Skills

Skills are reusable instructions for particular tasks. For example, a skill could guide Ziva to add one small feature at a time and explain how to try it in your game.

How skills work

Ziva can use a skill automatically when its description matches your request. You can also load one yourself with a command.

Security note: Skills can tell Ziva to perform actions and may include code that runs on your computer. Review a skill’s files before using it. Only use skills you trust.

Skill commands

Type /skill:name in the message box, replacing name with the skill’s name. For a skill named simple-game-guide:


/skill:simple-game-guide

You can add a request after the command:


/skill:simple-game-guide Add a collectible coin.

That request is added after the skill’s instructions.

Skills vs slash commands

Use a custom command for a saved request you want to send manually. Use a skill for instructions Ziva should choose when a particular task comes up. For preferences that should apply throughout your project, use AGENTS.md.

Optional: create and configure your own skill

Creating a skill

In your game’s folder, create .ziva/skills/simple-game-guide/.
Add a text file named SKILL.md with the example below.
Add any supporting files alongside it, if needed.

SKILL.md format

The fields between --- lines are called frontmatter. They tell Ziva the skill’s name and when to use it. The rest of the file contains its instructions.


---
name: simple-game-guide
description: Use when adding a small feature to a beginner's 2D Godot game.
---
 
# Simple game guide
 
I'm new to Godot. Keep this a simple 2D game.
 
- Explain the change in plain language.
- Add only the feature I asked for.
- Explain how I can try the feature in Godot.
- Ask before adding any extra game mechanics.

Skill structure

Each skill needs its own folder containing SKILL.md. Supporting files are optional:


simple-game-guide/
├── SKILL.md
└── examples/
    └── coin-request.md

Reference supporting files using relative paths, such as examples/coin-request.md, and say when Ziva should read them.

Frontmatter fields

Field	Required	Description
`name`	No	Skill identifier; defaults to the folder name. See the name rules below.
`description`	Yes	What the skill does and when to use it. Maximum 1024 characters.
`license`	No	License name or reference to a bundled file.
`compatibility`	No	Environment requirements. Maximum 500 characters.
`metadata`	No	Extra information as key-value pairs.
`allowed-tools`	No	Not used by Ziva. Listing a tool here does not pre-approve it.
`disable-model-invocation`	No	When `true`, Ziva cannot choose the skill automatically; you must load it manually.

Name rules

Names must be 1-64 characters, using lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only. They cannot start or end with a hyphen or contain consecutive hyphens.

Valid: simple-game-guide, coin-helper. Invalid: SimpleGame, -coin, coin--helper.

Description best practices

Say what task the skill is for and when to use it. For example, “Use when adding a small feature to a beginner’s 2D Godot game” is more useful than “Helps with games.”

Keep the shared instructions in SKILL.md. Put detailed examples in supporting files and say when to read them.

Locations

Ziva loads skills from these folders, highest priority first:

<project>/.ziva/skills/
<project>/.agents/skills/
~/.ziva/skills/
~/.agents/skills/

<project> is your game’s folder. ~ means your home folder. Project skills apply to that project; home-folder skills are available across projects on this computer.

A skill in a higher-priority location replaces one with the same name found lower down.