# Cookbook

URL: /en/docs/cookbook

Ready-made recipes for skills written as steps, with built-in actions, your own tools and a prompt for your AI assistant.



The cookbook has ready-made [skills](https://ecbot.dev/docs/agents/skills) written as steps. Build a recipe in the app with **Create**, **Write as steps**, or paste its prompt into an AI assistant connected through the [Ecbot MCP Server](https://ecbot.dev/docs/dev/mcp).

Recipes use the step types **Ask**, **Say**, **Tell**, **Tool** and **If**. Built-in actions such as **Hand off to staff** or **Add tag** work in every workspace. Replace names in quotes with your own tags and tools.

## Tutorial [#tutorial]

New to writing skills? Start with the tutorial: it walks through one real requirement from the first read to a tested skill.

* [Turn a requirement into a skill](https://ecbot.dev/docs/cookbook/tutorial)

## Use cases [#use-cases]

* [Capture a lead](https://ecbot.dev/docs/cookbook/use-cases/capture-lead)
* [Check an order with your tool](https://ecbot.dev/docs/cookbook/use-cases/check-order)
* [Book a slot with a calendar](https://ecbot.dev/docs/cookbook/use-cases/book-a-slot)
* [Talk to a person after hours](https://ecbot.dev/docs/cookbook/use-cases/after-hours)
* [Flag an unhappy customer](https://ecbot.dev/docs/cookbook/use-cases/unhappy-customer)

## Tips [#tips]

* Write **When to use** as the customer would say it: "where is my order", not "order tracking".
* Keep a skill to one job. Two short skills work better than one long one.
* Put rules the agent must never break in **Guardrails**, not in a step.
* After you create a skill, attach it to an agent and try it in a chat before you go live.


## FAQ

### Do I need these exact steps?

No. Each recipe is a starting point. Change the wording, the tags and the tools to match your shop, then test it in a chat.

### What if I don't have the tool a recipe uses?

Leave that step out, or replace it with a Tell step that says the team will check. Recipes that only use built-in actions work in every workspace.

### Can my AI assistant build these for me?

Yes. Connect the Ecbot MCP Server, then paste the prompt from a recipe. The assistant creates the skill and can attach it to an agent.