> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.charmos.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skills & MCP Tools

Skills extend an agent with external tools or MCP-compatible capabilities.

## When to Use Skills

Use skills when your agent needs capabilities beyond normal Python code, such as:

* browser tools,
* service integrations,
* local automation wrappers,
* MCP servers,
* reusable task-specific tooling.

## Configure Skills

Skills belong under `runtime.skills` in `charm.yaml`.

```yaml theme={"theme":{"light":"min-light","dark":"min-dark"}}
runtime:
  skills:
    - name: "my-skill"
      source: "git:https://github.com/example/my-skill"
```

## Source Types

Supported sources may include:

* Git repositories.
* HTTPS zip archives.
* NPM packages.
* PyPI packages.
* Local development sources.

## Runtime Mode

Many MCP skills require browser or system-level dependencies. If your skill fails to load due to missing dependencies, you may need to use `adapter.type: openclaw` or provide a `custom_image` that includes those binaries.

## Best Practices

* Pin versions where possible.
* Document required secrets.
* Keep skill dependencies small.
* Test with Docker before publishing.