# Agent Skills Agent skills are reusable, user-defined instruction sets that extend Tabnine CLI's capabilities. Each skill provides specialized knowledge, workflows, or domain-specific behaviors that the agent can activate on demand. Unlike `TABNINE.md` project instructions (which load automatically on every session), skills load only when relevant, keeping the agent's context efficient. ## Skill Structure A skill is a `SKILL.md` file placed inside a named directory. The file must include a YAML frontmatter block with `name` and `description` fields, followed by free-form markdown instructions. ```yaml --- name: my-skill description: A brief description of when this skill should be activated --- # My Skill Instructions Detailed procedural instructions go here... ``` The `description` field is critical — it determines when the agent will activate the skill. Write it to clearly describe the situations or requests that should trigger it. Resource files (templates, schemas, reference docs) can be placed alongside `SKILL.md` in the same directory. When the skill is activated, the agent gains read access to the entire skill directory and can use these files as reference material. Resource files do not need to be declared in frontmatter. The recommended directory layout follows the [Agent Skills convention](https://agentskills.io/): ``` my-skill/ ├── SKILL.md # Required: metadata + instructions ├── scripts/ # Optional: executable code (Node.js, Python, Bash) ├── references/ # Optional: documentation loaded into context as needed ├── assets/ # Optional: templates, icons, fonts, boilerplate └── ... # Any additional files or directories ``` The subdirectory names are a convention, not a requirement. The agent has access to the entire skill directory regardless of how files are organized. ## How Skills Work Skills follow a simple lifecycle. The agent matches a user request to an available skill based on the skill's description. When a match is found, the agent activates the skill using the `activate_skill` tool, which loads the full instructions and makes the skill's directory contents available as resources. The agent then follows the skill's procedural guidance for the duration of the task. Skills can also be activated explicitly by asking the agent to use a specific skill by name (for example, "use the code-reviewer skill to review my changes"). ## Skill Locations Skills are discovered from multiple locations, listed here from lowest to highest precedence. When skills share the same name, higher-precedence locations override lower ones. | Priority | Scope | Path | | ----------- | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | 1 (lowest) | Built-in | Bundled with the CLI | | 2 | Extension | Provided by installed extensions | | 3 | User (primary) | `~/.tabnine/agent/skills//SKILL.md` | | 4 | User (alias) | `~/.agents/skills//SKILL.md` | | 5 | Workspace (primary) | `/.tabnine/agent/skills//SKILL.md` | | 6 (highest) | Workspace (alias) | `/.agents/skills//SKILL.md` | Workspace-level skills are only loaded when the workspace folder is trusted. If the folder is not trusted, workspace skills are silently skipped. The skill loader searches each directory for `SKILL.md` files at the root level or one subdirectory deep (matching the patterns `SKILL.md` and `*/SKILL.md`). ## Managing Skills from the Terminal The `tabnine skills` command provides skill management outside of interactive sessions. ```bash # List all discovered skills tabnine skills list # Include built-in skills in the listing tabnine skills list --all # Install a skill from a Git repository tabnine skills install https://github.com/user/repo.git # Install a specific skill from a monorepo subdirectory tabnine skills install https://github.com/org/skills.git --path skills/frontend # Install from a local directory tabnine skills install /path/to/local/skill # Install from a .skill package file tabnine skills install path/to/my-skill.skill # Install to workspace scope instead of user scope tabnine skills install /path/to/skill --scope workspace # Link a skill (symlink — edits to the source files are picked up on the next session or after /skills reload) tabnine skills link /path/to/my-skills-repo # Link to workspace scope tabnine skills link /path/to/skills --scope workspace # Uninstall a skill by name tabnine skills uninstall my-skill # Uninstall from workspace scope tabnine skills uninstall my-skill --scope workspace # Enable a previously disabled skill tabnine skills enable my-skill # Disable a skill (defaults to workspace scope) tabnine skills disable my-skill # Disable in user scope tabnine skills disable my-skill --scope user ``` The `install` and `link` commands accept a `--consent` flag to skip the interactive security confirmation prompt, which is useful for CI/automation. Both default to user scope. ### Managing Skills in Interactive Mode The `/skills` slash command provides skill management during an interactive session. | Subcommand | Description | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `/skills list` | Lists all discovered skills with descriptions. Append `nodesc` to hide descriptions, or `all` to include built-in skills. | | `/skills link ` | Links skills from a local directory via symlink. Accepts `--scope user` (default) or `--scope workspace`. | | `/skills disable ` | Disables a skill by name. | | `/skills enable ` | Re-enables a disabled skill. | | `/skills reload` | Refreshes discovered skills from all locations. Alias: `refresh`. | Running `/skills` with no subcommand defaults to `list`. ### Managing Skills with `/memory inbox` Command The `/memory inbox` command opens an interactive dialog for reviewing skills that Tabnine CLI has automatically extracted from your past sessions. From the inbox you can approve a skill (moving it to your global or project skills directory), edit its name and description before saving, or dismiss it. To open the inbox, run: ``` /memory inbox ``` The inbox is part of the experimental memory manager. Enable it by adding the following to your settings: ```json { "experimental": { "memoryManager": true } } ``` If the memory manager is not enabled, `/memory inbox` will display a message with instructions to enable it. {% hint style="info" %} **Skill patching:** If a skill with the same name already exists in your skills directory, the inbox will offer to patch it rather than create a duplicate, merging the new content into the existing file. {% endhint %} ### Disabling Skills Skills can be disabled through the CLI commands above or by adding the skill name to the `skills.disabled` array in `settings.json`. ```json { "skills": { "disabled": ["my-skill", "another-skill"] } } ``` Disabled skills from both user and workspace settings are merged (union strategy). A skill disabled at any scope is disabled everywhere. Enabling a skill removes it from all writable scopes. ### Creating a Skill The easiest approach is to ask the agent directly — Tabnine CLI includes a built-in `skill-creator` skill that scaffolds well-structured skills. Prompt it with requests like "Create a skill for reviewing database migrations" or "Make a skill that helps write API documentation following our team's format." To create a skill manually, create a directory with a `SKILL.md` file containing the required frontmatter, place it in one of the discovery locations, and run `/skills reload` (interactive) or `tabnine skills list` (terminal) to pick it up. ### Packaging and Sharing Skills Skills can be packaged into `.skill` files for distribution. A `.skill` file is a zip archive containing the skill directory, which can be shared with teammates or published to a registry. #### Creating a Package To package a skill for sharing, ask the agent: "Package my-skill into a .skill file." The built-in `skill-creator` skill handles scaffolding, validation, and packaging automatically. #### Installing a Package ```bash # Install to user scope (default) tabnine skills install /path/to/my-skill.skill # Install to workspace scope tabnine skills install /path/to/my-skill.skill --scope workspace # Skip the interactive security prompt (useful for CI) tabnine skills install /path/to/my-skill.skill --consent ``` After installing, run `/skills reload` in an active session to pick up the new skill immediately. #### Uninstalling ```bash tabnine skills uninstall my-skill ``` #### Best Practices * Write clear, specific descriptions so the agent activates the skill at the right time. * Structure instructions as step-by-step procedures rather than general guidelines. * Include concrete examples and templates in resource files when possible. * Keep each skill focused on a single domain or task type. * Test skills by asking the agent to perform the relevant task and verifying it follows the instructions correctly. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.tabnine.com/main/getting-started/tabnine-cli/features/agent-skills.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.