# Skills and MCP tools

> Skills and MCP tools in the Prompt Verse library: a description and inputs for a skill, and a mock or an HTTP call for a tool you author.

Source: https://prompt-verse.io/docs/skills-and-tools/

A **skill** and an **MCP tool** are two of the five kinds of asset in your library, next to prompts, agents and workflows. They are not the same thing as the tools your AI sees when it connects to Prompt Verse.

## Skills

A skill is know-how an agent can be handed as a tool. You give it a title. Its data holds:

- a **description** of what it does
- an optional **kind**: `function` (the default), `hosted`, `mcp` or `agent`
- an **input schema**: JSON Schema as text, or a short sketch of the arguments in plain words

The starter **Look up an order** is a skill. A skill compiles to a tool definition. It does not run a model by itself. In the pre-beta your own AI does the running: it reads the skill and uses that definition.

## MCP tools you author

An MCP tool is a contract you write: a name, a description and an input schema, plus how a call is answered.

| Execution | What a call does |
|---|---|
| `mock` | Returns the response you stored. Use this before an endpoint exists. The starter **Order status** is a mock. |
| `http` | Sends the input to the endpoint you saved. An HTTP tool without an endpoint is refused. |

A failed call is reported. Prompt Verse does not invent a successful answer when the call does not succeed.

## Shelves, not a second library

Skills and MCP tools take tags, and a collection can hold them (`kind` is `skill` or `mcpTool`). Taking one off a shelf does not delete it. Plan counts cover prompts, workflows and agents. See [Plans and limits](/docs/plans-and-limits/).

## For your AI

The `library` tool lists and creates them: `skills`, `skill`, `create_skill`, `tools`, `create_tool` and `call_tool`. `call_tool` takes the tool’s **name** and an optional `input`. See the [library reference](/docs/reference/library/).

Over HTTP the same nouns are `GET /api/skills`, `POST /api/skills`, `GET /api/tools` and `POST /api/tools/:name/call`. See [The HTTP API](/docs/the-http-api/).