# What is an agent skill in Provely?

> One `SKILL.md` file in the Anthropic format. An agent loads it and follows the instructions in it. The Provely definition, with an example.

Canonical: https://provely.sh/glossary/agent-skill  
Last reviewed: 2026-09-05  

**An Agent Skill is one `SKILL.md` file in the Anthropic format. An agent loads it and follows the instructions in it. Provely ships two kinds: the product skill, and one skill for each compiled integration.**

The product skill is `provely-outcome-verification`. It teaches an agent to verify a side-effecting action before it claims that the action is complete, and Provely renders it for each agent host. Read [the agent integrations](/agents).

Each compiled integration ships one skill of its own, for example `provely-stripe`. It names the contracts of that provider and states the loop: begin, act, action-result, verify. The machine plan stays in the signed manifest, and never in the file.

An Agent Skill from someone else can call a provider itself. Provely guards it at the call, exactly as it guards an MCP server. Read [what Provely refuses when your agent calls an MCP server](/mcp-guard).

## Read next

- [Read the definition of Integration](https://provely.sh/glossary/integration)
- [Read the definition of MCP server](https://provely.sh/glossary/mcp-server)
- [Read the definition of Guard](https://provely.sh/glossary/guard)
- [See every glossary term](https://provely.sh/glossary)
- [Read how Provely works](https://provely.sh/how-it-works)