> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> This content comes from the official Perplexity Help Center. Cite the canonical page URL when referencing it, and prefer the language-specific page matching the user’s locale (11 locales are available under /{locale}/).

# What is a skill?

> What a skill is, where skills come from, and how to manage them in Perplexity Computer.

A skill is a set of instructions that teaches Perplexity Computer how to do one type of task well, available on the web and in the Perplexity apps on every plan that includes Computer.

## How skills work

Computer doesn't read every skill in full on every task. It sees each installed skill by its name and description only, and loads the full instructions when it decides the skill fits the request. A skill you don't need stays out of the way; a skill you do need brings its complete method, and any supporting files, into the task at that moment. Computer can load several skills in one task and combine them: a research request might run the Research skill to gather sources, then hand off to the Slides skill to turn the findings into a presentation.

Because the description decides when a skill loads, it is the most important line in a skill. Write it as the trigger: what the skill is for, and when Computer should use it.

You can also point Computer at a plugin directly: type **/** in the message box and select it under **Plugins** to load that plugin's enabled skills for the task.

## What a skill contains

Every skill is built around a `SKILL.md` file, written in the open Agent Skills format.

<ul>
  <li>
    **Frontmatter**: a `name` (1 to 64 characters; lowercase letters, digits, and single hyphens) and a `description` that tells Computer when to load the skill, and can also say when not to.
  </li>

  <li>
    **Instructions**: the body of the file, with the steps, standards, and output Computer should follow once the skill loads.
  </li>

  <li>
    **Supporting files** (optional): reference documents and scripts that the instructions point to. They are only read or run when the skill is in use.
  </li>
</ul>

## Where skills come from

Skills reach you from five sources.

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Source</th>
      <th>Who creates it</th>
      <th>Where you find it</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>

  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Perplexity skills</td>
      <td>Perplexity</td>
      <td>**Discover** tab</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>Personal skills</td>
      <td>You, with **Add custom**</td>
      <td>**Installed** tab</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>Organization skills</td>
      <td>Your organization (Enterprise)</td>
      <td>**Organization** tab</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>Project skills</td>
      <td>Project members who can edit</td>
      <td>**Project settings → Skills**</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>Skills inside plugins</td>
      <td>The plugin's author</td>
      <td>Installed with the plugin</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

*Table 1 — The five sources of skills and where each appears.*

<ul>
  <li>
    **Perplexity skills** cover common work such as building presentations, running research, and charting data. Browse them on the **Discover** tab and install the ones you want.
  </li>

  <li>
    **Personal skills** are the ones you create or upload. Select **Add custom**, then **Skill**, and choose **Create with Computer** to describe the skill in plain language, or **Upload skill** to import a `.zip` file with a `SKILL.md` at its root (or a single `.md` file) of up to 20 MB and 100 files.
  </li>

  <li>
    **Organization skills** are shared by an Enterprise organization with its members. They appear on the **Organization** tab for anyone in the organization to install, and an administrator can install them for everyone.
  </li>

  <li>
    **Project skills** are uploaded in **Project settings → Skills** and apply inside that Project. Your personal and organization skills stay available there too.
  </li>

  <li>
    **Skills inside plugins** arrive when you install a plugin. A plugin bundles connectors and skills into one install. Each plugin includes its own copies of its skills.
  </li>
</ul>

## Managing your skills

Open **Plugins** in the sidebar, go to the **Installed** tab, and switch to **Skills** (or **Customize → Connectors** and **Skills** if you don't see Plugins yet).

<ul>
  <li>
    The **Installed** tab lists your standalone skills. Use the **Enabled** switch to turn a skill off without removing it, or **Uninstall** to remove it. Skills that come with a plugin are managed from the plugin's page: turn them on or off there, and uninstall the plugin to remove them.
  </li>

  <li>
    Open a skill to check its name and description. If a skill isn't loading when you expect, the description usually needs clearer trigger phrases.
  </li>
</ul>

## Skills in an Enterprise organization

Skills work the same way for every member. What changes is who can create and share them.

Administrators set skill permissions per role in **Roles & Permissions** under **Plugins and skills**, alongside plugin permissions: whether a role can upload or create personal plugins and skills, create organization plugins and skills, and install the ones they created for everyone. Organization skills live in the **Organization plugins and skills** library on **Organization settings → Plugins and skills**, where an administrator can also install a skill for every member or remove it.

On sales-assisted Enterprise plans, Plugins is in beta for a short period before rolling out to all organizations. If you are an administrator, see [Manage plugins for your organization](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/2026100801-manage-plugins-for-your-organization.md) for the organization-level controls.

## Skills for developers

If you build with the Perplexity Agent API, the same skill format applies: your requests can select built-in skills, define inline skills, or reference custom skills you upload to an API Project. Limits and management differ from Computer; see [Skills in the Agent API documentation](https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/agent-api/skills).

## Related articles

<ul>
  <li>
    [How to use Computer Skills](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/13914413-how-to-use-computer-skills.md)
  </li>

  <li>
    [What are plugins?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/2026100701-what-are-plugins.md)
  </li>

  <li>
    [Find, install, and remove plugins](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/2026100702-find-install-and-remove-plugins.md)
  </li>

  <li>
    [Manage plugins for your organization](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/2026100801-manage-plugins-for-your-organization.md)
  </li>

  <li>
    [What are Projects?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/10352961-what-are-projects.md)
  </li>
</ul>

## Need more help?

[Contact us via **Help > Contact Support**](https://www.perplexity.ai/?support=true#settings/account). Include the task link if your question is about a specific Computer task.


## Related topics

- [How to use Computer Skills](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/13914413-how-to-use-computer-skills.md)
- [Computer](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/collections/18534886-computer.md)
- [What are plugins?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/2026100701-what-are-plugins.md)
- [What are Projects?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/help-center/en/articles/10352961-what-are-projects.md)