User Guide
This guide covers everything you need to know about creating, managing, and sharing resources on Shared Context.
Resource Types
Shared Context supports two resource types, each optimized for different use cases:
| Type | Purpose | Installable | Sub-Files | Max Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill | Structured AI instructions and prompts | Yes | Yes | 50,000 chars |
| File | Documentation, notes, reference material | No | No | 50,000 chars |
Skills use a folder-based layout in git (skills/{title-slug}/SKILL.md) and include YAML front matter for metadata. Files use a flat layout (files/{id}.md) with plain markdown.
Creating Skills
You can create skills through the web editor or the AI-powered Skill Builder. When you create a skill, Shared Context automatically:
- Generates a URL-friendly slug from the title
- Creates a git directory with the proper folder structure
- Commits the initial content with your identity
- Makes the skill visible based on its default visibility level (
me)
Editing Resources
The Edit tab on any resource you own provides two editing modes:
- Markdown mode — A CodeMirror source editor with a toolbar for common formatting (bold, italic, headings H1–H3, ordered and unordered lists, blockquotes, inline code, and horizontal rules).
- Visual mode — A Milkdown WYSIWYG editor for writing and formatting without seeing markdown syntax. Content syncs between modes when you toggle.
The View tab lets you switch between a rendered Preview and a read-only Source view with line numbers.
Sub-File Attachments
Skills can include child files organized into two categories:
Scripts
Executable code stored at {skill-dir}/scripts/{id}.ext. Supported extensions: .py, .sh, .js, .ts, .rb, .go, .rs, .bash, .zsh.
Resources
Configuration and data files stored at {skill-dir}/resources/{id}.ext. Supported extensions: .json, .yaml, .yml, .toml, .xml, .csv, .txt, .env, .ini, .cfg.
Manage attachments through the Attachment Panel on any skill detail page.
Visibility & Sharing
Every resource has a visibility level that controls who can access it:
| Level | Who Can See | Discoverable |
|---|---|---|
me | Only you (the author) | No |
org | All members of your organization | Within org |
public_link | Anyone with the direct URL | No |
published | Everyone | Yes (in Library) |
You can also create resource shares to give specific users access to a resource without changing its visibility level.
Version History
Every save creates a git commit. The History tab on your resources shows a chronological list of all versions with commit messages, timestamps, and the author identity. Versions are identified by git commit SHAs rather than integer numbers.
Comparing Versions
Select any two versions to view a line-by-line diff showing exactly what changed. The diff viewer highlights additions and deletions, making it easy to review changes over time.
Rollback
Rollback restores an older version of your resource by creating a new commit with the old content. This is non-destructive — the full history is preserved, and you can always roll forward again if needed.
File Browser
The My Files tab provides a GitHub-style resource browser that mirrors the underlying git repository. You can:
- Navigate with breadcrumbs and URL deep-linking (
?tab=my-files&folder={id}) - Toggle between table view and grid view
- Click into skill directories to see their attached scripts and resources
Folders
Organize resources into folders up to three levels deep. Folder operations map directly to git operations:
- Create — Makes a new directory with a
.gitkeepfile - Rename — Runs
git mvon the directory - Delete — Removes the directory and commits the change
- Move resource — Relocates a resource between folders using
git mv
Folder names cannot contain / or \ characters. Skill-type folders display a distinct icon to help differentiate them visually.
Stars & Discovery
Star any resource to bookmark it for later. Stars also serve as a quality signal — popular skills with many stars surface higher in Trending views. Star counts are visible on resource cards throughout the platform.
Cloning Resources
Cloning creates a copy of a resource in your own organization. The clone maintains a link to the original (parentId), and clone counts are tracked as a quality signal. Non-authors who want to modify a skill are prompted to clone it rather than edit the original.
Skill Builder
The AI Assistant sidebar appears on resource detail pages and provides conversational skill editing. It uses the Vercel AI SDK with streaming for responsive interactions.
For Authors
You get full access to editing tools (save_draft) and execution tools (run_resource). The assistant detects your intent from conversation context and uses the appropriate tool.
For Non-Authors
You can run skills and ask questions, but edit requests are politely redirected to the clone workflow.
Running Skills
Execute skills against AI models directly from the assistant sidebar. Execution results appear inline in the chat and are also recorded in the Outputs tab. Each execution:
- Validates your model selection and API key availability
- Checks your credit balance
- Performs variable substitution in the skill content
- Streams the response back to the chat
- Records the output with model, token usage, and status
- Deducts credits from your organization's balance
Model Selection
Choose from multiple AI providers and models for execution. The model selector appears below the chat input. Supported providers include OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Generative AI.
Supported Platforms
Shared Context integrates with several AI tools. Each platform has a specific install method:
| Platform | Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Local filesystem | Writes skill files to agent's directory |
| ChatGPT | Manual export | Download as markdown file |
| Gemini | Manual export | Download as markdown file |
| MCP | Always-live | No per-skill push needed; skills available in real time |
| Custom | Webhook | Configurable webhook URL for custom integrations |
Installing Skills
Click the Install button on any installable skill to add it to your connected AI tools. The button transitions through states: Install → Manage (with dropdown) → Update (when a newer version is available).
Installations track the exact version (commit SHA) that was installed. When the skill author saves changes, the installed version and the latest version diverge, triggering the update indicator.
Managing Updates
Check for updates across all your installations from the dashboard's Installed view, or use the Check for Updates feature. You can update individual skills or batch-update everything at once.
Uninstalling a skill performs a soft uninstall — the installation record is preserved with a status of uninstalled, so reinstalling later restores the existing record rather than creating a new one.
Cross-Org Adoption
When you install a skill published by a different organization, an adoption record is automatically created linking your org to that skill. Org admins can review, pin versions of, or revoke adopted skills through the adoptions management interface.