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Skills are reusable, task-specific instruction sets that tell Mesa how to handle a particular type of work. Think of a skill as a saved playbook for a recurring task, like always formatting output as a memo or running a specific compliance checklist during contract review. Once created, Mesa can apply a skill automatically, or you can invoke it yourself.
Skills are for specific tasks. For standing instructions that should apply to every conversation, such as tone, format, or default jurisdiction, use Preferences.

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Skills vs. preferences

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Create a skill

1

Open the Skills tab

Go to your Customization page in the sidebar and open the Skills tab, then click New.
2

Name and describe the skill

Give the skill a name and a short description. Mesa reads the description when deciding whether to apply the skill automatically, so be specific about when it should be used.
Don’t agonize over the description; you can always invoke a skill manually, as described below.
3

Add instructions and files

Instructions are everything Mesa should know when using the skill:
  • For a reusable set of guidelines, write the guidelines directly in the instructions.
  • For supporting documents, explain what each file is and how Mesa should use it.
  • For custom scripts, explain how to run the code you wrote.
Scripts work best when Mesa can use them without reading every line. Include a CLI and describe its commands in the instructions, or write functions and document their parameters and behavior.
4

Save the skill

Save it, and it’s immediately available in your conversations.

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Let Mesa write the skill for you

You don’t have to build a skill by hand. When you’ve just walked the agent through a task in a conversation, ask it to save the approach: “turn this into a skill,” “remember how to do this next time,” or “make this reusable.” The agent interviews you as needed, drafts the instructions, and saves the skill to your Customization page, where it behaves exactly like one you wrote yourself. It’ll ask before changing or removing an existing skill.
This is often the fastest way to build a good skill: do the work once with the agent, then have it capture what worked.

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Use a skill in a conversation

Mesa can see the skills you’ve created and applies them automatically when a request matches a skill’s description. To invoke one explicitly, click the Skills button on the Home or New Conversation page and select the skill you want Mesa to use.

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Write instructions that work

  • State what the skill is for, what it should output, and any rules it must follow.
  • If you attach code or scripts, describe what each function or command does and how Mesa should use it.
  • For document templates, put the template structure directly in the instructions and tell Mesa to follow it.
  • Keep skills task-specific; move anything that should apply everywhere into Preferences.

Preferences

Set general instructions and memories that apply to every conversation.

Organization customization

Share skills with everyone in your organization.

Writing effective prompts

Turn your best prompt patterns into skills worth saving.
Last modified on July 17, 2026