Customizing agents

This course is about the layer between you and the agent. Instructions, skills, tools and permissions turn a general-purpose coding agent into one that works well in your project.

0%

1. getting started
2. halfway
3. almost there
4. complete

tutorialProject instructions: AGENTS.mdtutorialWriting your first skilltutorialConnecting your first tool servertutorialHardening a tool connectiontutorialChoosing a permission mode per tasktutorialAllowing the commands the task needstutorialDelegating to a subagent with narrower permissionstutorialReading what the agent rememberstutorialDirecting the summary before compactiontutorialHanding work to the next sessionexplanationTurning repeated work into something the agent keeps

tutorialLoad it, point at it, or cut itexplanationInstruction, skill or tool?explanationWho invokes a skill, and where it livestutorialTesting a skill from a fresh sessionexplanationConnecting an agent to your systems with MCPtutorialLogging from a stdio servertutorialMeasuring what a tool server costsexplanationWhere a setting comes fromtutorialWriting a hook that blocks a mistakeexplanationNotes that go stale

tutorialLoading only what the skill needstutorialSeeing what the agent sends

explanationReading a plugin before you install it

tutorialAdopting a published skill set

tutorialKeeping the project in charge

Review: nothing due yet

About this course

Goals

• Adopts a published skill set without giving up control of the project
• Configures an agent for a project
• Connects an agent to tools and data safely
• Writes a reusable agent skill

Counts

26 lessons, 91 checkpoints

Builds on

• Agent risk
• What an agent is
• Running a coding agent
• Grounding and memory

Configuring an agent for a project with instructions, skills, tools and permissions. Progress is kept in this browser; see your progress.

Lesson plan (26 lessons, 26 live)

#	Lesson	Status	Mode	Minutes	Covers	Serves	Exercise	After	Issue
Project instructions
1	Project instructions: AGENTS.mdcustomizing-agents/instructions	live	tutorial	25 estimate	instructions	writes-project-instructions	do
2	Load it, point at it, or cut itcustomizing-agents/load-point-prune	live	tutorial	25 estimate	instructions	chooses-load-or-pointprunes-instructions	do	Project instructions: AGENTS.md	#686
Agent skills
3	Instruction, skill or tool?customizing-agents/skill-or-tool-or-instruction	live	explanation	25 estimate	skills	chooses-skill-over-tool	judge	Project instructions: AGENTS.md	#159
4	Writing your first skillcustomizing-agents/first-skill	live	tutorial	25 estimate	skills	packages-a-procedure	do	Instruction, skill or tool?	#162
5	Who invokes a skill, and where it livescustomizing-agents/who-invokes-a-skill	live	explanation	20 estimate	skills	chooses-invocation-and-scope	judge	Writing your first skill	#691
6	Testing a skill from a fresh sessioncustomizing-agents/testing-a-skill	live	tutorial	30 estimate	skills	packages-a-procedure	do	Writing your first skill	#165
7	Loading only what the skill needscustomizing-agents/progressive-disclosure	live	tutorial	25 estimate	skills	discloses-progressively	do	Writing your first skill	#167
8	Reading a plugin before you install itcustomizing-agents/plugins	live	explanation	25 estimate	skills	evaluates-a-plugin	judge	Writing your first skill	#170
9	Adopting a published skill setcustomizing-agents/adopting-a-skill-set	live	tutorial	30 estimate	skills	vets-a-skill-setadopts-skills-gradually	do	Reading a plugin before you install it	#685
Connecting tools with MCP
10	Connecting an agent to your systems with MCPcustomizing-agents/mcp	live	explanation	35 estimate	mcp	adds-a-toolweighs-tool-costhardens-a-connection	do
11	Connecting your first tool servercustomizing-agents/mcp-first-server	live	tutorial	30 estimate	mcp	adds-a-tool	do	Connecting an agent to your systems with MCP	#171
12	Logging from a stdio servercustomizing-agents/logging-from-a-stdio-server	live	tutorial	20 estimate	mcp	adds-a-tool	do	Connecting your first tool server	#687
13	Measuring what a tool server costscustomizing-agents/mcp-tool-cost	live	tutorial	25 estimate	mcp	weighs-tool-cost	judge	Connecting your first tool server	#173
14	Hardening a tool connectioncustomizing-agents/mcp-hardening	live	tutorial	25 estimate	mcp	hardens-a-connection	do	Connecting your first tool server	#175
Inspecting the agent
15	Seeing what the agent sendscustomizing-agents/seeing-what-the-agent-sends	live	tutorial	25 estimate	inspecting-the-agent	inspects-requests	do	Measuring what a tool server costs	#690
Hooks, permissions, settings
16	Choosing a permission mode per taskcustomizing-agents/permission-modes	live	tutorial	25 estimate	hooks-permissions	sets-permissions	do	Project instructions: AGENTS.md
17	Allowing the commands the task needscustomizing-agents/allowlists	live	tutorial	25 estimate	hooks-permissions	sets-permissions	do	Choosing a permission mode per task
18	Where a setting comes fromcustomizing-agents/settings-layering	live	explanation	25 estimate	hooks-permissions	sets-permissions	judge	Allowing the commands the task needs
19	Writing a hook that blocks a mistakecustomizing-agents/first-hook	live	tutorial	30 estimate	hooks-permissions	adds-a-hook	do	Allowing the commands the task needs	#184
20	Keeping the project in chargecustomizing-agents/project-stays-in-charge	live	tutorial	35 estimate	hooks-permissions	keeps-the-project-in-charge	do	Writing a hook that blocks a mistake, Adopting a published skill set	#689
21	Delegating to a subagent with narrower permissionscustomizing-agents/subagents	live	tutorial	25 estimate	hooks-permissions	sets-permissions	do	Allowing the commands the task needs	#187
Memory and session context
22	Reading what the agent rememberscustomizing-agents/memory-review	live	tutorial	30 estimate	memory	manages-memory	do	Writing your first skill	#189
23	Notes that go stalecustomizing-agents/notes-that-go-stale	live	explanation	20 estimate	memory	manages-memory	judge	Reading what the agent remembers	#688
24	Directing the summary before compactioncustomizing-agents/compaction	live	tutorial	25 estimate	memory	manages-memory	do	Reading what the agent remembers	#192
25	Handing work to the next sessioncustomizing-agents/session-handoff	live	tutorial	30 estimate	memory	manages-memory	do	Directing the summary before compaction	#195
26	Turning repeated work into something the agent keepscustomizing-agents/repeated-work	live	explanation	30 estimate	memory	manages-memoryadds-a-hook	judge	Handing work to the next session, Writing a hook that blocks a mistake	#197