> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.smartsend.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skill

> The Smart Send Skill: best practices for using Smart Send in shipping and e-commerce.

Smart Send publishes a <Link href="https://www.anthropic.com/news/skills">Skill</Link> <Icon icon="arrow-up-right" size={12} /> — a `SKILL.md` that teaches an AI agent the best practices for using Smart Send in the context of shipping and e-commerce. It explains which tool to reach for, what data to include, and the conventions that keep bookings correct.

Where the [MCP server](/ai/mcp-server) gives an agent access to the Smart Send system, the Skill gives it the knowledge to use that access well. The two go hand in hand: the MCP server is the capability, the Skill is the playbook.

## What the Skill covers

The Skill encodes the parts of Smart Send that aren't obvious from the tools alone:

* **How Smart Send works.** It is a shipping aggregator that handles carrier complexity on your behalf, so the agent should pass as much data as it has rather than trimming fields to "keep things simple".
* **The booking flow.** When a service is already known, book directly; when it isn't, find delivery options first; reserve address validation for standalone bulk checks.
* **Field conventions.** The exact field names the tools expect (`address_lines`, `postal_code`, `carrier_code`, `service_code`), so the agent doesn't invent synonyms from other shipping APIs.
* **Safe behaviour.** Confirm before booking, treat a booked shipment as final, and never fabricate data.

## How to get it

The Skill is bundled in the [Claude plugin](/ai/claude-plugin) alongside the MCP connection, so installing the plugin gives you both at once. You can also read the source directly.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Claude plugin" icon="comments" href="/ai/claude-plugin" horizontal>
    Install the plugin to get the Skill and the MCP server together.
  </Card>

  <Card title="View the source" icon="github" href="https://github.com/smartsendio/claude-plugin/blob/main/plugins/smartsend/skills/smartsend/SKILL.md" horizontal>
    Read the `SKILL.md` in the Smart Send plugin repository.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="MCP server" icon="server" href="/ai/mcp-server" horizontal>
    The tools, resources, and prompts the Skill teaches an agent to use.
  </Card>

  <Card title="What we offer agents" icon="robot" href="/ai/overview-agents" horizontal>
    What AI agents can do with Smart Send, and who it's for.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>