Sep 12, 2026 · AI Agent Skill · Compare · 1 min read

Skills teach order. MCP does the privileged action.

Markdown versus a running process. Most products need both, on a clean boundary.

Compare

A skill decides whether to act and in what order. MCP touches tickets, databases, browsers, or billed APIs. If you are unsure, start with a skill. Promote a step to MCP only when the agent must leave the working tree.

The Skills vs MCP guide has the comparison table. MCP Builder and Skill Creator cover the two authoring jobs.

Install a skill from the directory

Open the catalog, or continue in the matching install and authoring guides.

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Guides

Agents load SKILL.md, not a store card

An Agent Skill is a folder with a when-to-use line. A store rating does not replace YAML triggers.

Guides

Install one skill on Claude, Cursor, Codex, and Grok

The file contract is shared. The directory name is not. Confirm the path before you blame the agent.

Authoring

Write when-to-use before you write the steps

Discovery is three lines: name, description, when to use. Steps can wait. The trigger cannot.

Install a skill from the directory

Related Posts

Agents load SKILL.md, not a store card

Install one skill on Claude, Cursor, Codex, and Grok

Write when-to-use before you write the steps