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Skills

A skill is a reusable set of instructions for a type of task. Its folder contains SKILL.md and optional supporting files, like templates or scripts. Ren reads the description in every chat, but loads the full instructions only when the request needs them.

Example SKILL.md for release notes:

---
name: release-notes
description: Write release notes from merged pull requests. Use when asked for release notes or a changelog.
---


Group changes under Features, Fixes, and Internal.
Link each item to its pull request.
Skip dependency bumps unless they fix a security issue.

Skill or instructions?

  • Use project instructions for rules that apply to every chat in a project, such as tone or which repository to work in. Ren reads them on every turn.
  • Use a skill for a procedure that only some requests need, or one you want in several projects.
  • Use the chat prompt for a one-off request. If you find yourself pasting the same steps again, make them a skill.

Create a skill

SKILL.md needs these frontmatter fields:

  • name: up to 64 characters, using lowercase letters, digits, and single hyphens.
  • description: up to 1,024 characters explaining when to use the skill.

An uploaded skill can contain up to 10 MB of files.

  1. Open Marketplace → Skills and select Add skill.
  2. Choose where to add it: your organization, or a project. Choosing a project also adds the skill to it.
  3. Drop a skill folder or a SKILL.md file into the box, or paste the SKILL.md content.
  4. Select Create skill.

Edit a skill

Edit uploaded skills through Ren or the CLI. Each edit creates a new version. The app can’t edit skill files.

Delete a skill

Deleting a skill archives it, so it stops loading in every project that uses it.

To take a skill out of one project without deleting it, see Add a skill to a project.

Sources

  • Uploaded files. You upload a folder. Ren stores a copy, and each change is a new version. Use this for skills you write and edit with Ren. The app creates uploaded skills only.
  • A git repository. You point Ren at an https:// repository, with an optional branch, tag, or commit and a path to the skill’s folder. Ren fetches the files itself, up to 50 MB. Use this for skills you maintain in git: when you track a branch, Ren picks up new commits without a new version.

Create a git skill with ren skills create --source followed by the source as JSON:

ren skills create --source '{"type":"git","url":"https://github.com/acme/skills","ref":"main","path":"release-notes"}'

Change its repository, branch, or path later with ren skills sources update.

Versions

Uploaded skills start at 0.0.1, and each edit creates a version. Git skills follow their repository. Projects use the latest version unless you pin one with ren projects skills add --skill-version-id. Archiving the latest version returns projects to the previous version.

Visibility

Visibility Who can see and use it
Private Only you
Organization Every member of your organization
Published Anyone on Ren, in any organization

Anyone who can see a skill can read its instructions and supporting files. A skill you add to a project in your personal space is private. A skill you add to your organization, or to a project in a shared space, is visible to the organization.

To share a private skill with your organization, run ren skills promote <skill-id>. Publishing (ren skills publish) lists it for everyone and can’t be undone.

Add a skill to a project

  1. Open Marketplace → Skills and select the skill.
  2. Select Add, choose a project, and select Add.

If the skill needs a credential, Ren asks you to connect it before adding.

To remove a skill from a project, open the capabilities menu in the project’s chat composer and select its trash icon, run ren projects skills remove, or ask Ren.

FAQ

What happens when two skills have overlapping names or instructions?

If project skills share a name, Ren loads only the skill created first. Skills with different names but overlapping instructions both load, and Ren picks between them by their descriptions, so make each description say when to use that skill.

Can I bring my Claude Code or Codex skills?

Yes. Ask your coding agent, with the Ren plugin installed, to push them to Ren. See Migrate from Claude Code or Codex.