> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://basedash.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skills

> Write reusable instructions once and let every Basedash AI agent load them when they're relevant

A skill is a named set of instructions, like a playbook for an analysis or a team's conventions, that Basedash AI loads only when a request calls for it.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Available on all plans. Only admins can create, edit, or delete skills.

## Overview

[Global context](/docs/features/ai-context) is loaded in full for every request. Skills work differently: each agent sees the name and a short description of every skill, and reads a skill's full instructions only when it's relevant to the current request. This lets you write detailed guidance on many topics without crowding every conversation.

Skills are used by chat, chart generation, dashboards, insights, and automation creation. They apply to the whole organization. There's no per-group scope and no on/off switch for individual skills.

![The Skills section of the AI context settings listing the Marketing efficiency and Revenue analysis skills below the global context](https://mintcdn.com/basedash/aH3kb-Bl5OLwdg2n/images/features/skills/hero.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aH3kb-Bl5OLwdg2n\&q=85\&s=d032861ac5febccaa8e82b4e7484fe16)

## When to use skills

Skills work best for modular guidance focused on one concept:

* **Analysis methods**: how to investigate retention, revenue changes, funnel performance, or experiment results.
* **Team conventions**: rules a team follows, like "finance uses GAAP revenue" or "growth uses calendar weeks in UTC."
* **Playbooks**: how to write an A/B test report, triage support tickets, or summarize cohorts.
* **Chart preferences**: preferred chart types and breakdowns for a topic.

Think of a skill as the guidance you'd give a new analyst joining your team.

| | Global context | Skills |
| - | - | - |
| Loading | Always loaded in full | Names always visible; instructions when needed |
| Shape | One block of text | Many named sets of instructions, one topic each |
| Best for | Short, durable org-wide facts | Detailed, topic-specific playbooks |
| Edited by | Admins | Admins |

Use [models](/docs/features/models) instead when a metric or dataset needs executable SQL that every chart and answer should reuse.

## Create a skill

1. Open **Settings → AI context**.
2. In the **Skills** section, click **Create skill**.
3. Enter a **Name**, for example "Revenue analysis" or "Support triage".
4. In **Instructions**, describe when and how the AI should use this skill. Instructions can include workflows, definitions, and organization-specific guidance.
5. Click **Create**.

![The Revenue analysis skill with its name, description, and instructions on counting completed orders, reporting in US dollars, and breaking revenue down by channel](https://mintcdn.com/basedash/aH3kb-Bl5OLwdg2n/images/features/skills/edit-skill.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=aH3kb-Bl5OLwdg2n\&q=85\&s=c508b501de469a10c8493d1ea177181e)

To change or remove a skill, open the menu on its row and choose **Edit** or **Delete**. After you delete a skill, AI agents can no longer load its instructions.

### Let the AI save a skill

Admins can also ask chat to save something as a skill, for example "Save how we calculate activation as a skill." When an admin's conversation surfaces durable guidance worth keeping, the AI may save or update a skill itself and tells you when it does. Skill changes made by the AI are recorded in the [audit log](/docs/administration/audit-logs).

## See which skills were used

When an agent loads a skill, the answer's thinking steps show **Reading `<skill name>` skill**. Click the step to see the instructions the AI read.

Instructions you give in the conversation take priority over a skill. If a skill gives the wrong guidance for a specific question, say so in your message.

## Examples

### Activation rate

```
Activation = signed up AND completed onboarding within 7 days.
Exclude trial-only accounts and internal email domains.
Use calendar weeks in UTC; weeks start on Monday.
Always compare cohorts by signup_month, not by event_month.
Prefer a line chart for the trend over time.
```

### Support triage

```
When summarizing support tickets:
- Group tickets by category and priority before summarizing.
- Tickets open longer than 48 hours are SLA risk; call them out.
- Use human-readable status names ("Open", "Waiting on customer"), not raw enum values.
- Roll up volume by week unless the question specifies a different window.
```

## Limits

> [!NOTE]
>
> Skill names can be up to 100 characters and instructions up to 50,000
> characters.

## API

Admins can list, create, update, and delete skills with the [public API](/docs/api-reference/skills/list-skills). If you create a skill through the API without a description, Basedash generates one.

## FAQ

> **Can members create skills?**
>
> No. Only admins can create, edit, or delete skills, so shared guidance stays
> consistent. Members can still add [personal AI
> context](/docs/features/ai-context#personal-context) for their own preferences.

> **Can I limit a skill to one team?**
>
> No. Skills apply to the whole organization. For team-specific guidance, use
> [group context](/docs/features/ai-context#group-context).

> **Why didn't the AI use my skill?**
>
> Agents decide which skills to load from the skill's name and description.
> Give the skill a specific name and describe in the first lines of the
> instructions when it applies. You can also mention the skill by name in your
> question.

## Related

> **[AI context](/docs/features/ai-context)**
>
> Add global, group, personal, and data source context.

> **[Models](/docs/features/models)**
>
> Define reusable SQL for metrics and datasets.

> **[Accuracy and trust](/docs/features/accuracy-and-trust)**
>
> How Basedash AI generates and checks answers.

> **[Chat](/docs/features/chat)**
>
> Ask questions about your data.


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