AI BriefingAnthropic Unveils 3-Tier Progressive Disclosure Method for Agent Technology
Key point
Anthropic's Agent Skills use a 3-tier progressive disclosure system to cut token usage by up to 50%.
Details
Anthropic's Agent Skills uses a 3-tier Progressive Disclosure system to solve the token waste and performance degradation that occurs when large-scale workflow instructions are input all at once.
3-Tier Structure:
- Level 1 (YAML Metadata): At session start, only a YAML header under 1,024 characters containing the name and trigger information is loaded.
- Level 2 (SKILL.md Body): The full instructions are dynamically loaded only when Claude determines that the user's intent matches the trigger description. Unused skills are not loaded.
- Level 3 (References): Extensive documentation or templates are stored in the
references/directory and are read via tools only in exceptional cases or when errors occur.
Difference Between MCP and Skills:
- MCP (Model Context Protocol): Serves as the 'hardware (kitchen)' for API and database access.
- Skills: Serves as the 'recipe (knowledge)' containing step-by-step best practices.
Caution: The sophistication of trigger configuration (YAML description) matters. If the description is too broad, the skill will activate even for irrelevant queries, wasting tokens; if too vague, the skill may be ignored.
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