Using Skills
Skills turn VAL Agent into a specialist. Learn how to browse, select, and run skills for structured analysis and report generation.
What Are Skills?
Skills are pre-built specialist workflows that have been configured for your domain. When you activate a skill, VAL Agent follows a structured process with domain-specific knowledge — like having a dedicated analyst who knows exactly what to look for.
Without a skill, VAL Agent answers your question using general reasoning. With a skill, it follows a proven workflow designed for a specific task — pulling the right data, applying the right logic, and producing a structured output.
How to Select a Skill
- Click the + button at the left of the input area
- You will see two options: Add files or photos and Skills
- Hover over Skills to see the list of skills available on your domain
- Click a skill to select it
Once selected, the skill appears as a badge in the input area, confirming it is active:
- Type your question or instruction and send — VAL Agent will use the skill's workflow to process your request
What Happens When a Skill Runs
When you send a message with a skill activated, VAL Agent:
- Loads the skill — you will see the skill name appear in the response
- Asks clarifying questions if needed — for example, a report skill might ask which sections you want
- Runs the analysis — querying your data, applying the skill's logic, running calculations
- Produces structured output — tables, charts, reports, or insights depending on the skill
Here is an example of a report generation skill asking which sections to include:
The skill knows what data is available, what analyses are meaningful, and how to present the results — so you get a more thorough and structured response than a general question would produce.
Skills Available to You
The skills on your domain have been configured by your ThinkVAL team based on your data and business needs. Common skill types include:
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Analysis skills | Deep-dive into specific data areas (receipts, transactions, items) |
| Report generation | Produce formatted HTML reports with charts, tables, and insights |
| Diagnostics | Check for data issues, reconciliation gaps, or anomalies |
To see what skills are available to you:
- Open the + menu and hover over Skills
- Or ask VAL Agent: "What skills do I have?"
- Or contact your ThinkVAL representative for a walkthrough
Tips
- You do not need to use skills for every question — general questions work fine without one. Skills are for when you want structured, repeatable analysis
- Skills stay active for one message — after you send, the skill badge clears and your next message goes back to general mode
- Some skills ask follow-up questions — this is normal. Answer them and the skill continues its workflow
- Skills can generate reports — these appear as downloadable links in the chat, and open in the Report Canvas
Next Steps
- The Report Canvas — see how generated reports display alongside your chat
- Uploading & Analysing Files — attach files for instant analysis
- Getting Started with VAL Agent — back to the basics