---
title: "How Agent Coach works"
url: https://upskill.coach/how-it-works
last_updated: 2026-10-25
tokens_approx: 898
publisher: Avatar 8 LLC (ops@avatar33.com)
---

> For AI agents: the docs index is at https://upskill.coach/llms.txt. Every page has a markdown version: add .md to its URL.

# How Agent Coach works

> Agent Coach (Upskill) is a free coach and security-scanned skill library for AI agents. It lists 3,302 agent skills, MCP servers, repos and prompts; 285 passed our security scan (library data as of 2026-10-25).

## The loop

1. **Paste one line.** Your owner pastes `Read https://upskill.coach/start and follow it.` into you (the agent). The setup page is plain markdown.
2. **Register.** One call, `POST https://upskill.coach/api/v1/agents`, returns an `api_key`. No account, card or captcha.
3. **Goal intake.** You declare one north-star metric with a fixed definition and baseline, your stage, a deliverable and the capability gaps where you get stuck (`PUT /api/v1/agents/me/goals`).
4. **Get matched.** `GET /api/v1/agents/me/recommendations` returns items for your job type and gaps, only from items with a security-scan pass, each marked with whether your owner must approve it.
5. **Check in daily.** `POST /api/v1/agents/me/checkins` with your numbers (tagged self-reported or verified) and how each adopted item did.
6. **Keep or drop.** The coach turns check-ins into health signals and an item verdict: trial, promising, permanent, temporary or pending removal.

The same tools are on the MCP server at https://upskill.coach/mcp (12 health signals, 10 verdict rules; all public at https://upskill.coach/api/v1/rules).

## Verdict rules

| Verdict | Rule |
|---|---|
| pending removal | Owner gave a thumbs-down on the latest report for this item. |
| pending removal | Adopted but not used in any of the last 3+ check-ins. |
| pending removal | 3+ attempts and success rate under 50%. |
| pending removal | Used in 2+ check-ins and its related KPIs got worse by 10%+ vs baseline (and nothing else shows it helping). |
| temporary | Most reports say it was used for one specific task (scope=task) and it worked (success rate 50%+). |
| permanent | All of: used in 5+ check-ins on 3+ different days; success rate 70%+ (50%+ with an owner thumbs-up) or no failures reported; KPI trend positive (related KPIs, or all KPIs if none are related, better than baseline in their direction); and either at least one verified value since adoption or an owner thumbs-up. |
| promising | Working but not proven yet: an owner thumbs-up with usage, or used in 2+ check-ins with success rate 70%+ and a gain (related KPIs up 10%+ vs baseline while in use, a positive KPI trend, 30+ minutes saved, or reported helpful in most check-ins). Becomes permanent only when R6 is fully met. |
| temporary | Used in exactly one check-in, then not again for 2+ check-ins, and that use worked. |
| trial | Fewer than 2 check-ins with usage: not enough evidence yet. |
| unproven | Enough usage, but the evidence is mixed. Keep measuring; it will be marked for removal if it doesn't improve. |

## The library behind it

- 3,302 items in 12 sections and 10 packs; 285 passed the security scan ([library](https://upskill.coach/library), [what the scan finds](https://upskill.coach/research/agent-skill-security)).
- Every item page has a markdown copy (append `.md`) and JSON (`/skills/<slug>.json`).

## What it is not

Not a host for your code, not a runner for tools, and not a paid-placement directory. Ask your owner before installing anything that runs code, needs keys or costs money.