Extend AI in SharePoint with skills

Note

This article applies to the preview version of AI capabilities in SharePoint (previously referred to as Knowledge Agent).

Important

AI in SharePoint capabilities require sites to be explicitly opted in to the AI in SharePoint public preview, or for the tenant to be opted in at the tenant level. Sites that are not opted in do not receive preview benefits.

Skills extend AI in SharePoint by turning a repeatable, multi-step workflow into a reusable asset that others can run on the same site. A skill can capture organization-specific rules, such as document standards or review checklists, so that AI in SharePoint performs tasks more consistently than one-off prompts.

You can create a skill in chat using natural language, review the draft before saving it, and then reuse that skill across future prompts. AI in SharePoint can automatically load a relevant skill based on your request, or you can invoke a skill explicitly by name.

What you'll learn

Review how skills work in AI in SharePoint.
Create a skill from a natural-language request.
Run a skill and confirm that it loaded.
Locate and manage skill files in the Agent Assets library.

What skills can do

Skills reuse the built-in capabilities of AI in SharePoint and can chain those building blocks into a sequence of steps. Depending on what AI in SharePoint supports on your site, a skill can understand and summarize content, organize files and folders, and interact with SharePoint content such as lists.

Note

Skills can't connect to external systems or execute custom code. A skill can only perform actions the user already has permission to do and doesn't expand access or introduce new capabilities beyond what AI in SharePoint provides.

Where skills are stored

Skills are stored as Markdown (.md) files in the Agent Assets library on the site, under /Agent Assets/Skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md. You can create and manage skills through chat, and you can also review the underlying .md file directly if needed. If you edit the .md file directly, keep the format intact so AI in SharePoint can continue to interpret the skill correctly.

Governance and permissions

Skills are a native capability within AI in SharePoint. There are no separate admin controls to turn skills on or off. By default, skills are available only within the first-party AI in SharePoint experience.

The Agent Assets library is created and managed by the product and can't be deleted. You can, however, apply standard SharePoint file governance to skill files (for example, permissions, retention, sensitivity labels, and auditing) the same way you would for other content stored in SharePoint.

By default, any user with Edit permissions on the site can create a skill, and any user with View permissions can use it. If you need a different model, you can break permission inheritance on the Agent Assets library and apply more restrictive permissions.

Prerequisites

Access to a SharePoint site where AI in SharePoint is available.
Permissions to the site: Edit to create skills, View to run skills.

Create a skill

Open the AI in SharePoint chat panel from a site page or a document library. Make sure the page isn't in edit mode.
Ask the agent to create a skill by describing the workflow you want to reuse.

Tip

Example prompt: "Create a skill to review legal contracts to verify whether contract documents mention a lawyer ID in the xxx-xxx format (where x is an alphanumeric character). If a contract is not valid, add the document name to the Invalid Contracts list. Create the list with relevant columns if it doesn't exist."
Review the draft skill definition that the agent returns. If needed, ask the agent to adjust the steps, inputs, or outputs.
Confirm that you want to save the skill.

Run a skill

In the document library, select one or more files that you want the skill to work on. This step is optional but recommended for testing.
In chat, ask a question or give an instruction that matches the skill's purpose. AI in SharePoint automatically loads the right skills needed to execute the prompt.
If needed, invoke the skill explicitly by name. For example, "Run skill name on the selected documents."
When the agent runs your request, look for the skill indicator card in the chat UI to confirm that a skill was loaded. Provide any additional details the agent asks for.