---
title: "Create and manage custom skills"
slug: "create-and-manage-custom-skills"
updated: 2026-10-13T07:30:44Z
published: 2026-10-13T07:30:44Z
canonical: "help.gong.io/create-and-manage-custom-skills"
---

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

# Create and manage custom skills

> **Who can use this**: Team members with the required permission
> 
> **Available on**: Gong Foundation
> 
> **Required permissions:** Manage company agents, skills and automations

If you want several agents to follow the same guidance, create a skill and publish it to make it available to add to agents. For an existing skill, edit it, change it to a draft, duplicate it to start a new one, or delete it. Learn more about [how skills work](/v1/docs/about-custom-skills).

## Create a skill

A skill needs a name, a description, and instructions. Save it as a draft to keep working on it, or publish it to make it available to agents.

**To create a skill:**

1. From the left sidebar, click **Assets**, and select **Skills**.
2. Click **New skill**.
3. Enter the skill's details in the **Name**, **Description**, and **Instructions** fields.
4. Save the skill:
  - **Save as draft:** Saves the skill without making it available to agents.
  - **Publish:** Saves the skill and makes it available to add to agents.

The following table describes each field.

| Field | What to enter |
| --- | --- |
| Name | A unique name of up to 64 characters, using letters, numbers, and spaces only. |
| Description | What the skill does and when an agent should apply it, up to 1,024 characters. |
| Instructions | The guidance an agent follows when it uses the skill, up to 100,000 characters. |

> [!TIP]
> Tip:
> 
> You can also create a skill while you add skills to an agent. Learn more about [adding skills to agents](/v1/docs/add-custom-skills-to-agents).

## Edit a skill

Changes to a published skill take effect in every agent that uses it as soon as you publish them. Check the **Used by** column to see how many agents use a skill before you edit it, and click the count to see which ones.

**To edit a skill:**

1. From the left sidebar, click **Assets**, and select **Skills**.
2. Click the skill's row, or click the **Row actions** icon in the row, and select **Edit**.
3. Change the fields you want to update.
4. Save your changes:
  - Draft skill: Click **Save changes** to keep the skill a draft, or click **Publish** to make it available to agents.
  - Published skill: Click **Publish changes**. If agents use the skill, review them in the **Publish changes to skill?** dialog, and click **Publish changes** again.

> [!NOTE]
> Note:
> 
> You can't save edits to a published skill without publishing them.

## Change a skill to a draft

A draft skill no longer appears when you add skills to an agent.

**To change a published skill to a draft:**

1. From the left sidebar, click **Assets**, and select **Skills**.
2. Click the published skill's row. The skill definition opens in a side panel.
3. Click the **More options** icon in the header, and select **Change to draft**.

> [!NOTE]
> Note:
> 
> If agents use the skill, **Change to draft** is unavailable. Hover over it to see how many agents use the skill, and click **View agents** to see which ones. Remove the skill from those agents, and then try again. Learn more about [adding skills to agents](/v1/docs/add-custom-skills-to-agents).

## Duplicate or delete a skill

Duplicate a skill to start a new one from an existing one. Delete a skill you no longer need. Deleting is permanent. You can’t delete a skill that is added to an agent.

**To duplicate or delete a skill:**

1. From the left sidebar, click **Assets**, and select **Skills**.
2. Click the **Row actions** icon in the skill's row, and select an option:
  - **Duplicate:** Opens a form with the name Copy of [skill name]. Change the fields you want, and then click **Save as draft** or **Publish**.
  - **Delete:** Click **Delete** in the **Delete skill?** dialog to confirm.

Gong’s core platform for gaining advanced visibility into your revenue operations. Also the prerequisite license needed for Gong’s add-on packages. Access to features depends on your [company’s plan and your assigned seat](/v1/docs/plans-and-seats).