How to use skills in Worklayer

Use Case: When you have a repeatable workflow you run every week (like bug prioritization or sprint summaries) Time to Complete: 1-2 minutes to invoke, varies by skill Prerequisites: Workspace set up, skills created (or use built-in skills)

Quick Answer

In Worklayer, skills are repeatable commands (like /bug-prioritizer or /generate-prd) that run specific workflows consistently. Invoke skills by typing /skill-name or a natural trigger phrase, and the skill executes its predefined steps automatically.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Understand Skills vs Agents

Skill: Repeatable command that runs a specific workflow

Example: /bug-prioritizer, /generate-prd, /sprint-summary
Use for: Tasks you run every sprint with consistent steps

Agent: Role-based AI helper that's conversational

Example: @release-planner, @user-research-analyst
Use for: Exploratory work, strategic thinking

Step 2: Invoke a Skill

Type /skill-name or use a natural trigger phrase.

Example:

/bug-prioritizer

Or:

Prioritize bugs based on company goals

Step 3: Let the Skill Execute

The skill runs its predefined workflow:

Pulls data (e.g., bugs from Jira)
Reads context files (e.g., goals, priorities)
Analyzes and suggests actions
Shows you a review table
Waits for your approval

Step 4: Review and Approve

Check the skill's output (e.g., suggested priority changes) and approve or reject.

Example:

Skill shows:

Bug	Current Priority	Suggested Priority	Reasoning
WL-101	P3	P1	Blocks alpha testing
WL-102	P1	P2	Annoying but not blocking

Approve these changes? [Yes/No]

Step 5: Skill Executes (if approved)

If you approve, the skill completes its workflow (e.g., updates Jira priorities).

Example: End-to-End Workflow

Let's use a Bug Prioritizer skill.

Step 1: Invoke skill:

/bug-prioritizer

Step 2: Skill executes workflow:

1. Pulling open bugs from Jira...
   Found 5 bugs: WL-101, WL-102, WL-103, WL-104, WL-105

2. Reading company goals from Context/Company/goals-and-okrs.md...
   Current priority: "Validate product-market fit with alpha users"

3. Analyzing bugs against goals...

4. Suggesting priority changes:

Step 3: Skill shows review table:

Bug Key	Summary	Current	Suggested	Reasoning
WL-101	Visual mode crashes with Mermaid	P3	P1	Blocks alpha testing; core feature
WL-102	Planner doesn't refresh	P1	P2	Annoying but workaround exists
WL-103	MCP fails silently	P2	P1	Critical for Jira workflow
WL-104	File search slow with 1000+ files	P3	P3	Edge case; most users have 100 files
WL-105	Skill builder doesn't validate fields	P2	P1	Blocks skill creation workflow

Approve these priority changes? [Yes/No]

Step 4: You approve:

Yes

Step 5: Skill updates Jira:

✓ Updated WL-101 → P1
✓ Updated WL-102 → P2
✓ Updated WL-103 → P1
✓ Updated WL-105 → P1

3 bugs re-prioritized in Jira.

Time: 2 minutes → bugs prioritized consistently based on goals

Tips & Best Practices

Create skills for weekly tasks: If you run a workflow every sprint (bug prioritization, sprint summaries, stakeholder updates), create a skill for it.
Skills wait for approval: Well-designed skills show you a review table before taking action (updating Jira, creating files). Always include approval steps.
Ground skills in context: Skills should read Context files (goals, priorities, personas) to make decisions, not arbitrary rules.
Name skills clearly: Use descriptive names like /bug-prioritizer or /sprint-summary, not /skill-1 or /helper.
Test skills before using: After creating a skill, run it once on test data to verify it works correctly before using it on real work.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using skills for exploratory work: If you're unsure what to do or need to think through options, use an agent, not a skill. Skills are for execution, not exploration.
Skills without approval steps: Don't create skills that automatically update Jira or send messages without showing you a review table first. Always include approval.
Not updating skills: If your company goals change, update skills that reference those goals. Otherwise skills will make decisions based on outdated priorities.