--- title: "Add workflows with Skills" description: "Install, manage, and use reusable Bearly workflows from the Skill Store or a trusted source." canonical: "https://bearly.ai/docs/features/skills/" markdown: "https://bearly.ai/docs/features/skills.md" --- # Add workflows with Skills HTML: [https://bearly.ai/docs/features/skills/](https://bearly.ai/docs/features/skills/) > Install, manage, and use reusable Bearly workflows from the Skill Store or a trusted source. Skills are reusable packages of instructions and optional supporting files. They give Bearly a consistent method for a particular kind of work, such as reviewing a document, preparing a deliverable, or following a team's process. Installing and managing Skills requires the Bearly desktop app for macOS, Windows, or Linux. A conversation that used a Skill remains readable on the web or on mobile, but return to the desktop app when the Skill needs its installed files or needs to run a local action. ## Install a Skill from the Skill Store 1. **Open Skills from a chat** In the Bearly desktop app, select the plus icon beside the message box. Under **Settings**, select **Skills**. Bearly opens **Settings** → **Skills** at the **Skill Store**. 2. **Browse a repository** Under **Skill repositories**, select a repository to expand it. Bearly reads the repository when you open it and then lists the Skills it contains. 3. **Review the source before installing** Select **Install** beside the Skill you want. Read the **Install third-party skill?** notice, including the source location and its warning about instructions and scripts. 4. **Confirm the installation** Select **I understand the risks** only when you trust the source. The Skill then appears under **Installed** with an **Enabled** status. If your organization controls who can add Skills, the store may offer **Request** instead of **Install**. You can still browse available repositories and pause Skills that are already installed. > **Caution — A Skill can contain actions, not just advice** > Third-party Skills can include instructions and files that Bearly may run on your computer. A malicious or mistaken Skill could change or delete data. Review the source, consider which files it can reach, and do not install a Skill merely because its name sounds useful. ## Use a Skill in a chat 1. Open a new or existing chat in the desktop app. 2. Type `/skill`, then select **Use _skill name_** from the **Skills** group. The chat shows a **Skill _skill name_** control beside the composer. 3. Describe the work you want done. Include the source material, desired result, and any boundaries that matter. 4. Send the message. Bearly opens the selected Skill and follows its instructions while answering. An enabled Skill may also be used when your request clearly matches its purpose. Selecting it with `/skill` is the clearest way to tell Bearly which workflow you want. If the Skill needs to run a local file, Bearly shows a **Run script** permission request. Open **Details** to review the command, reason, and other information. Select **Allow** only when it matches the task, or **Deny** to keep it from running. Denying the action does not prevent you from continuing the chat with a different approach. ## Pause, enable, or remove a Skill Return to the plus icon → **Skills**, then use the controls under **Installed**: - **Pause** keeps the Skill installed but removes it from the chat's available Skills. Select **Enable** when you want to use it again. - **Uninstall** removes an installed Skill from this desktop. - **Unlink** removes Bearly's connection to a linked folder without deleting the original folder. A Skill marked **Managed by your team** comes from a team policy. You can pause or enable it, but a team administrator must change or remove the policy assignment. ## Install from a trusted source The Skill Store is the simplest starting point. If a trusted publisher gives you installation details, open **Install from source**: - Under **Git**, enter the repository address and select **Add Repository**. Keep the supplied folder and version details, or leave the defaults when the publisher does not specify them. Expand the new repository under **Skill repositories** to install an individual Skill. - Under **URL ZIP**, enter the HTTPS address and its **SHA-256** verification code, then select **Install**. The publisher should provide both values. - Under **Folder**, select **Import Folder** to copy a Skill into Bearly, or **Link Folder** to keep using it from its original location. You can choose one Skill folder or a parent folder that contains several Skills. Each Skill folder must contain the file that identifies it as a Skill. If Bearly reports **No SKILL.md files found in this repository**, check the publisher's instructions or choose the correct folder. > **Note** > Public GitHub repositories can still be added when Bearly reports that Git is unavailable. Private repositories require Git to be available on the computer. ## Use Skills in a project or managed team Installed Skills belong to the current desktop. A project or team policy can also decide which of those Skills are available in particular chats. - In a project, open **Settings** and find **Skills**. Project owners and writers can add, pause, or remove shared Skills; other collaborators see **View only**. - On a managed team, an administrator can supply Skills or limit whether members may add, use, or run them. See [Set team policies](https://bearly.ai/docs/teams/policies.md). A Skill can therefore be installed and enabled on your computer but absent from one chat because that project's settings or your team's policy does not include it. ## If a Skill is unavailable | What you see | What to do | | --- | --- | | **Use Skills in the desktop app** | Open the same account in Bearly for macOS, Windows, or Linux. | | **Update Bearly to use Skills** | Install the current desktop release, reopen Bearly, and try again. | | The Skill is missing after `/skill` | Open **Settings** → **Skills**, confirm it is **Enabled**, then reopen the chat. Also check whether the chat's project or team policy limits Skills. | | A repository will not load | Check your connection, close and reopen **Skills**, then expand the repository again. | | A linked Skill stopped working | Make sure its original folder still exists at the same location. If it moved, **Unlink** it and use **Link Folder** again. | | A local action was denied | Send a new message with a safer plan, or retry and select **Allow** only after the **Run script** details match your intent. | If all you need is a reusable instruction with a few fill-in fields, [create a Prompt Template](https://bearly.ai/docs/features/prompt-templates.md) instead. Prompt Templates do not install files or run local actions. ## Continue through the documentation - [Documentation index](https://bearly.ai/docs.md): Browse every Bearly guide. - [Previous: Work with files in a chat](https://bearly.ai/docs/chats/files.md) - [Next: Analyze data with Code Interpreter](https://bearly.ai/docs/features/code-interpreter.md) - [Related: Set team policies](https://bearly.ai/docs/teams/policies.md) - [Related: Create reusable Prompt Templates](https://bearly.ai/docs/features/prompt-templates.md)