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There are two ways to create a skill in OpenSwarm: write one yourself using the manual editor, or describe what you want and let the Skill Builder generate it for you.

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Creating a Skill Manually

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Open the Editor

On the Skills page, click the + button in the sidebar header. This opens the New Skill dialog with four fields:
FieldWhat It Does
NameThe skill’s display name (e.g., “Cover Letter Writer”)
DescriptionTells agents when to use this skill — the most important field
CommandThe / command identifier used in chat (e.g., cover-letter)
ContentThe full instructions the agent follows when the skill triggers

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Writing the Description

The description is the trigger. Agents read it to decide whether to activate the skill, so it needs to clearly cover both what the skill does and when to use it. Bad: 
Helps write letters.
Good: 
Use this skill whenever the user wants to write a cover letter, application
letter, or letter of interest for a job or program. Trigger for any mention
of "cover letter", "application letter", or requests to write a professional
letter addressed to a hiring manager or admissions committee.
Agents tend to under-trigger rather than over-trigger, so err on the side of being explicit about when the skill should activate.

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Writing the Content

The content field is Markdown — this is what the agent actually follows when the skill is active. A good skill includes: A clear workflow: 
## Steps
1. Ask the user for the role, company, and any specific points to hit
2. Draft the letter in a professional but warm tone
3. Keep it under one page
4. Output as plain text unless the user asks for a .docx
Output format expectations: 
## Format
Use this structure:
- Opening: why you're writing and what role
- Body: 2-3 paragraphs connecting experience to the role
- Close: call to action and sign-off
Examples: 
## Example

**Input:** "Write a cover letter for a senior product manager role at Stripe.
I have 6 years of PM experience at fintech startups."

**Output:** A one-page letter that opens with enthusiasm for Stripe's mission,
connects the candidate's fintech PM background to the role requirements,
and closes with a request for an interview.
Explain why things matter instead of just listing rigid rules — agents respond better to reasoning than to ALWAYS / NEVER directives.

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The / Command

The command field determines how the skill appears in the chat input’s / picker. Keep it short, lowercase, and hyphenated:
  • cover-letter
  • docx
  • code-review
  • data-viz
Users type / in chat and see this command alongside the skill name and description.

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Creating a Skill with the Skill Builder

The Skill Builder is an AI agent that generates skills for you through conversation. You describe what you want, it writes the SKILL.md.

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Opening the Skill Builder

On the Skills page, click Build with AI in the sidebar (or the ✨ button in the bottom-right corner). A resizable chat panel opens in the corner of the screen.

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Describe What You Want

Tell the Skill Builder what the skill should do. Be specific — the more detail you provide, the better the output. Examples:
“I want a skill that generates SQL migration scripts for Postgres. It should handle adding columns, renaming tables, and creating indexes. Output should be idempotent.”
“Build a skill for writing incident post-mortems. It should follow our template: summary, timeline, root cause, action items. Tone should be blameless.”
“Create a skill that formats code review feedback — organize comments by severity (critical, major, minor, nit) and suggest specific fixes for each.”
The Skill Builder will ask clarifying questions if it needs more context — what tools to use, edge cases to handle, output format preferences, etc.

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Live Preview

As the Skill Builder works, you’ll see a live preview of the generated skill in the main panel. This shows:
  • The skill name and description
  • The / command
  • The full rendered Markdown content
The preview updates in real time as the agent writes.

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Iterating

The Skill Builder supports a full feedback loop:
  1. It generates a draft
  2. You review the preview
  3. You tell it what to change — “make the description more specific”, “add an example for edge case X”, “the output format should be JSON, not plain text”
  4. It revises and you review again
Keep going until you’re happy with the result.

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Saving

Once you’re satisfied, click Save Skill in the Skill Builder header. The skill is saved to ~/.claude/skills/ and immediately available — agents can use it right away, and it appears in the / command picker. To start over, click the ↻ reset button. This clears the session without affecting previously saved skills.

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What Makes a Good Skill

Regardless of how you create it, a good skill has:
QualityWhy
Specific descriptionAgents match skills by description — vague = never triggered
Clear workflowStep-by-step instructions the agent can follow without guessing
ExamplesConcrete input/output pairs anchor the agent’s behavior
Reasoning over rulesExplain why → agent generalizes. Rigid rules → agent follows blindly
Focused scopeOne skill, one domain. Don’t build an “everything skill”