> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.watson-orchestrate.ibm.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Agent development with Skills specifications

IBM watsonx Orchestrate provides two MCP servers and agent-agnostic Skills specifications to help coding agents build solutions more reliably while reducing large context overhead.

### MCP servers

watsonx Orchestrate provides two MCP servers to support agent development:

* **Documentation Server** — Enables search of watsonx Orchestrate ADK documentation.
* **CLI Server** — Executes ADK CLI commands (for example, listing agents, listing tools, and applying modifications).

<Note>
  Relying exclusively on the Documentation Server for the full programming model can lead to large context sizes. This may limit the agent's ability to generate non-trivial examples and often requires frequent guidance.
</Note>

### SKILL.md specifications

The `sop-builder` and `wxo-builder` specifications follow the Agent Skills format. These specifications provide condensed, high-signal guidance about the watsonx Orchestrate programming model.

**Benefits**

* Coding-agent agnostic (works with any agent that supports the format).
* Reduces reliance on long, noisy documentation searches.
* Improves reliable follow-through and correctness.

### Recommended approach

Clone the watsonx Orchestrate ADK repository. Agents perform better when ADK examples are locally available.

**Repository location:**\
[https://github.com/IBM/ibm-watsonx-orchestrate-adk](https://github.com/IBM/ibm-watsonx-orchestrate-adk)

### Configuring MCP servers and SKILL specifications

**For all coding agents:**

1. Configure both MCP servers (Documentation Server and CLI Server).
2. Download the SKILL specifications (`sop-builder` and `wxo-builder`).

#### Using modes with MCP access

Choose a mode that includes MCP tool access when external integrations are required. **Ask**, **Plan**, and **Advanced** modes provide MCP capabilities, while **Code** mode does not. Use **Code** mode for standard development tasks where MCP is not needed.

### Specification-driven development workflow

Follow this recommended workflow:

1. Use `sop-builder` to generate the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
2. Have the subject matter expert (SME) validate the SOP.
3. Use `wxo-builder` to generate the initial watsonx Orchestrate project. The generated `README.md` serves as the implementation specification.
4. Update the solution as needed:
   * If the business specification changes → update the SOP → rerun `wxo-builder`.
   * If the implementation changes → update the README.md → rerun `wxo-builder`.
   * Apply incremental updates or hand-edit remaining details as required.

### wxO VS Code extension

The wxO VS Code extension streamlines setup of the wxO ADK environment by automatically initializing and configuring the ADK and connecting to a remote wxO runtime. It eliminates manual steps such as managing folder structures, environment variables, and connections.

* The extension is optional.
* It does not affect how coding agents, including Bob, consume MCP servers or SKILL specifications.
* Coding agents operate independently of the extension.

### Important considerations

Coding agents differ in agent-loop quality and underlying model strength. Accuracy and consistency therefore vary across tools. These capabilities accelerate development, but you must still:

* Understand the generated code and its behavior.
* Validate correctness and quality.
* Ensure outputs align with the intended business and technical requirements.
* For more information on related capabilities, see [Skills in Bob](https://bob.ibm.com/docs/ide/features/skills).