This skill opens a closed receptacle to access its contents. It should be triggered when an agent needs to interact with items inside a closed container (e.g., fridge, microwave, drawer). The skill takes a receptacle identifier as input, performs the open action, and outputs the observation of the interior, enabling subsequent item retrieval or placement.
SkillScore91Maintained
Automatic
◆AI Engineer pack
Last verified 8/18/2026
What it changes
Passed 21 of 23 test cases with the skill, and 15 of 23 without it.
Without skill65%
With skill91%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
The response specifies issuing the command `open microwave 1`.
The response specifies that the environment returns 'Nothing happened'.
The response specifies that the returned message is 'Nothing happened'.
and 4 more in the full report
6 fixed15 passed either way2 still failing0 broke
Pass-rate lift
+26 pp
Tokens
-32%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-56%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/18/2026v121 of 23 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 6 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 6
Prompt
An agent issues `open drawer 1` in ALFWorld, but drawer 1 was already open. What exact string does the environment return to signal this action had no effect?
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
The response specifies that the environment returns 'Nothing happened'.
Missed
Passed
case-06 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/18/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md26 linessingle file
Skill: Open Receptacle
Purpose
Open a closed container to reveal its contents for subsequent interaction.
When to Use
Use this skill when:
You need to take an item from inside a closed receptacle
You need to put an item into a closed receptacle
You observe a receptacle is closed (e.g., "The fridge 1 is closed")
The task requires accessing items inside containers
Input Format
The skill requires a receptacle identifier as input. This should match the environment's naming convention (e.g., "fridge 1", "microwave 1", "drawer 3").
Execution Steps
Verify receptacle state: Check if the receptacle is mentioned as "closed" in the observation
Navigate to receptacle: Use go to {recep} if not already at the location
Execute open action: Use open {recep} where {recep} is the receptacle identifier
Process result: The environment will respond with the interior contents or an error
Expected Outcomes
Success: Observation showing the receptacle is open and listing contained items
Failure: "Nothing happened" indicates the action was invalid (e.g., already open, wrong identifier)
Forces the agent to always use the AskQuestion tool for user prompts instead of conversational questions. Apply this whenever asking the user anything - questions, confirmations, choices, or clarifications. Never ask conversational questions when structured options are possible.