Agent Skillsยท6 min read
Agent Skills vs. Tools: The Distinction That Matters
Why the best agent builders separate "what an agent can do" from "what it knows how to do well."
Agent Skills vs. Tools
A tool is a capability โ "send_email", "search_web".
A skill is a packaged way of solving a recurring problem โ "respond to a refund request", "write a board update".
Tools are primitives. Skills are playbooks built on top of them. The agents that feel magical have a small set of well-defined skills, not an enormous tool box.