Skills
Create reusable instruction modules that extend Shannon's capabilities. Skills let you build specialized tools the AI can invoke during conversations.
What are Skills?
Skills are modular instruction modules that extend Shannon 1.6 Pro's capabilities beyond its base training. Each Skill contains specialized prompts and reference content that Shannon can intelligently invoke when relevant to your conversation.
Think of Skills as plug-in tools for your AI assistant. Rather than repeatedly explaining complex instructions or workflows, you create a Skill once and Shannon automatically applies it when the situation calls for it. This makes your AI interactions more powerful, consistent, and efficient.
Modular Design
Each Skill is a self-contained module that can be activated, deactivated, or shared independently
Intelligent Invocation
Shannon 1.6 Pro automatically decides when to apply Skills based on conversation context
Reusable Instructions
Define complex workflows once and use them consistently across all your conversations
Community Sharing
Share your Skills publicly or discover and use Skills created by the community
How Skills Work
Skill Invocation Flow
Key Components of a Skill
Each Skill consists of three essential parts:
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Name | A clear, descriptive name that identifies the Skill's function |
| Description | Helps Shannon understand when this Skill should be invoked |
| Content | The detailed instructions, prompts, or reference material Shannon uses |
Skill Examples
Here are some examples of Skills you might create:
code Code Reviewer
Automatically applies best practices, security checks, and style guidelines when reviewing code
edit_note Blog Writer
Follows your content style guide, SEO requirements, and formatting preferences
mail Email Composer
Matches your professional tone, includes appropriate signatures, and follows company templates
bug_report Bug Analyzer
Systematically diagnoses issues using your debugging framework and documentation
translate Translator
Maintains specific terminology, tone, and cultural considerations for translations
summarize Summarizer
Creates summaries in your preferred format with specific length and detail requirements
school Teaching Assistant
Explains concepts using specific pedagogical approaches and learning progressions
data_object API Documenter
Generates API documentation following your team's format and standards
Creating a Skill
- Navigate to Skills Go to the Skills section from the main navigation menu
- Click "Create Skill" Open the skill builder to start defining your new Skill
- Enter Skill Name Choose a clear, descriptive name that identifies the Skill's purpose
- Write Description Explain when this Skill should be used - this helps Shannon decide when to invoke it
- Define Skill Content Write the detailed instructions, prompts, or reference material Shannon will use
- Save and Activate Save your Skill and toggle it active to enable during conversations
lightbulb Writing Effective Skill Content
The content of your Skill should be clear and comprehensive. Include specific instructions, examples, formatting requirements, and any constraints. The more detailed your Skill content, the more consistently Shannon will apply it.
Key Features
Active Skills
Every Skill has an activation toggle. When active, Shannon 1.6 Pro can invoke the Skill during conversations when relevant. You can have multiple Skills active simultaneously - Shannon will choose the most appropriate one based on context.
Skill Management
From the Skills dashboard, you can:
- View all your created Skills
- Toggle Skills active/inactive
- Edit Skill content and settings
- Delete Skills you no longer need
- Toggle public/private visibility
- Track usage statistics
Discover Community Skills
explore Skill Discovery
Browse Skills created by the Shannon AI community. The Discover section lets you find and activate Skills created by other users, expanding your AI's capabilities without creating everything from scratch.
When you find a public Skill you want to use:
- Browse the Discover section to find relevant Skills
- Review the Skill's name, description, and usage count
- Activate the Skill to enable it for your conversations
- The Skill becomes available for Shannon Pro to invoke
Contributing to the Community: When you make your Skills public, you help other users expand their AI capabilities. High-quality Skills with clear descriptions and useful functionality tend to see more usage and help grow the Shannon AI ecosystem.
Best Practices
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Write clear, specific descriptions | Use vague descriptions Shannon can't match |
| Include detailed instructions in content | Rely on minimal or ambiguous content |
| Create focused, single-purpose Skills | Overload one Skill with unrelated tasks |
| Test Skills with various conversation types | Assume Skills work without testing |
| Provide examples in Skill content | Leave Shannon guessing about formats |
| Keep only relevant Skills active | Leave all Skills active all the time |
lightbulb Pro Tip: Skill Descriptions
The description is crucial for Skill invocation. Write it as if you're explaining to Shannon when this Skill should be used. Include keywords and scenarios that would trigger its use. Example: "Use this Skill when the user asks to review code, check for bugs, or analyze code quality."
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Required Model | Shannon 1.6 Pro (Skills not available in Lite) |
| Skills per User | Unlimited |
| Content Length | Flexible (comprehensive content recommended) |
| Activation | Per-Skill toggle, multiple can be active |
| Visibility | Public or Private |
| Usage Tracking | Per-invocation analytics |
| Invocation Method | Automatic context-based selection |
Related Topics
Related Shannon AI Features
Skills work alongside these other powerful Shannon AI features:
Custom Shannon
Create personalized AI assistants with custom instructions, knowledge files, and unique personalities.
Learn about Custom Shannon →Projects
Organize files and conversations into dedicated AI workspaces with full context awareness.
Learn about Projects →Extend Shannon's Capabilities
Create your first Skill and unlock modular AI capabilities for Shannon 1.6 Pro.