Operator guide
Skills vs prompts — when to use each
Use prompts for straightforward live questions. Use skills when you want your agent to follow a repeatable operator flow.
Simple questions can stop at a prompt. If the job has a repeatable sequence and common failure modes, point your agent at a skill instead.
Ask your agent
List the skills currently published for Ouroboros and tell me which one is most relevant to what I'm working on right now.
Your agent checks the current skills manifest and recommends the right handoff.
Prompt first when
- You need a current answer to a specific question.
- You want your agent to inspect the live source and summarize what it finds.
- The task is narrow enough that structure would only slow it down.
Use a skill when
- The task has a repeatable sequence and common failure modes.
- You want the agent to follow a known operator flow.
- You still want the agent to inspect the current code or environment before acting.