What Are Skills?
Skills are reusable instruction sets that teach Perplexity Computer how to perform specific tasks. Think of them as specialized playbooks — when a skill is active, Computer follows its instructions to produce consistent, high-quality output for that type of task.
Skills operate similarly to AI workers you can recruit for specific jobs. When you need a presentation built, a dataset analyzed, or research conducted, you don't install software—you hire the right specialist for the task.
For example, the Slides skill tells Computer exactly how to build polished presentations, while the Research skill guides it through a rigorous multi-round research methodology with source validation and citations.
Skills activate on demand based on your query. They are available in Perplexity Computer and can be accessed from the skills page or activated automatically when relevant during a conversation.
Skills Work Together
Computer often combines multiple skills to complete a complex task. For example, a research project might use the Research skill to gather information, then hand off to the Research Report skill to format findings, or pass to the Slides skill to create a presentation. This happens automatically behind the scenes.
Creating Your Own Skills
Computer includes a suite of built-in skills out of the box. However, if these don't match your specific workflow, you can create custom skills to tailor Perplexity's behavior for your own workflows. There are two ways to do this:
Create with Perplexity
In Computer, go to the Skills page
Click Create skill
Select Create with Perplexity
Describe the task you want the skill to handle — Perplexity will help you build the skill through a conversation
This is the easiest way to get started and doesn't require any technical knowledge.
Upload a Skill
If you prefer to import existing skills, you can upload them directly:
In Computer, go to the Skills page
Click Create skill
Select Upload a skill
Drag and drop your file or click to browse
File requirements:
Upload a
.zipfile with aSKILL.mdfile at the root level, or upload a.mdfile directlySKILL.mdmust include a YAML frontmatter block with a name and descriptionMaximum file size: 10 MB
Example SKILL.md format:
--- name: weekly-summary description: Summarize the week's key events into a concise executive briefing. Use when asked for a weekly summary, week-in-review, or status update. --- # Weekly Summary ## Instructions 1. Gather the most important events and updates from the past week 2. Organize by theme or priority 3. Write a concise summary with key takeaways 4. Include action items if applicable
Tips for writing effective skills:
The description field is critical — Perplexity uses it to decide when to activate the skill, so include keywords and trigger phrases (e.g., "Use when asked to create a presentation")
The name must be lowercase with hyphens only (e.g.,
my-custom-skill), between 1 and 64 charactersInclude clear step-by-step instructions in the body of the file
Add examples of expected inputs and outputs whenever possible
Managing Skills
Browsing and Searching
The Skills page has two tabs:
My Skills — Skills you've created or uploaded
Perplexity Skills — Perplexity’s built-in skill library
Use the search bar to find skills by name or description across both tabs.
Viewing Skill Details
Click a skill to open a detailed view that shows its name and description.
Deleting Skills
You can delete skills you've created from the My Skills tab. Built-in Perplexity Skills cannot be deleted.
How Skills Work During a Conversation
When you start a task in Perplexity Computer, relevant skills load automatically based on what you're asking for. Computer recognizes the type of work and brings in the right capabilities.
Examples:
Ask to "create a presentation about Q1 results" → The Slides skill activates
Request "a detailed analysis of renewable energy trends" → The Research skill kicks in
Say "show me a chart of monthly revenue" → The Chart skill handles visualization
Your custom skills work the same way. Once created, they're available in future conversations and will activate when their description matches what you're asking for.
Skills can collaborate. When a task needs multiple capabilities, skills work together seamlessly. You maintain full control—skills only activate when they're relevant to your current task.