# Skills

Canonical: https://godspeedmissioncontrol.com/guide/skills

A skill (also called a recipe) is a set of written, step-by-step instructions for one job, such as filing a note or tracking a headache. Godspeed follows it, so you never explain that job twice.

## What a skill looks like

Each skill is a folder in the `skills` folder of your mission control folder. Its `SKILL.md` file holds a `name`, a `description` that says when to use it, and the steps.

In the notebook, **Godspeed's brain** lists every skill under **Skills**. Each is marked **Kept up to date by updates** (it came with Godspeed), **Changed by you** (you edited it) or **Your own** (you added it). A new installation has [66 skills](/guide/skills-list).

## How Godspeed picks one

You never have to name a skill. Godspeed compares your request with each skill's description and follows the one that fits. "track belly 92 cm" reaches the `tracker` skill, because its description covers every message that starts with "track".

Name one ("use the grill-me skill on my plan") and Godspeed follows that skill exactly.

The same skills work in the notebook's chat, in Telegram on a server, and in routines, the jobs Godspeed runs at set times. Claude Code and Codex read them too. In Telegram, every skill is also a command: `/keep_a_note` runs `keep-a-note`.

## Skills that work without being asked

A skill does nothing until you ask for it or a routine uses it. Your first goal starts the routines that use five of them:

- `goal-research` researches your goals every night.
- `next-action` chooses the day's work each morning.
- `work-item` does that work during the day.
- `due` reminds you of the deadlines you named.
- `coach` holds the weekly check-in and the evening habit question.

None of them spends money or sends anything in your name without [your yes](/guide/approvals). With an API key, the research and the daily round use your AI account, so they [cost money](/guide/daily-work).

Other skills run on a schedule only after you ask, such as your morning brief.

## Updates and your changes

An update replaces each skill you never touched. A skill you edited keeps your text, and the update offers its own version in **Settings**, under **Review conflicting edits**. A skill you added is never touched.

A skill you delete comes back with the next update. Leave the ones you do not need: an unused skill does nothing.

## Related

- [Add a skill](/guide/add-a-skill)
- [Write your own skill](/guide/write-a-skill)