turn on a Synthreo skill or upload your own SKILL.md package; it loads automatically when needed.
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Skills give ThreoAI chat task-specific know-how. Turn on a Synthreo skill or upload your own, and ThreoAI uses it automatically the next time your request matches what the skill is for. You do not type a command to trigger it.
A Skill is a packaged SKILL.md file, optionally with a few bundled files alongside it. The SKILL.md describes what the skill does and how to do it; ThreoAI reads that description and loads the skill on its own when it fits the task in front of you.
You manage Skills in Studio. Open Studio from the left sidebar and select the Skills tab.
Skills vs Experts vs Connectors
Section titled “Skills vs Experts vs Connectors”These three extend chat in different ways:
| Type | What it is | How it activates |
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Packaged know-how (a SKILL.md) | Loads automatically when your request matches its description |
| Expert | A reusable assistant or persona you set up | You pick it to start a focused chat |
| Connector | A link to an external system over MCP | The AI calls it when it needs that system |
In short, a Skill adds know-how, an Expert gives you a persona to work with, and a Connector reaches an outside system. See Creating an Expert and Connectors.
The Skills tab
Section titled “The Skills tab”The Skills tab is a two-pane view.
The left sidebar groups your skills:
- Personal skills - skills you uploaded just for yourself.
- Organization skills - skills available to your whole team, uploaded by you or an administrator.
- Browse - the Synthreo catalog plus an Add your own entry. The curated Synthreo catalog is rolling out, so it may not be populated in your tenant yet.
Search filters the list by name and description. Each installed skill expands into a file tree, with SKILL.md pinned at the top and any bundled files beneath it. A skill that is turned off shows an Off badge.
The right detail pane shows the selected skill: its name, an on/off Switch, a kebab menu, a metadata grid, the description, and the rendered file contents.
| Metadata field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Added by | Who added it - You, You (admin), Your admin, or Synthreo |
| Last updated | When the skill was last changed |
| Trigger | Always Automatic - “Loaded when the model matches the description” |
The kebab menu holds the per-skill actions: Turn on / Turn off, Download, Replace, and Remove or Uninstall. These are covered in Managing a skill below.
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”- Access to ThreoAI with the Skills feature enabled for your organization.
- To upload your own skill, a SKILL.md package: either a bare
SKILL.mdfile or a.zip/.skillbundle that contains one. Bundles are limited to 4 MB.
Turn on a Synthreo skill
Section titled “Turn on a Synthreo skill”Step 1: Open Browse
Section titled “Step 1: Open Browse”In the Skills tab, select Browse in the left sidebar to see the Synthreo catalog.
Step 2: Turn it on
Section titled “Step 2: Turn it on”Select a skill to open its detail pane, review the description, and select Turn on (or flip the Switch). The skill moves into your list and is active immediately. ThreoAI loads it automatically when a request matches its description.
Upload your own skill
Section titled “Upload your own skill”Step 1: Open Add your own
Section titled “Step 1: Open Add your own”In the left sidebar, select Browse, then Add your own to open the Add your own skill panel.
Step 2: Choose your package
Section titled “Step 2: Choose your package”Drop in or select your file. ThreoAI accepts:
- a
.zipor.skillbundle, which must contain aSKILL.md, and - a bare
SKILL.md, which must include anameanddescriptionin its YAML frontmatter.
Bundles are limited to 4 MB. ThreoAI validates the package on upload. It checks the frontmatter, file count, and size, and rejects unsafe archives.
Step 3: Choose who can use it
Section titled “Step 3: Choose who can use it”Under Who can use it?, pick a visibility:
- Just me - a personal skill, visible only to you.
- My team - an organization skill, available across your organization.
Confirm to finish. The skill appears under Personal skills or Organization skills and is turned on.
Use a skill in chat
Section titled “Use a skill in chat”There is nothing to do. Leave the skill turned on and chat normally. When your request matches the skill’s description, ThreoAI loads it automatically and uses its know-how in the answer. To stop a skill from being used, turn it off.
Managing a skill
Section titled “Managing a skill”Open a skill and use the Switch or the kebab menu:
- Turn off - ThreoAI stops using the skill until you turn it back on. It stays in your list.
- Download - export the skill as a
.zipso you can back it up or share it. - Replace - upload a new
.zipto update the skill to a new version in place. - Remove - for a skill you uploaded, deletes it.
- Uninstall - for a catalog skill, removes it from your list and returns it to the catalog so you can turn it on again later.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No Skills tab in Studio | The skills feature is not enabled for your organization | Ask your administrator to enable Skills for your tenant |
| Upload rejected | Missing SKILL.md, missing name/description frontmatter, over 4 MB, or an unsafe archive | Check the bundle contains a valid SKILL.md and is under the size limit, then re-upload |
| Skill never seems to load | Its description does not match the requests you are making | Edit the description to clearly state what the skill is for, then Replace the skill |
| A teammate cannot see a skill you added | It was uploaded as Just me | Re-upload or replace it with My team visibility |
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”Do I type a command to use a skill? No. A skill that is on loads automatically when the model matches your request to its description. There is no slash command or manual trigger.
What is the difference between Remove and Uninstall? Remove deletes a skill you uploaded. Uninstall takes a Synthreo catalog skill off your list but leaves it in the catalog, so you can turn it on again later.
Who can see a skill I upload? It depends on the visibility you chose. Just me keeps it personal; My team makes it an organization skill available across your organization.
How do skills relate to Connectors? A Skill is self-contained know-how that loads automatically. A Connector links chat to an external system over MCP. Administrators manage both the Skill Catalog and the MCP Catalog in Canopy. See Connectors.
Can my administrator publish skills for everyone? Yes. Administrators publish and scope skills in Canopy under Platform Admin → Skill Catalog, and those appear to your organization as Synthreo or organization skills.
Related
Section titled “Related”- Studio Overview - the hub where Skills, Experts, Connectors, and Projects live
- Creating an Expert - build a reusable assistant you select for a chat
- Connectors - link chat to external systems over MCP
- ThreoAI Overview - the full platform at a glance