Reusable AI skills and instructions
Reuse instructions and selected functions across agents, with rules controlling when each skill is available and active.
What it is
Skills group reusable instructions and selected functions for an agent. You can assign the same published skill to several Autopilot, Copilot or Ask AI features. Eligibility and activation rules decide when its instructions and functions become available.
Who uses it and why
Users with the Settings or Developer role maintain shared guidance without copying it into every feature. Developers attach the functions needed for a particular task and configure conditions or external prompt sources.
Where to find it
Open Settings › AI › Skills to create and edit skills. Assign them through Skills under Settings › AI › Features.
You need Settings with AI allowed under Settings Permissions, or Developer. Powerfront manages the connections offered for external prompts under Settings › AI › Connections. Ask Powerfront to add or change these connections for you.
How it works
- INSIDE considers the published skills assigned to the feature, in assignment order.
- Eligibility filters decide whether each skill may be available in the current context.
- An eligible Always active skill loads directly. Otherwise, matching Activation filters can load it automatically.
- If neither automatic activation method is configured, the agent sees the eligible skill's brief description and can load it when relevant to the user's intent.
- Loading adds the skill's instructions and selected AI Functions. Unloading a skill removes its active contribution where unloading is allowed.
The agent refreshes skill availability during processing. Disabled functions and archived or unavailable skill versions are removed as that refresh occurs. A loaded skill uses a specific published version, so do not assume an edit replaces instructions halfway through every active request.
Configure it
Create a skill with a Name and useful Description. Under Prompt, choose Local to write instructions or External to select a Connection, Prompt, optional Label and Version. Supply a Fallback prompt for external content.
Select AI Functions. Add Eligibility filters for restrictions that must always apply. Then choose Always active, set Activation filters, or leave both unset for intent-based loading. Turning on Always active clears activation filters when saved.
Saving through this editor also publishes the skill. Assign it to the desired feature and save that feature. Check the assignment as well as the skill's own configuration.
The delete action archives a skill and removes it from the normal list. It does not erase the saved version history.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prompt | Settings › AI › Skills | website | Local, with no instructions entered | Settings role, Developer role | Supplies instructions loaded when the skill activates, using Local text or an External prompt. |
| Fallback prompt | Settings › AI › Skills | website | Not set: no local fallback instructions | Settings role, Developer role | Supplies local instructions if the selected external prompt cannot be resolved. |
| Always active | Settings › AI › Skills | website | Off | Settings role, Developer role | Loads the skill for every eligible conversation without applying activation filters or intent selection. |
| Eligibility filters | Settings › AI › Skills | website | Not set; no eligibility restriction | Settings role, Developer role | Determines whether the assigned skill can be available in the current visitor context. |
| Activation filters | Settings › AI › Skills | website | Not set; available for intent-based loading | Settings role, Developer role | Automatically activates an eligible skill when the configured conditions match. |
| AI Functions | Settings › AI › Skills | website | Not set: no functions added by the skill | Settings role, Developer role | Selects the functions added when the skill loads. |
| Skills | Settings › AI › Features | website | Not set: no skills assigned to the feature | Settings role, Developer role | Assigns published skills to an Autopilot, Copilot or Ask AI feature. |
| Cache | Settings › AI › Skills | website | On | Settings role, Developer role | Caches the selected external prompt for reuse. |
| TTL | Settings › AI › Skills | website | 300 seconds | Settings role, Developer role | Sets the external prompt cache lifetime. |
Fields
| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Settings › AI › Skills | Yes | Identifies the skill in the list and feature assignment control. |
| Description | Settings › AI › Skills | No | Describes when the skill is useful for intent-based loading. |
| Connection | Settings › AI › Skills | Yes | Selects the required prompt-enabled connection when External is used. |
| Label | Settings › AI › Skills | No | Chooses an optional label for the external prompt. |
| Version | Settings › AI › Skills | No | Selects a specific external prompt version or Latest. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Manage skills and feature assignments when AI is allowed under Settings Permissions. |
| AI | Allows AI configuration within Settings Permissions. |
| Developer | Manage skills and feature assignments. |
Limits and good to know
- At most 16 skills can be active in a run.
- The combined effective function set is limited to 128, and combined skill instruction material to 100,000 characters.
- Reusing the same function is deduplicated. Different functions with the same effective name cause a conflict.
- A skill cannot increase the feature's run, function or token allowances.
- Always active still respects eligibility. A skill with activation filters does not also fall back to intent-based loading when those filters fail.
- Skills are offered for text Autopilot, Copilot and Ask AI. Do not assume assignment support for Email or Voice Autopilot.
- External Prompt Preview previews resolved text; it does not test whether visitor conditions match.
Depends on and works with
+3 more · used by
- AI updates to customer and conversation dataEnhances
An active skill can supply the data-update or task function.
- Specialist sub-agents for AI tasksEnhances
Target-owned skills can supply specialist instructions and functions.
- AI commerce functions and access limitsEnhances
Skills can expose each commerce operation as a separate capability.
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- Roles and permissionsConfigured by
Roles and AI permissions control skill management.
- AI feature settings and change historyConfigured by
Skills are assigned to a saved AI feature version.
- AI instructions and templatesConfigured by
Feature macros and templates affect skill instructions.
- AI run limitsRequires
Skills operate inside the feature's run and cannot enlarge its execution allowances.
- AI functions and required inputsEnhances
An active skill adds selected functions to the feature's effective function set.
- Shared AI service connectionsConfigured by
Powerfront configures the connections available for a skill that uses external instructions.
- External AI prompts and versionsEnhances
A skill can use a managed external prompt with local fallback and caching.
- Visitor event targeting conditionsConfigured by
Visitor conditions determine skill eligibility and automatic activation.
Used by
- AI feature settings and change historyEnhances
Autopilot, Copilot and Ask AI can use assigned published skills.
- AI instructions and templatesEnhances
Skills can own their own instructions and external prompt selection.
- Autopilot for live chatEnhances
Assigned skills provide reusable instructions and tools.
- Copilot reply suggestionsEnhances
Assigned skills can supply reusable instructions and tools.
- Ask AI beside a visitor conversationEnhances
Published skills can provide reusable guidance and tools.
- AI functions and required inputsEnhances
Active skills add their selected functions to a supported feature.
- AI knowledge and web searchEnhances
A skill can add retrieval functions when it activates.
- AI integrations and automation toolsEnhances
An active skill can add its selected external functions.
- AI updates to customer and conversation dataEnhances
An active skill can supply the data-update or task function.
- Specialist sub-agents for AI tasksEnhances
Target-owned skills can supply specialist instructions and functions.
- AI commerce functions and access limitsEnhances
Skills can expose each commerce operation as a separate capability.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why does my skill not appear in a feature's Skills list?
The feature must support skills, and the skill must be published and available. If saving reported a publication error, correct it and save again.
Why is an assigned skill not loading?
Check eligibility first, then Always active or Activation filters. For intent-based loading, make the Description specific about when the skill is useful.
Why does Always active still exclude some visitors?
Eligibility filters still apply. Always active bypasses activation conditions and intent selection, not eligibility.
Why did adding a skill cause a function conflict?
Check the feature's functions and other active skills for different functions with the same name. Use unique effective names or select the same shared function.
Can I save an unpublished draft from this editor?
The editor publishes after a successful save. It does not provide a separate draft-only save action in this release.