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

# Derived skills

> Create a derived skill from a read-only Document skill to customize its fields, rules, and recognition settings while staying linked to the base skill.

Derived skills let you adapt read-only Document skills to your needs by customizing fields, rules, and recognition settings while staying linked to a base skill.

Derived skills are fully editable and inherit all the fields and rules from their base skill. When the base skill gets a new version, you can update the derived skill to the new version while keeping your customizations.

<Note>
  You can create a derived skill from any read-only Document skill (Vantage built-ins and third-party skills). For other read-only skill types — Classification, OCR, or Process — duplicate the skill instead. See [Duplicate a skill](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/duplicate-skill).
</Note>

For information on how to work with derived skills in Advanced Designer, see [Derived skills](/vantage/documentation/advanced-designer/document-skills/derived).

## Create a derived skill

You can create a derived skill from any read-only Document skill in the **Skill Catalog**. When you create at least one derived skill from a read-only skill, that skill becomes the base skill for its derived skills.

To create a derived skill, do one of the following:

* Select a skill from the list and click the **Create and Edit Derived Skill** button.
* Click the name of a skill in the list and, in the dialog box that opens, click **Create and Edit Derived Skill**.

In a derived skill, you can customize the following:

* [Fields and field settings](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/derived-skills/configure-fields#configure-fields)
* [Validation rules](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/derived-skills/configure-fields#configure-validation-rules)
* [Recognition settings](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/derived-skills/configure-fields#configure-recognition-settings)

<Tip>
  When a new version of the base skill becomes available, [update the derived skill](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/derived-skills/update) to inherit the new version while keeping your customizations.
</Tip>

## Related topics

* [Skill Catalog](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/skill-catalog)
* [Configure a derived skill](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/derived-skills/configure-fields)
* [Update a derived skill](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/derived-skills/update)
* [Duplicate a skill](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/duplicate-skill)
* [Edit a skill](/vantage/documentation/skill-catalog/edit-skill)