# Skills System and Bundled Resources

Relevant source files

- [.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1)
- [.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md?plain=1)
- [Cargo.lock](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/Cargo.lock)

The Skills System is a framework within Warp that enables AI agents to perform complex, multi-step tasks by providing them with a library of discoverable and executable tools. These "skills" range from internal development utilities (like adding feature flags or writing specs) to user-facing capabilities like modifying settings or interacting with the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

## Skills Framework Architecture

The core of the skills system resides in `app/src/ai/skills/`. It manages the lifecycle of skills, including discovery via file watchers, resolution of skill definitions, and execution within the agent's context.

### Skill Management and Resolution

The `SkillManager` is the central authority for loading and caching skills. It monitors specific directories for `SKILL.md` files, which serve as the definition and documentation for each skill.

- **Discovery**: The system watches `resources/bundled/skills/` for built-in capabilities and `.agents/skills/` for repository-specific development skills.
- **Definition**: Each skill is defined by a directory containing a `SKILL.md` file with YAML frontmatter (metadata like name and description) and a Markdown body (instructions for the AI) [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md12-18`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L12-L18)
- **Resolution**: When an agent needs a tool, the `SkillManager` resolves the natural language request to a specific skill implementation based on the metadata and descriptions provided in these files.

### Data Flow: From Request to Execution

The following diagram illustrates how a natural language intent is transformed into a skill execution.

**Skill Resolution and Execution Flow**

```
"FileSystem (resources/bundled/skills/)""FileWatcher (app/src/ai/skills/watcher.rs)""SkillManager (app/src/ai/skills/manager.rs)""Agent (app/src/ai/agent/)""FileSystem (resources/bundled/skills/)""FileWatcher (app/src/ai/skills/watcher.rs)""SkillManager (app/src/ai/skills/manager.rs)""Agent (app/src/ai/agent/)""Skill file change/init""Notify and Reload""Parse SKILL.md Frontmatter""Request Skill by Name/Intent""Return Skill Definition & Prompt""Generate Tool Call""Execute(SkillArgs)"
```

**Sources:**`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md`, `.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md`

## Skill Structure and Progressive Disclosure

Skills use a tiered loading system to manage context window efficiency, ensuring the agent only processes necessary information [`.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md5-11`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md?plain=1#L5-L11)

1. **Metadata**: The `name` (kebab-case) and `description` are always loaded to enable discovery [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md34-45`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L34-L45)
2. **SKILL.md Body**: The core instructions and workflows are loaded when the skill is triggered. These are ideally kept under 200 lines [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md84-85`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L84-L85)
3. **Reference Files**: Detailed technical references, schemas, or large examples are stored in a `references/` subdirectory and loaded only when explicitly needed [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md91-97`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L91-L97)

| Component | Requirement | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `name` | Kebab-case (lowercase, numbers, hyphens) | Unique identifier for tool calling [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md38-39`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L38-L39) |
| `description` | Action verb, specific context | Critical for agent-side skill discovery [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md43-48`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L43-L48) |
| `SKILL.md` | Markdown with YAML frontmatter | Primary entry point and workflow guide [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md12-15`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L12-L15) |
| `references/` | Subdirectory for complex skills | Context management for domain-specific details [`.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md29-40`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md?plain=1#L29-L40) |

**Sources:**`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md`, `.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md`

## Bundled and Development Skills

Warp utilizes two primary locations for skills depending on their target audience and purpose.

### Bundled Resources

Located in `resources/bundled/skills/`, these are distributed with the Warp binary. They include:

- `add-mcp-server`: Installs and configures new MCP servers.
- `modify-settings`: Allows agents to adjust user preferences.
- `create-skill`: Enables the agent to generate new skill definitions.

### Agent-Assisted Development Skills

Located in `.agents/skills/`, these are used by the internal AI agents to manage the Warp codebase itself. Key examples include:

- `update-skill`: Create or update skills by generating or editing `SKILL.md` files [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md2-3`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L2-L3)
- `add-feature-flag`: Multi-step workflow for gating code changes [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md103`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L103-L103)
- `rust-unit-tests`: Comprehensive guide for writing and running tests in the Warp codebase [`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md104`](https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/blob/81910e24/%60.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md?plain=1#L104-L104)

**Skill-to-Code Mapping**

```
Implementation Space

Skill Entity (.agents/skills/)

modifies

organizes

instruments

validates

update-skill

add-feature-flag

rust-unit-tests

SKILL.md (YAML Frontmatter)

references/*.md

app/src/ (Rust Codebase)
```

**Sources:**`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md`, `.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md`

## Specialized AI Capabilities

Beyond the standard skills framework, Warp integrates specialized crates for multimodal interaction.

### Computer Use and Voice

- **`computer_use`**: A crate dedicated to screenshot-based automation, allowing the agent to "see" the terminal state and interact with UI elements.
- **Voice Transcription**: Located in `app/src/ai/voice/`, this handles the processing of audio input into text for natural language interaction with the agent.

## Execution and Safety

When an agent executes a skill:

1. **Validation**: The `SkillManager` validates the arguments against the schema defined in the skill's metadata.
2. **Context Injection**: The skill is provided with access to `AppContext` and specific allowed subsystems (e.g., `FileSystem`, `TerminalModel`).
3. **Linearization**: The steps taken by the skill are recorded in the `AIConversation` for transparency and to allow the user to audit the agent's actions.
4. **Channel Gating**: Skills can be restricted based on the application's release channel (Dev, Dogfood, Preview, Stable). Most skills in `.agents/skills/` are only active in the `Dev` channel.

**Sources:**`.agents/skills/update-skill/SKILL.md`, `.agents/skills/update-skill/references/best-practices.md`