Create and manage Rovo skills

This experience is in beta.

Skills are reusable instructions that tell Rovo how to approach a specific type of task. While tools instruct an agent to act, skills tell it how to act well, applying best practices so work gets done consistently and reliably without starting from scratch each time.

Create your own skills to teach Rovo how to handle tasks you repeat. Save your instructions once, then use the skill in Rovo Chat whenever you need the same process.

You can create a skill in two ways:

  • Describe what you’re after. Rovo turns your request into a skill. You can do this in Rovo Chat or from the chat input in Studio.

  • Build it manually in Studio. Enter the name, summary, description, instructions, and tools yourself.

For example, you could create a skill that turns your team's Jira activity into a weekly update, using your preferred structure and level of detail.

Rovo also includes Atlassian-built skills for common tasks. Read more about skills

Understand custom skills

The ability to create and manage your own skills is in open beta. During this beta:

  • Skills you create are personal to you and can’t be accessed by an admin.

  • You can share a copy of a skill, but you can't give someone direct access to your skill.


Create a skill in Rovo Chat

To use Rovo Chat to create a skill:

  1. Navigate to Rovo Chat from your preferred app.

  2. Type /build-skill, or ask Rovo to create a skill for you.

  3. Describe the task you want to create. Include the information the skill needs, the steps it should follow, the tools it should use, and the result you want.

  4. Answer any questions Rovo asks, then review the proposed skill. Ask Rovo to change anything that doesn't match how you work.

  5. Select Confirm to save the skill.

Here’s an example prompt:

Create a skill for my weekly delivery update. Ask me for the Jira project and reporting period. Summarize completed work, blockers, and next steps, and link to the relevant work items. Use a short paragraph followed by a table with the owner and next action.

Create a skill with Rovo in Studio

To use chat in Studio to create your skills:

  1. Select Studio from the app switcher ().

  2. Use the chat input on the Studio home page to describe the skill you want to create.

  3. Include the task, the information the skill should ask for, the steps it should follow, the tools it should use, and the format of the result.

  4. Review the skill Rovo drafts for you. Update the name, summary, description, instructions, or tools if you need to.

  5. Select Confirm to save the skill.

Create a skill manually in Studio

You can build a skill manually if you already have a clear idea of the configuration you want.

To build your own skill in Studio:

  1. Select Studio from the app switcher ().

  2. From the top navigation, select Start from scratch, then select Skills.

  3. Fill in the name, summary, description, instruction, and tool field as required.

  4. Review the skill, then select Publish to save.

Here’s a bit about what to include in each field:

  • Name: This becomes the skill's slash command and skill tag. Each skill name must be unique.

  • Summary (optional): A short description to help people spot the skill. Displays on the skill card.

  • Description: What the skill does and when to use it. Great for skill routing.

  • Instructions: The steps for Rovo to follow, any decisions it needs to make, and the format of the result.

To get the best results out of your skills, we suggest starting with one task and describe what a complete result looks like. Make sure to list any information Rovo needs, and tell it to ask when something is missing.

It’s also helpful to write the steps in the order they should happen, and explain any decision that changes the next step.

And be sure to specify what format, length, and level of detail you want. Add a short example when it helps. Or, ask to review the result before Rovo takes another action.

We suggest testing the skill with a real example so you can refine the instructions as you go. If the result misses a step, check the instructions describe that step, and that the skill has the tools and information it needs.

If you find that Rovo can't save your skill, check the error message in the editor — you may need to resolve a duplicate name or add a missing required field, then try again.

Skills must follow Rovo data, privacy, and usage guidelines. More about the guidelines


Find and use your skills

In Studio, select Skills to see the skills you've created. Anything you’ve built is listed under Your skills at the top of the list.

To find and use a skill in Chat:

  1. Open Rovo Chat.

  2. Enter a forward slash () followed by your skills name. For example /my-skill

  3. Or, select Add (), then Browse skills.

  4. Send your prompt and review the result.

Read more about using skills in Chat


Edit a skill

You can edit a skill directly in Rovo Chat. Type /build-skill, name the skill you want to change, and describe your changes. Review the updated skill before you save it.

To edit a skill in Studio:

  1. Select Skills, find the skill you want to change, and open More actions ().

  2. Select Edit, then update the name, summary, description, instructions, or tools.

  3. Select Publish to save your changes, then review the the skill again in Chat.


Upload a skill

If you’ve already written a skill for another AI tool in the open Agent Skills format, you can upload its SKILL.md file instead of rebuilding it.

Before you begin

  • Upload one SKILL.md file at a time. .zip files, supporting files and scripts aren’t supported yet.

  • The file needs a name and description, following the Agent Skills specification.

Rovo checks each file before saving it, and won’t create a skill from a file that isn’t valid, contains scripts or executable code, or doesn’t meet Atlassian’s security and usage policies.

To upload a skill in Rovo Chat:

  1. Open Rovo Chat.

  2. In Browse skills, select Add (), then Upload skill.

  3. Select your SKILL.md file.

  4. Review the preview, then select Create skill.

  5. Rovo will turn the file into a draft skill.

  6. Review the draft, then select Confirm to save.

To upload a skill in Studio:

  1. Select Studio from the app switcher.

  2. In the header, open the Create dropdown, then select Upload a skill.

  3. Select your SKILL.md file. The skill editor opens with the fields pre-filled from your file.

  4. Review the name, summary, description and instructions, and add any tools the skill needs.

  5. Select Publish to save.

If you already have a skill with the same name, rename the uploaded skill before you save it.


Share your skills

You can send someone who uses the same site a link to your skills. They can review each skill and save their own version, which they’ll the manage separately from yours. Keep in mind, skills are personal at the moment, and not viewable by other users unless you share them.

To send a link to your skill:

  1. Open the skills directory in Rovo Chat, or select Browse skills from the skills list in Studio.

  2. From the Your skills list, find the skill you want to copy, then open More actions ().

  3. Select Copy link.

  4. Send the link to the person you want to share it with.

Anyone who opens the link can see the skill details, including the instructions, so check the content before you share it.

You can only share skills with users who are on the same site as you.

Links don't expire. Recipients can't save from a link if the original skills are no longer available.

Save a skill someone sends you

  1. Open the link to the skills.

  2. Review the skills and select the ones you want to copy.

  3. If a skill has the same name as one you already have, rename it or deselect it.

  4. Select Duplicate skill.

Atlassian-built skills in a link aren't copied, because they're already available to all Rovo users. If a skill doesn't save, check the message shown for that skill and resolve the error.


Delete a skill

You can delete skills you created from Studio or Chat.

  1. Select Skills, find the skill you want to delete, and open More actions ().

  2. Select Delete, then confirm.

Still need help?

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