Skills vs Toolkits
Skills and Toolkits work together but serve different purposes:| Toolkit | Skill | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A set of tools (MCP servers) | A set of instructions and business context |
| How it works | Switch to it | Load on top of current toolkit |
| Purpose | Defines what tools are available | Defines how to use them |
| Replaces current context? | Yes | No — layers on top |
| Multiple active at once? | No | Yes |
| Example | ”Support” toolkit with Gmail + Slack | ”Escalation Procedures” skill |
Toolkits
How to create and manage toolkits
Use Cases
PR Reviewer — Load your code review standards, naming conventions, and style guide. The agent knows how you review PRs before it looks at a single diff. Pipeline Summary — Load your Salesforce stage definitions, deal naming conventions, and reporting format. The agent produces consistent summaries without re-explanation each session. Support Agent — Load your escalation policies, SLA thresholds, and tone guidelines. The agent handles routine cases and escalates correctly without needing to re-read the playbook each time. Onboarding Companion — Load your new hire checklist, internal tool guides, and team contacts. The agent walks new team members through setup consistently.How to Create a Skill
- Log in to nexus.civic.com
- Click Create Profile (or “Create Toolkit”)
- Set the profile type to SKILL
- Give it an alias (e.g.
pr-reviewer,escalation-procedures) - Add your instructions in the content field
- Write in second person: “You are a code reviewer who follows these standards…”
- Include examples of correct and incorrect behavior
- Be specific about terminology unique to your business
- Keep each skill focused on one domain — multiple skills can be loaded simultaneously
How to Load a Skill
Via URL Parameter
Include theskills parameter when connecting your agent:
Via Configurator Agent in Civic Chat
Via the load-skill Tool
If your agent has access to theload-skill tool, it can be instructed to load skills dynamically:
Multiple Active Skills
Skills layer — multiple skills can be active simultaneously without conflict. Each adds its instructions to the agent’s context. If instructions from two skills conflict, the later-loaded skill typically takes precedence, but it is better practice to keep skills non-overlapping.Session Scope
Skills persist for the duration of the session. They are not automatically persisted to the toolkit configuration unless you explicitly save them there.Best Practices
- One domain per skill — A skill that covers code review AND customer support AND data analysis is too broad. Split it.
- Second person voice — “You are…” establishes persona clearly and consistently.
- Include examples — “When a user asks about X, respond with Y” is more effective than abstract principles.
- Avoid instructions that duplicate guardrails — Guardrails are enforced at the protocol level and cannot be overridden. Skill instructions are guidelines that the LLM follows. Don’t rely on skill instructions for security-critical constraints.
Toolkits
The tool layer that Skills build on top of
Guardrails
Protocol-level constraints that complement Skill instructions
Agent Deployment
Using skills and toolkits in production agent deployments