> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.civic.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Using Civic Skills
> Reusable AI capabilities that layer instructions on top of your toolkit
A Skill is a set of instructions, business context, terminology, and workflows that the AI loads on top of its current toolkit. Skills teach the agent *how* to use tools — not which tools are available.
## Skills vs Toolkits
Skills and Toolkits work together but serve different purposes:
| | Toolkit | Skill |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| What it is | A set of tools (MCP servers) | A set of instructions and business context |
| How it works | Switch **to** it | Load **on top of** current toolkit |
| Purpose | Defines *what tools* are available | Defines *how* to use them |
| Replaces current context? | Yes | No — layers on top |
| Multiple active at once? | No | Yes |
| Example | "Support" toolkit with Gmail + Slack | "Escalation Procedures" skill |
A toolkit switch replaces the entire tool context. Loading a skill adds domain knowledge and workflow instructions without removing any tools.
How to create and manage toolkits
## Use Cases
**PR Reviewer** — Load your code review standards, naming conventions, and style guide. The agent knows how you review PRs before it looks at a single diff.
**Pipeline Summary** — Load your Salesforce stage definitions, deal naming conventions, and reporting format. The agent produces consistent summaries without re-explanation each session.
**Support Agent** — Load your escalation policies, SLA thresholds, and tone guidelines. The agent handles routine cases and escalates correctly without needing to re-read the playbook each time.
**Onboarding Companion** — Load your new hire checklist, internal tool guides, and team contacts. The agent walks new team members through setup consistently.
## How to Create a Skill
1. Log in to [app.civic.com](https://app.civic.com)
2. Click **Create Profile** (or "Create Toolkit")
3. Set the profile type to **SKILL**
4. Give it an alias (e.g. `pr-reviewer`, `escalation-procedures`)
5. Add your instructions in the content field
**Writing effective skill instructions:**
* Write in second person: "You are a code reviewer who follows these standards..."
* Include examples of correct and incorrect behavior
* Be specific about terminology unique to your business
* Keep each skill focused on one domain — multiple skills can be loaded simultaneously
## How to Load a Skill
### Via URL Parameter
Include the `skills` parameter when connecting your agent:
```
https://app.civic.com/hub/mcp?profile=support&skills=escalation,canned-responses
```
Multiple skills are comma-separated. They load in the order specified.
### Via Configurator Agent in Civic Chat
```
"Load the escalation-procedures skill for this session"
```
```
"Add the pr-reviewer skill to the current context"
```
### Via the load-skill Tool
If your agent has access to the `load-skill` tool, it can be instructed to load skills dynamically:
```
"Use the load-skill tool to load the pipeline-summary skill"
```
## Multiple Active Skills
Skills layer — multiple skills can be active simultaneously without conflict. Each adds its instructions to the agent's context.
If instructions from two skills conflict, the later-loaded skill typically takes precedence, but it is better practice to keep skills non-overlapping.
## Session Scope
Skills persist for the duration of the session. They are not automatically persisted to the toolkit configuration unless you explicitly save them there.
## Best Practices
* **One domain per skill** — A skill that covers code review AND customer support AND data analysis is too broad. Split it.
* **Second person voice** — "You are..." establishes persona clearly and consistently.
* **Include examples** — "When a user asks about X, respond with Y" is more effective than abstract principles.
* **Avoid instructions that duplicate guardrails** — Guardrails are enforced at the protocol level and cannot be overridden. Skill instructions are guidelines that the LLM follows. Don't rely on skill instructions for security-critical constraints.
The tool layer that Skills build on top of
Protocol-level constraints that complement Skill instructions
Using skills and toolkits in production agent deployments