Skills & Tools
Skills are the building blocks of SkillRouter. Learn how they work, how they're organized, and how to use them effectively.
What is a Skill?
A skill in SkillRouter is a discrete, executable capability that an AI agent can use to interact with the external world. Skills encapsulate:
- API Integration: Connection to a third-party service (like Stripe, GitHub, or SendGrid)
- Authentication: Managed credentials and OAuth flows handled by SkillRouter
- Input Schema: Defined parameters the skill accepts, with validation
- Output Format: Structured response format for consistent agent consumption
- Error Handling: Built-in retry logic and graceful error responses
Skills vs. Tools
While the terms are often used interchangeably, we make a distinction:
Tools
Raw API integrations with basic functionality. Think of tools as the underlying capabilities.
Example: "HTTP Request to Stripe API"
Skills
Curated, optimized tools with semantic descriptions, managed auth, and built-in best practices.
Example: "Process a payment with Stripe Checkout"
Skill Properties
Every skill in the registry has the following properties:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| id | Unique identifier (e.g., `stripe-checkout`) |
| name | Human-readable name |
| description | Semantic description for discovery |
| provider | The service provider (e.g., Stripe) |
| category | Skill category for organization |
| input_schema | JSON Schema defining required parameters |
| output_schema | JSON Schema defining response format |
Skill Health & Metrics
Every skill is continuously monitored for health and performance:
Success Rate
Percentage of executions completing without error
Latency
Average and p99 response times
Usage
Total executions and active agents