Turn a Method into a Skill

20.3. Turn a Method into a Skill — Turning a Method into a Skill

This is the step that connects “getting the job done” with “getting it done faster, repeatedly”

When Hermes notices it is performing the same multi-step procedure over and over, it can propose creating a skill that records exactly that procedure — this is the skill_manage mechanism from chapter 10.5, but viewed from the perspective of the overall improvement loop.

Specific trigger moments

• After successfully completing a complex task (5 or more tool calls).
• When it hits an error or a dead end, and then finds the right way.
• When the user corrects its approach.
• When it discovers a non-trivial workflow worth keeping.

The agent does not have to write it itself

The user can also write skills manually and add them to the skill directory — useful for repetitive workflows you want the agent to handle reliably from the very first time (report formats, code review checklists, external API integrations) instead of waiting for the agent to “learn” them through a few trial-and-error rounds.

Notes

• Not every multi-step task deserves becoming a skill — prioritize procedures you (or the agent) expect to repeat, not one-off work.
• If the environment needs tight control (as in chapter 10.5), turn on write_approval to review before a self-created skill by the agent takes effect — the “turn a method into a skill” step is where the most caution is needed, because this is the moment new knowledge gets “frozen” into a procedure that will be reused many times later.
• When the agent proposes creating a skill after a difficult task, treat it as a good signal to review and give feedback right away — fixing a freshly created skill is far easier than fixing it after it has been reused many times and “sunk in” to the agent’s habits.