> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.asteragents.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Load Skill

> Load on-demand agent skills with instructions and bundled files

## What it does

The Load Skill tool lets agents load specialized instructions and file listings on demand. When a task matches a skill's description, the agent calls this tool to get the full SKILL.md instructions and a manifest of bundled files available in the Python sandbox.

<Info>
  For complete information about Agent Skills, including setup, file management, and best practices, see [Agent Skills](/features/skills).
</Info>

## Key features

* **On-Demand Loading**: Skills load only when needed, keeping the system prompt lean
* **Full Instructions**: Returns the complete SKILL.md content (frontmatter stripped)
* **File Manifest**: Lists all bundled files with their sandbox paths
* **Name-Based Lookup**: Skills are loaded by name for natural agent interaction
* **Org-Scoped Security**: Only loads skills belonging to the agent's organization

## Parameters

| Parameter    | Type   | Required | Description                                        |
| ------------ | ------ | -------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `skill_name` | string | Yes      | The name of the skill to load (must match exactly) |

## Common use cases

### Load a report generation skill

```
skill_name: "PDF Report Generator"
```

Load instructions for generating formatted PDF reports with bundled Python scripts.

### Load a data processing skill

```
skill_name: "CSV Data Pipeline"
```

Get instructions and scripts for processing and transforming CSV data files.

### Load a template-based workflow

```
skill_name: "MTS Itinerary Builder"
```

Load instructions for filling out Excel templates with specific formatting rules.

## What it returns

On success, the tool returns:

* **instructions**: The full SKILL.md body content (frontmatter removed)
* **skillDirectory**: The sandbox path where bundled files are located (e.g., `skills/pdf-report-generator`)
* **files**: Array of bundled files, each with:
  * `fileName` — the file name (e.g., `scripts/generate_report.py`)
  * `sandboxPath` — full path in the sandbox (e.g., `skills/pdf-report-generator/scripts/generate_report.py`)
  * `contentType` — MIME type
  * `fileSize` — file size in bytes

## Best practices

* Let the agent decide when to load a skill based on the `<available_skills>` section in its system prompt
* Skills should be loaded before attempting any task they cover
* After loading, the agent should follow the SKILL.md instructions step by step
* Bundled files are available at their `sandboxPath` when using `execute_python`

## Troubleshooting

**"Skill not found"**

* Verify the skill name matches exactly (case-sensitive)
* Check that the skill hasn't been deleted
* Ensure the skill belongs to the agent's organization

**"Skill is not in this agent's accessible skills"**

* The skill exists but isn't assigned to this agent
* Go to the agent's configuration and add the skill

**"Skill has no SKILL.md file"**

* The skill was created but its SKILL.md file is missing
* Re-upload the SKILL.md content via the skill detail page

## Related tools

* [Run Code](/tools/execute_python) - Run bundled scripts from loaded skills
* [Search Knowledge Base](/tools/search_knowledge_base) - Search documents for context alongside skills
* [Call Agent](/tools/call_agent) - Delegate skill-based tasks to specialized agents