58 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
58 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
# Agent vs Skill
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Critical distinction—agents and skills serve different purposes.
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## Comparison
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| Aspect | Agents | Skills |
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|--------|--------|--------|
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| **Location** | `agents/*.md` | `skills/*/SKILL.md` |
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| **Structure** | Single markdown file | Directory with resources |
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| **Invocation** | Explicit via Task tool | Automatic via context |
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| **Parameter** | `subagent_type` in Task | N/A |
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| **Scope** | Narrow, specialized | Broad capability |
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| **Trigger** | "Use X agent to..." | Automatic on keywords |
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| **Context** | Separate conversation | Main conversation |
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## When to Use Agents
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- Specialized expertise for specific task types
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- Task requires separate context/conversation thread
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- Compartmentalized work (security review, testing)
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- Narrow specialization that shouldn't pollute main context
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- Clear handoff between roles (review → implement → test)
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## When to Use Skills
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- Capabilities available throughout conversation
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- Expertise applies to many task types
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- Claude autonomously decides when to use it
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- Capability is a tool/technique, not a role
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- Resources (scripts, templates) need bundling
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## Combined Usage
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Use both together for layered capability:
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```
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# Skill: code-review (capability)
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skills/code-review/SKILL.md
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- Provides review techniques
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- Available in all conversations
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- Claude uses when reviewing
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# Agent: security-reviewer (specialized role)
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agents/security-reviewer.md
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- Uses review techniques from skill
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- Focused exclusively on security
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- Invoked for security-specific reviews
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```
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## Quick Decision
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```
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Need specialized expertise for one task type? → Agent
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Need capability across many task types? → Skill
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Need both focused role AND broad technique? → Both
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```
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