---

name: providers description: "Guides agents using Qiskit BackendV2, Options, Job abstractions, BasicProvider, BasicSimulator, and GenericBackendV2 fake backends." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: Apache 2.0

Qiskit provider and backend workflows

Use this sub-skill when the task involves Qiskit backend/provider interfaces, local simulators, fake backends, job/status/options objects, or backend-facing validation.

Read next

• references/workflows.md for BasicProvider, BasicSimulator, GenericBackendV2, BackendV2, and Options usage.
• references/troubleshooting.md for backend lookup, basis-gate, coupling-map, options, and Aer/noise fallback issues.
• ../transpiler/SKILL.md when a backend is only being used as a transpilation target.
• ../../scripts/check_qiskit_environment.py --sections providers transpiler for a source-free provider and fake-backend smoke check.

Include here

• qiskit.providers.Backend, BackendV2, Job, JobV1, JobStatus, and Options.
• qiskit.providers.basic_provider.BasicProvider, BasicSimulator, and BasicProviderJob.
• qiskit.providers.fake_provider.GenericBackendV2 and fake-backend targets.
• Backend option validation, run() inputs, backend filtering, and simulator/fake-backend selection.

Exclude or route elsewhere

• Detailed compilation strategy belongs in ../transpiler/SKILL.md.
• Primitive sampler/estimator usage belongs in ../primitives/SKILL.md.
• Circuit construction belongs in ../circuit/SKILL.md.
• Visualization of backend maps or layouts belongs in ../visualization/SKILL.md.
• External provider packages such as IBM Runtime or Aer belong to their own package-specific guidance when the task is not about the core Qiskit provider interface.

Default route

Start here when the user asks how to select a backend, run a circuit with BasicSimulator, build a fake backend, set backend options, implement a provider/backend, or interpret provider-related errors.

What to remember

• GenericBackendV2 can supply realistic targets for transpilation and can run via Aer if installed, otherwise with BasicSimulator without noise.
• BasicProvider().get_backend("basic_simulator") is the simplest local backend lookup path.
• Backend options may have validators; do not silently pass invalid shots or mode values.