Creating Skills
Creating Skills
Start with meaning, then move to detail.
This lesson explains Creating Skills as part of Hermes internals and extension points. You will learn what it does, when it matters, and the smallest safe test that proves it works.
If you are new, do not memorize names. Focus on three questions: what problem does this solve, what access does it need, and how can you verify the result?
For practice, inspect the first example, identify its effects, run it on test data, and compare the result with the source claim.
For advanced readers, inspect Should it be a Skill or a Tool?, Skill Directory Structure, SKILL.md Format, then verify failure modes and version compatibility.
Know Python, Git, and basic project structure before changing code.
A clear outcome before you read.
- Understand Creating Skills without assumed prior knowledge.
- Separate the source description from what still needs testing in your environment.
- Read the first command and identify its inputs and outputs before copying it.
Short definitions before the details.
- Skill
- An instruction bundle that teaches Hermes a repeatable workflow without necessarily adding an external service.
- Tool
- A structured action the agent can call to read or change something.
How to create skills for Hermes Agent — SKILL.md format, guidelines, and publishing
What does the source say, and in what order?
- 01Should it be a Skill or a Tool?
Start here to understand the core idea or structure.
- 02Skill Directory Structure
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 03SKILL.md Format
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 04When to Use
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 05Quick Reference
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 06Procedure
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 07Pitfalls
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 08Verification
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 09Platform-Specific Skills
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 10Conditional Skill Activation
Finish here to verify the result and special cases.
Copy only after you understand the effect.
skills/
├── research/
│ └── arxiv/
│ ├── SKILL.md # Required: main instructions
│ └── scripts/ # Optional: helper scripts
│ └── search_arxiv.py
├── productivity/
│ └── ocr-and-documents/
│ ├── SKILL.md
│ ├── scripts/
│ └── references/
└── ...### Platform-Specific Skills
Skills can restrict themselves to specific operating systems using the `platforms` field:When set, the skill is automatically hidden from the system prompt, `skills_list()`, and slash commands on incompatible platforms. If omitted or empty, the skill loads on all platforms (backward compatible).
### Conditional Skill Activation
Skills can declare dependencies on specific tools or toolsets. This controls whether the skill appears in the system prompt for a given session.Read the first command and identify its inputs and outputs before copying it.
Match every command to your installed Hermes version, review the files and accounts it can reach, and use non-sensitive data for the first test. If this explanation differs from the source, the official source wins.