Find a skill or reuse a how-to

Use this after shared setup. A how-to is Markdown stored in your configured MongoDB; a skill comes from a separate MCP skill-bridge catalog. Neither is a built-in promise that a particular pattern exists. These service examples follow the released CLI help and source; they are not a live-store transcript.

1 · Save one reproducible convention

Prerequisites: an initialized profile and a disposable development database. This step writes a shared how-to and replaces an existing entry with the same slug. Choose a fresh slug if catalog-cents-demo already exists; use your chosen slug in all three commands.

bee howto add catalog-cents-demo --title "Whole-cent prices" --body "Store catalog prices as integer cents. Check rounding in tests." --tag catalog-demo
bee howto search "integer cents" --limit 5
bee howto get catalog-cents-demo

Expect a save confirmation, the slug in the search results, then the Markdown body containing integer cents. Redirected search output lists slugs; get outputs the body. Search can exit 0 with no matches: that is an empty result, not a known pattern. Check spelling/tags or add a convention you have verified. Shared how-tos are not isolated by the current repository; use the intended database.

2 · Find guidance for a code change

Prerequisites: the initialized profile plus a reachable skill-bridge configured by your administrator. Check bee skill tools for the catalog’s actual tools. Then search by topic or suggest by file:

bee skill search "validation" --limit 5
bee skill suggest Price.cs
bee skill resolve <returned-skill-id>

Replace <returned-skill-id> with the exact ID from search/suggest. Read the resolved bodies in dependency order, including required skills. Check content, version, status and any omitted bodies before applying the guidance. suggest matches file paths; it does not prove the recommended guidance fits your change. For a category list, use bee skill categories then bee skill list <returned-category>.

3 · Recover a missing result safely

skillbridge_not_configured means a missing connector, not an empty catalog. Ask the catalog administrator for supported access, or use an already authorized direct MCP connection/native skill package. Current Bee can resolve an existing vault secret named by skillbridge.apiKeySecret; run bee skill setup --json for the complete setup sequence. Send the credential to bee secret set SECRET_NAME through stdin or its hidden prompt, then configure the secret name with bee config set skillbridge.apiKeySecret SECRET_NAME. A conflicting legacy skillbridge.apiKey value is rejected, and a failed vault lookup does not fall back to it. Do not put a key in command arguments or treat config --secret masking as encryption. A server error inside returned content also needs inspection; process exit alone is insufficient. See configuration.

If a genuine search returns no match, record the gap and consult the maintained library/source. Do not turn an invented slug into a command. A retrieved document is guidance; run the repository’s real checks after applying it.

Next: Use the convention in agent behavior · Record the decision · Command reference