How to Create a New Skill

Last updated: March 9, 2026

To create a Skill, start a conversation with Ellie and describe what to build. She will guide through the process step by step — no forms or configuration screens. The entire flow is conversational.

The Creation Process

Tell Ellie what is needed — for example, "I'd like to create a Skill that abstracts key lease terms from executed leases and outputs a summary in our standard template." She will walk through five steps:

  1. Describe the task. Tell Ellie what the Skill should do, what output is expected, and any specific rules or standards it should follow. For a lease abstraction Skill, this might include: "Pull tenant name, lease dates, rent schedule, renewal options, and any co-tenancy clauses, then format them into our internal summary template."

  2. Ellie asks clarifying questions. She will ask about edge cases, calculations, output format, and anything else needed to fully understand the process. For example, she might ask how to handle leases with multiple tenants or amendments that override base terms.

  3. Ellie summarises her understanding. She plays back what the Skill should do — the steps, expected inputs, and outputs — in plain language. Confirm or correct before she builds anything.

  4. Ellie creates the Skill. She builds the Skill based on the confirmed process.

  5. Test and refine together. Ellie will suggest a specific test scenario. Run the Skill with real documents, review the output, and share what needs adjusting.

Attaching Reference Documents

During creation, reference documents can be attached — templates, example outputs, policy guides, or anything else that shows Ellie what "good" looks like for the firm. These get baked into the Skill so it follows the firm's standards every time it runs.

For the lease abstraction example, attaching a summary template and a few completed examples helps Ellie match the right formatting and level of detail.

💡 Tip: Reference documents are one of the most effective ways to get a Skill right quickly. A single well-completed example often communicates more than several paragraphs of written instructions.

Shortcuts

It is not necessary to go through every question when the process is already well defined.

  • Share written instructions directly. If a step-by-step SOP or process document exists, share it with Ellie. She will use it to build the Skill and skip most of the clarifying questions.

  • Say "just build it." At any point in the conversation, Ellie can be told to go ahead and create the Skill with what she has. It can always be refined from there.

💡 Tip: "If a written SOP or process document is available, share it with Ellie — she'll use it to build the Skill faster."

Expect to Iterate

Most Skills benefit from a few rounds of testing and refinement to handle edge cases well. This is normal and expected — it is how domain knowledge gets built into the Skill, and each round makes it more robust.

As a rough guide:

  • Straightforward Skills (single-document extraction, reformatting) often work well from the first or second pass.

  • Multi-step Skills (cross-referencing sources, applying analysis) usually need two or three rounds.

  • Complex Skills (conditional logic, multiple scenarios) may need three or four rounds.

Think of it as encoding a proven process into a repeatable standard — clear, specific feedback leads to fast improvement.

💡 Tip: Use real documents from a recent deal when testing. Synthetic data won't reveal the edge cases that matter.

After Creation

Once the Skill is built, it appears on the Skills page (a page refresh may be needed). From there it is possible to:

  • Run it with new documents

  • Edit it to refine the process

  • Share it with colleagues

  • Delete it if no longer needed

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