Create and edit a skill

A skill is a named set of instructions that DataMind Oda follows for a task, with a description that says when to use it. You write them in the Skills section of Settings: New skill creates one, and Edit changes one you already have. How a saved skill then runs in chats is on Skills in chat.

Create a skill

Open Settings > Skills and choose New skill.
Fill in the four fields below. Only When to use (optional) can stay empty.
Choose Save. While the skill is being written the button reads Saving…, and when the save succeeds the dialog closes and the skill appears in the list with its /<name> command.

Import brings in a skill you already have, from a folder, a .zip file or a link (Import a skill), and Oda can also write one from a chat (Create and install skills). What the list itself shows is covered in Skills in Settings.

The fields and their rules

Name: you run the skill by typing /<name> in a chat. Use 1 to 64 lowercase letters, digits and single hyphens, such as weekly-sales-report; capitals, spaces and underscores are refused.
Description: required, up to 1024 characters. Say what the skill does and when to use it: DataMind Oda decides from this text whether to load the skill, so name the tasks it is for.
When to use (optional): up to 1024 characters of extra guidance, such as when not to use the skill. Left empty, the line is left out of the skill.
Instructions: required. The step-by-step instructions DataMind Oda follows when the skill runs, written in Markdown.

Edit a skill

In Settings > Skills, open the ... menu on a skill in your own skills folder and choose Edit.
The dialog opens with the fields filled in. Change the Description, the When to use line or the Instructions.
Choose Save. The dialog closes when the change is written; every change keeps the version before it, listed in Skill versions and restore.

While editing, Name stays fixed: a skill keeps the name it was saved with.
When the skill has other files, the dialog lists them under Other files in this skill:; editing here changes only the skill's SKILL.md file, and the other files stay as they are.

Fix a refused save

Oda checks the fields when you choose Save and shows the first problem under its field. The save goes ahead only when every check passes.

The message	What it means	What to do
`Use 1 to 64 lowercase letters, digits and single hyphens, such as weekly-sales-report.`	The Name breaks the naming rule	Write the name as lowercase words joined by single hyphens
`Enter a description.`	Description is empty	Write what the skill does and when to use it
`Keep the description under 1024 characters.`	Description is over 1024 characters	Shorten it
`Keep "When to use" under 1024 characters.`	When to use is over 1024 characters	Shorten it, or clear the field
`Enter the instructions.`	Instructions is empty	Write the steps the skill should follow

Questions, answered

What makes a valid skill name?

1 to 64 characters of lowercase letters, digits and single hyphens, such as weekly-sales-report. A name that breaks the rule is refused with Use 1 to 64 lowercase letters, digits and single hyphens, such as weekly-sales-report.

What should I write in Description?

A short line saying what the skill does and when to use it, up to 1024 characters. DataMind Oda reads this text to decide whether the skill fits a task, so name the tasks it is for.

Should I fill in "When to use"?

It is optional: up to 1024 characters of extra guidance, such as when not to use the skill. Left empty, the line is left out of the skill.

What belongs in Instructions?

The step-by-step instructions DataMind Oda follows when the skill runs, written in Markdown. The field is required: an empty one is refused with Enter the instructions.

What are the "Other files in this skill" shown when I edit?

They are the skill's other files. The dialog lists them under Other files in this skill:, and they stay as they are: editing here changes only the skill's SKILL.md file.

Why did an error appear under a field when I chose Save?

One of the field checks failed, and Oda marks the first field it checks. Nothing is written until every check passes. The message names the fix, such as Enter a description. or Keep the description under 1024 characters.; correct that field and choose Save again.

What happens if I close the dialog without saving?

Nothing is written until you choose Save. Cancel closes the dialog without saving.

What happens if a save fails?

The dialog closes only when the save succeeds. If DataMind Oda cannot write the skill, it shows the reason in the dialog instead, so you can fix it and choose Save again.