Skills and MCP servers both extend the agent, but they solve different problems.
A skill is a Markdown instruction set for a repeatable workflow. Skills can teach an agent how to use existing tools, commands, file formats, or local conventions. They do not add a new security boundary or bypass tool approvals.
Manage skills in Skills. NeoAgent includes a catalog of system, network, document, data, creative, and development workflows. Installed skills are editable and removable.
Custom skills live in the NeoAgent agent-data directory and are loaded without restarting the server. Keep them focused, name the actual tools they require, and never store secrets in them.
Use a skill when:
The Model Context Protocol connects NeoAgent to external tool servers. Configure servers in MCP, choose the supported authentication method, and inspect the connection state before assigning the tools to an agent.
Use MCP when an external system exposes a maintained MCP server or when a capability requires a real API implementation rather than instructions.
Prefer, in order:
Structured integrations are easier to restrict, audit, and keep stable than UI automation.