> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rkat.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Skills
> Load, discover, inject, and inspect domain-specific knowledge packs.
For the full guide, see [Skills](/guides/skills).
Recommended progression on this page:
1. discover skills
2. inspect a skill
3. preload skills for a session
4. inject typed skills for the first turn if you do not want a session-level preload
5. inject skills for one specific turn
## List available skills
Discover all skills from every source (project, user, filesystem, git, HTTP, stdio, embedded) with provenance and shadowing info.
```bash theme={null}
# Human-readable table
rkat skill list
# Machine-readable JSON
rkat skill list --json
```
```json theme={null}
{
"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1,
"method": "skills/list",
"params": {}
}
```
```bash theme={null}
curl http://127.0.0.1:8080/skills
```
```json theme={null}
{
"name": "meerkat_skills",
"arguments": { "action": "list" }
}
```
```python theme={null}
skills = await client.list_skills()
for s in skills:
key = s["key"]
print(f"{key['source_uuid']}/{key['skill_name']}: {s['name']}")
```
```typescript theme={null}
const skills = await client.listSkills();
for (const s of skills) {
const key = s.key as { source_uuid: string; skill_name: string };
console.log(`${key.source_uuid}/${key.skill_name}: ${s.name}`);
}
```
```rust theme={null}
let entries = skill_runtime
.list_all_with_provenance(&SkillFilter::default())
.await?;
for entry in &entries {
println!("{}: active={}", entry.descriptor.key, entry.is_active);
}
```
## Inspect a skill
View the full body and metadata of a specific skill by canonical key.
```bash theme={null}
# Inspect the active version
rkat skill inspect task-workflow \
--source-uuid 00000000-0000-4b11-8111-000000000001
# JSON output
rkat skill inspect task-workflow \
--source-uuid 00000000-0000-4b11-8111-000000000001 \
--json
```
```json theme={null}
{
"name": "meerkat_skills",
"arguments": {
"action": "inspect",
"skill_key": {
"source_uuid": "00000000-0000-4b11-8111-000000000001",
"skill_name": "task-workflow"
},
"source": "00000000-0000-4b11-8111-000000000001"
}
}
```
```rust theme={null}
let key = SkillKey::new(
SourceUuid::parse("00000000-0000-4b11-8111-000000000001")?,
SkillName::parse("task-workflow")?,
);
let doc = skill_runtime
.load_from_source(&key, Some("00000000-0000-4b11-8111-000000000001"))
.await?;
println!("{}", doc.body);
```
## Preload skills for a session
Use this when the skill should shape the whole session from the start.
`CLI --skill` is the preload-oriented local path. `preload_skills` is the explicit session-build surface on the APIs.
```bash theme={null}
rkat run "Extract emails" \
--skill email-extractor \
--skill markdown-formatter
```
```json theme={null}
{
"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1,
"method": "session/create",
"params": {
"prompt": "Extract emails",
"preload_skills": [
{
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "email-extractor"
},
{
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}
}
```
```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8080/sessions \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"prompt": "Extract emails",
"preload_skills": [
{
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "email-extractor"
},
{
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}'
```
```json theme={null}
{
"name": "meerkat_run",
"arguments": {
"prompt": "Extract emails",
"preload_skills": [
{
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "email-extractor"
},
{
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}
}
```
```python theme={null}
from meerkat import SkillKey
result = await client.create_session(
"Extract emails",
preload_skills=[
SkillKey(
source_uuid="dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skill_name="email-extractor",
),
SkillKey(
source_uuid="dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skill_name="markdown-formatter",
),
],
)
```
```typescript theme={null}
const result = await client.createSession("Extract emails", {
preloadSkills: [
{
sourceUuid: "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skillName: "email-extractor",
},
{
sourceUuid: "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skillName: "markdown-formatter",
},
],
});
```
```rust theme={null}
let build_opts = SessionBuildOptions {
preload_skills: Some(vec![
SkillKey::new(
SourceUuid::parse("dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f")?,
SkillName::parse("email-extractor")?,
),
SkillKey::new(
SourceUuid::parse("dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f")?,
SkillName::parse("markdown-formatter")?,
),
]),
..Default::default()
};
```
## First-turn skill injection
Use `skill_refs` when the skill should be injected for the first turn rather than preloaded into the session system prompt.
```json theme={null}
{
"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1,
"method": "session/create",
"params": {
"prompt": "Extract emails",
"skill_refs": [
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "email-extractor"
},
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}
}
```
```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8080/sessions \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"prompt": "Extract emails",
"skill_refs": [
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "email-extractor"
},
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}'
```
```json theme={null}
{
"name": "meerkat_run",
"arguments": {
"prompt": "Extract emails",
"skill_refs": [
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "email-extractor"
},
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}
}
```
```python theme={null}
from meerkat import SkillKey
result = await client.create_session(
"Extract emails",
skill_refs=[
SkillKey(
source_uuid="dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skill_name="email-extractor",
),
SkillKey(
source_uuid="dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skill_name="markdown-formatter",
),
],
)
```
```typescript theme={null}
const result = await client.createSession("Extract emails", {
skillRefs: [
{
sourceUuid: "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skillName: "email-extractor",
},
{
sourceUuid: "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skillName: "markdown-formatter",
},
],
});
```
```rust theme={null}
let request = CreateSessionRequest {
model: "claude-sonnet-4-6".into(),
prompt: "Extract emails".into(),
system_prompt: None,
max_tokens: None,
event_tx: None,
render_metadata: None,
skill_references: Some(vec![
SkillKey {
source_uuid: SourceUuid::parse("dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f")?,
skill_name: SkillName::parse("email-extractor")?,
},
SkillKey {
source_uuid: SourceUuid::parse("dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f")?,
skill_name: SkillName::parse("markdown-formatter")?,
},
]),
initial_turn: InitialTurnPolicy::RunImmediately,
deferred_prompt_policy: DeferredPromptPolicy::Discard,
build: None,
labels: None,
};
let result = service.create_session(request).await?;
```
## Per-turn skill injection
Inject skills into a specific turn on an existing session. The skill content is added to the context for that turn only. On the CLI, `--skill` remains the preload-style runtime-local path; the typed per-turn surface is `skill_refs`.
```bash theme={null}
rkat run --resume "Now format the output" \
--skill markdown-formatter
```
```json theme={null}
{
"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 2,
"method": "turn/start",
"params": {
"session_id": "019467d9-7e3a-7000-8000-000000000000",
"prompt": "Now format the output",
"skill_refs": [
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}
}
```
```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/sessions/019467d9-7e3a.../messages \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"prompt": "Now format the output",
"skill_refs": [
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}'
```
```json theme={null}
{
"name": "meerkat_resume",
"arguments": {
"session_id": "019467d9-7e3a-7000-8000-000000000000",
"prompt": "Now format the output",
"skill_refs": [
{
"kind": "structured",
"source_uuid": "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
"skill_name": "markdown-formatter"
}
]
}
}
```
```python theme={null}
from meerkat import SkillKey
result = await session.turn(
"Now format the output",
skill_refs=[
SkillKey(
source_uuid="dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skill_name="markdown-formatter",
)
],
)
```
```typescript theme={null}
const result = await session.turn("Now format the output", {
skillRefs: [
{
sourceUuid: "dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f",
skillName: "markdown-formatter",
},
],
});
```
```rust theme={null}
let result = service.start_turn(&session_id, StartTurnRequest {
prompt: "Now format the output".into(),
system_prompt: None,
event_tx: None,
runtime: StartTurnRuntimeSemantics::new(
None,
HandlingMode::Queue,
Some(vec![SkillKey {
source_uuid: SourceUuid::parse("dc256086-0d2f-4f61-a307-320d4148107f")?,
skill_name: SkillName::parse("markdown-formatter")?,
}]),
None,
Vec::new(),
None,
),
}).await?;
```
If you need the deeper source/precedence model, continue to the main [Skills guide](/guides/skills).
## Next step
* [Examples: Tools](/examples/tools)
* [Examples: Memory](/examples/memory)