> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://allhandsai-automation-docs-1-7-0-release.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customize and Settings

> Teach your agent with skills and MCP servers, and configure how it runs with settings.

Agent Canvas separates **Customize** from **Settings**.

* **Customize** — teach the agent new things. **Skills** give it domain knowledge and specific instructions. **MCP Servers** connect it to external tools and data sources.
* **Settings** — configure how the agent runs. Choose your LLM, store secrets, tune context handling, and set agent behavior. Settings are saved per backend.

## Customize

Open the top-level `Customize` area to manage:

* [Skills](/overview/skills)
* [MCP Servers](/openhands/usage/settings/mcp-settings)

Use the section navigation inside `Customize` to switch between those pages.

<Note>
  MCP configuration lives under `Customize > MCP Servers`, not under `Settings`.
</Note>

## Settings

The `Settings` area currently includes the following sections:

| Section        | Purpose                                                        |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Agent`        | Agent Profile library and agent-specific capabilities          |
| `LLM`          | Provider, model, API key, and profile configuration            |
| `Condenser`    | Context compression and summarization behavior                 |
| `Verification` | Approval, critic evaluation, and verification-related behavior |
| `Application`  | UI-level preferences and app behavior                          |
| `Secrets`      | Stored secrets used by the active backend                      |

On local backends, the `LLM` page also includes an `Available Profiles` area for saved profiles.

Use `Settings > Agent` to choose the active Agent Profile for new conversations. OpenHands profiles reference LLM profiles from `Settings > LLM`; ACP profiles use the external agent's own model configuration.

### Persistent Agent Memory

Open `Settings > Agent Context` to control persistent agent memory. When enabled, new OpenHands and ACP conversations can load saved memory from the workspace and user memory locations into their agent context.

Disable it when you do not want new conversations to load that persistent memory.

<Note>
  Learn more about the Persistent Memory implementation from the SDK Guide: [Persistent Memory](/sdk/guides/persistent-memory)
</Note>

## Configuration Is Per Backend

Both Customize and Settings are tied to the **active backend**. That means:

* Changing backends changes which configuration you are editing
* Skills, MCP servers, secrets, and other settings saved for one backend do not automatically apply to every other backend
* The available options can differ depending on backend capabilities

## Practical Example

You might use this split like this:

* Add a GitHub review skill in `Customize > Skills`
* Add a Slack or fetch MCP server in `Customize > MCP Servers`
* Save your preferred model in `Settings > LLM`
* Store tokens in `Settings > Secrets`

## Related Guides

* [Connect and Manage Backends](/openhands/usage/agent-canvas/backends)
* [Agent Profiles](/openhands/usage/agent-canvas/agent-profiles)
* [Plugins in Agent Canvas](/openhands/usage/agent-canvas/plugins)
* [Configure the Critic](/openhands/usage/agent-canvas/critic)
* [Setup a Pre-built Automation](/openhands/usage/agent-canvas/prebuilt-automations)