Skills
Skill chats
How to start a skill, fill in what it needs and go back to the tree.
# Skill chats ## Starting a skill Open a ready job on the skill tree and select **Start**. The chat opens with the skill loaded. A chip above the conversation shows the department, an arrow and the skill's title. Select the chip to show the skill on the tree again. Before you send your first message, the chip has a button, **Remove Skill**. Select it to turn the chat into an ordinary chat. After the first message the skill stays. ## The start screen The empty chat shows where the skill sits, what it does and whether it can run. - If the skill is not ready, it says what is missing and gives a button, **Back to the Tree**. - If the skill takes no inputs, you see a **Start** button and a note that the brain will ask for anything it needs. - If the skill declares inputs, a form headed **Before we start** shows one field for each. ## The "Before we start" form Fields marked with an asterisk are required. **Start** stays disabled and the form says **Fill in what is marked * to start.** until you have filled them. - A text input is a field. Inputs that expect longer text give you a larger box. - A choice input shows its options as pills. The last pill, **Something else**, opens a field for your own words. - A file input is a text field too, because chats do not take attachments. Name the file as it appears in Files, or paste what matters. See [Files](https://docs.skilltreeos.ai/knowledge/files/). When you select **Start**, the answers go to the brain as the chat's first message: a line `Run <skill title>.`, then what you filled in. You can still type messages of your own in the box. ## Anything the brain still needs During the chat the brain may offer choices, or ask for details one at a time. See [Choices and details](https://docs.skilltreeos.ai/chats/choices-and-details/). ## Links from outside A link can open a skill chat for you, but it can never send a question on your behalf. A question travels with a link only when the app itself built that link from something you typed.Starting a skill
Section titled “Starting a skill”Open a ready job on the skill tree and select Start. The chat opens with the skill loaded. A chip above the conversation shows the department, an arrow and the skill’s title. Select the chip to show the skill on the tree again.
Before you send your first message, the chip has a button, Remove Skill. Select it to turn the chat into an ordinary chat. After the first message the skill stays.
The start screen
Section titled “The start screen”The empty chat shows where the skill sits, what it does and whether it can run.
- If the skill is not ready, it says what is missing and gives a button, Back to the Tree.
- If the skill takes no inputs, you see a Start button and a note that the brain will ask for anything it needs.
- If the skill declares inputs, a form headed Before we start shows one field for each.
The “Before we start” form
Section titled “The “Before we start” form”Fields marked with an asterisk are required. Start stays disabled and the form says Fill in what is marked * to start. until you have filled them.
- A text input is a field. Inputs that expect longer text give you a larger box.
- A choice input shows its options as pills. The last pill, Something else, opens a field for your own words.
- A file input is a text field too, because chats do not take attachments. Name the file as it appears in Files, or paste what matters. See Files.
When you select Start, the answers go to the brain as the chat’s first message: a line Run <skill title>., then what you filled in. You can still type messages of your own in the box.
Anything the brain still needs
Section titled “Anything the brain still needs”During the chat the brain may offer choices, or ask for details one at a time. See Choices and details.
Links from outside
Section titled “Links from outside”A link can open a skill chat for you, but it can never send a question on your behalf. A question travels with a link only when the app itself built that link from something you typed.