> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.neoagent.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Skills Overview > Skills are packages of guidance — and sometimes code — that Neo Agents load on-demand for specific types of tasks Skills are packages of best practices, domain knowledge, and sometimes ready-made code that Neo Agents can load when handling a specific type of task. Unlike tools (which perform actions), a skill provides the **how** — a proven way to approach a task — informed either by years of MSP operational experience or by your own repeatable procedures. ## Two kinds of skills Shipped and maintained by Neo. General MSP best practices that work for every MSP — always available, no setup. Skills you create for your repeatable procedures, so agents produce the same reliable output every time. ## How skills work When an agent starts a task, it evaluates the available skills and loads any that are relevant — automatically, based on the task at hand. Once loaded, the skill gives the agent a tested methodology to follow (and, for some skills, code to run) instead of working everything out from scratch. For example, when an agent picks up a ticket about a malfunctioning printer, it loads the **Resolve Issue** skill to follow a proven diagnosis methodology. When it needs to message the end user, it loads the **End User Communication** skill to keep that message professional and safe. Skills are always available when the agent is enabled. They don't need to be individually toggled on or off. ## Built-in skills Built-in skills are general best practices that Neo ships and keeps up to date — they apply to every MSP and need no configuration. Beyond the two featured below, Neo also ships a library of **internal reference skills** — API references and decision guides for the PSA, RMM, Microsoft 365, and documentation integrations. Agents load these automatically when they use the matching tools, so you may see them in a run's log without ever having set anything up. Structured diagnosis and resolution methodology built for MSP workflows Professional communication guardrails for end user messaging ## Your own skills You can also create skills for *your* recurring jobs — a weekly report, a monthly reconciliation, any multi-step procedure you run again and again. Once a procedure works well, you capture it as a skill so every future run follows the exact same steps and produces the same dependable result. Learn what custom skills are, why they make outputs reliable, and how to create and manage them ## Skills vs. custom instructions & memory Built-in skills provide **general best practices** that work across all MSPs. Custom instructions and [memory](/core/memory) are **specific to your workflows and company**. When there's a conflict, **your instructions always win**. For example: * The End User Communication skill says to use "we" language * Your custom instructions say "always sign off as the technician's first name" * The agent follows your custom instruction Think of built-in skills as sensible defaults, custom instructions and company memory as your overrides, and [your own skills](/agents/skills/custom-skills) as fixed recipes for the specific jobs you run over and over. For the full picture of where each kind of knowledge belongs — instructions, skills, memory, and intents — see [Teaching Neo](/core/teaching-neo).