# What are skills?

A skill is a saved set of instructions that teaches Bluedeer how to do one job well, such as a deal brief or a support reply. You choose one with "/" in a chat, or Bluedeer picks it when your message clearly fits.

A skill is a saved set of instructions that teaches Bluedeer how to do one job well, for example "write a weekly status update" or "draft a reply to a support email". A skill can also carry a few text files, such as examples, a style guide or a template.

These steps are for the web app. For the phone, see [Use skills on the phone](https://support.bluedeer.ai/mobile/general/use-skills-on-the-phone.md).

## How a skill is used

- **You choose it.** Type **/** at the start of a message and pick a skill from the list. See [Use a skill with "/"](https://support.bluedeer.ai/bluedeer/skills/use-a-skill-with-slash.md).
- **Bluedeer picks it.** When your message clearly matches one of the skills you have turned on, Bluedeer uses it by itself.

Either way, the reply shows a small **Using** chip with the skill's name, for example **Using Deal brief**. The chip stays on the reply when you open the chat again later. Select it to open the skill.

Bluedeer can use up to three skills in one reply.

## What a skill is not

- It is not your custom instructions, which apply to every chat.
- It is not a project's instructions, which apply to every chat in that project.
- It is not memory, which is what Bluedeer learned about you.

A skill sits idle until you choose it or it clearly fits. It never changes your settings and never gives Bluedeer extra permissions. Connector permissions, the workspace's integration switches and your plan's tools apply exactly as before.

## Where skills live

Skills are in **Customization** → **Skills**, for the workspace you have selected. You can have different skills in each workspace.

- **Discover** shows skills you have not added yet: skills written by Bluedeer and skills people shared in this workspace.
- **Yours** shows the skills you added or made here, each with an on/off switch.

Visualization and Scheduling are on in every workspace from the start. They are how Bluedeer makes charts and diagrams, and how it schedules tasks.

## Skills from plugins

A plugin adds several skills at once, with the apps, pages and tasks around them. Its skills work like any other and say which plugin they came from, such as **from Meetings**. See [What are plugins?](https://support.bluedeer.ai/bluedeer/plugins/what-are-plugins.md)

## Related

- [Find, try and add skills](https://support.bluedeer.ai/bluedeer/skills/find-try-and-add-skills.md)
- [Make your own skill](https://support.bluedeer.ai/bluedeer/skills/make-your-own-skill.md)
- [How many skills you can turn on](https://support.bluedeer.ai/bluedeer/skills/skill-limits.md)