Instructions, skills and memory

Write instructions for the job

Instructions define the agent’s role, expected output, boundaries and escalation rules. State what it should do when information is missing and which actions require review. Keep requirements concrete: ‘include a source link for each claim’ is easier to check than ‘be excellent’.

Use skills for repeatable methods

A skill records a reusable method for a task. Ask the assistant to read an existing skill before editing it or to create one for a method you want reused. Attach the relevant skill to the intended agent; a method stored elsewhere should not be assumed to apply to every agent.

For example, a reporting skill can specify the order of sections, the fields to compare and how to label missing data. Test the method on one execution before depending on it for routine work.

Keep memory factual and scoped

Memory is for confirmed information, not guesses. Instructions, skills and remembered facts do not grant new permissions to use an account, send a message or spend money. Do not store passwords or API secrets in these fields.

1. State the fact or preference you want retained and the agent or business it concerns.
2. Check the saved information rather than relying on the assistant’s acknowledgement alone.
3. Correct or remove outdated facts when the underlying information changes.

Create a method an agent can find

A skill might say: read each announcement, record its date and source URL, group confirmed changes by company, and mark uncertain claims. This gives the agent a reusable procedure without inventing access to an account or permission to publish.

1. In the skills library, create a skill with a lowercase identifier using digits or hyphens when needed, such as weekly-source-review.
2. Describe when the skill applies, then write the steps in order and the checks that must precede an external action.
3. Save it and reopen it to confirm the complete method. Use its exact identifier when asking to attach or read it for an agent.
4. Run one test and inspect the output before relying on the method for recurring work.

Use the right memory scope

Shared business rules and an individual agent’s facts serve different purposes. A confirmed brand voice may belong in shared memory; a preference for one analyst’s report belongs with that agent. State the scope when asking to save information, then review the recorded rule.

If a remembered fact is wrong, correct the rule or remove it. A conversation response saying “I will remember” is not enough to prove persistence. Reopen memory and check the current content before the next execution.

Next steps

• Create your first agent
• Permissions and approvals
• Routines and execution history