Skills package instructions. gcontext stores state. They are two layers of the same system.
A Skill is a SKILL.mdfile with instructions and optional scripts. Claude Code loads it on demand when the current task matches the Skill's trigger.
Skills package procedural knowledge: how to run a deploy, how to review code, how to write tests in this repo's style. You can install community Skills, write your own, or combine several for a single workflow.
Skills solve a real problem: "How do I make the agent do this task the right way every time?" The answer is a file with steps.
Write. A Skill is read-only at run time. The agent reads the instructions, follows them, and produces output. The Skill file itself does not change.
What the agent learns during the task evaporates when the session ends. Skills tell the agent how to act. They cannot remember what it discovered. Every session starts with the same instructions and zero accumulated knowledge.
| Skills | gcontext state | |
|---|---|---|
| Authored by | Human | Agent (and human) |
| Changes at run time | No | Yes |
| Scope | Per-task | Per-instance |
| Distribution | Skill files | Git |
| Storage | SKILL.md | Folder over MCP |
The two layers work best together. A Skill defines the procedure. gcontext holds the context and stores the results.
The Skill stays the same across sessions. The state folder accumulates knowledge. Each run builds on what previous runs discovered.
No. A Skill is a set of instructions that the agent follows during a task. An MCP server is a service that the agent calls with tools. Skills tell the agent how to work. MCP servers give it capabilities (file access, API calls, state storage).
Not on its own. A Skill file is read-only at run time. But a Skill can include steps that tell the agent to write findings to an MCP server like gcontext. The Skill provides the procedure; gcontext provides the storage.
Both. They solve different problems. Skills define how the agent should approach a task. gcontext stores what the agent discovers while it works. One gives instructions, the other gives memory.
Install gcontext. Your Skills tell the agent how to work. The state folder remembers what it found.