| name | connector-bootstrap |
| description | MUST be consulted at the start of ANY Plane-related request before answering the user or declaring tools unavailable. Discovers Plane tools across any MCP server, connector, or instance naming convention (cowork mode, remote MCP, local MCP, self-hosted, cloud). Use when the user mentions sprint, backlog, work item, cycle, epic, module, milestone, initiative, project, issue, ticket, task, standup, retro, estimate, roadmap, board, Plane, or any work-management operation — even if Plane tools are not visible yet. Also use before saying "I don't have access to Plane tools" or "tool not available". |
Plane Connector Bootstrap
This skill ensures Plane tools are reliably discovered in any environment: cowork mode, remote MCP, local MCP, Claude connectors, custom proxies, or self-hosted instances. Tool names vary by environment — never assume tools are missing without probing first.
Why This Skill Exists
In cowork mode and certain remote setups, MCP/connector tools are deferred: Claude only sees their names in a system reminder until ToolSearch loads their schemas. A user request mentioning "sprint" or "work item" may arrive before the Plane tools are materialized into the tool set. You must probe before refusing.
Symptoms this skill prevents:
- Responding "I don't have access to Plane tools" when they are in fact available as deferred tools.
- Missing tools because the naming convention is different (
mcp__<any>__plane-i-*, mcp__plane__*, plane_*, connector-plane-*, or fully custom).
- Only finding tools for one instance when multiple Plane workspaces are connected.
Mandatory Bootstrap Protocol
Execute these steps before answering any Plane-related user request:
Step 1 — Probe with ToolSearch
Call ToolSearch with multiple query variants. Do not stop at the first empty result:
ToolSearch(query="plane", max_results=20)
ToolSearch(query="work_item cycle project", max_results=20)
ToolSearch(query="list_projects create_work_item", max_results=20)
ToolSearch(query="sprint backlog issue", max_results=20)
If the user mentioned a specific concept (e.g. "module", "epic", "milestone", "initiative"), add a targeted query:
ToolSearch(query="+module list", max_results=10)
ToolSearch(query="+epic create", max_results=10)
ToolSearch(query="+milestone", max_results=10)
ToolSearch(query="+intake", max_results=10)
Use the select: form when you already know an action name from a skill:
ToolSearch(query="select:create_cycle,add_work_items_to_cycle,list_archived_cycles", max_results=10)
Step 2 — Match by Action Suffix, Not by Prefix
Plane MCP tools may appear under any of these shapes (non-exhaustive):
mcp__<provider>__<prefix>-<action>mcp__<instance-slug>__<action>mcp__plane__<action>plane_<action>connector_plane_<action><workspace>-plane-<action>- A fully custom name chosen by the connector author
Match tools by the action suffix (e.g., create_cycle, list_work_items, add_work_items_to_cycle). The prefix is environment-dependent and MUST NOT be hardcoded in this plugin or in your responses.
Step 3 — Handle Multiple Instances
If the user has multiple Plane workspaces/instances connected, ToolSearch will return multiple tools with the same action suffix but different prefixes. In that case:
- List the discovered instances to the user by their prefix/slug.
- Ask which instance to operate on (use
AskUserQuestion if available).
- Remember the chosen instance for the rest of the conversation.
- If only one instance matches, proceed without asking.
Step 4 — Cache Discovered Names for the Session
Once you have resolved the actual tool names, keep them in working memory for the remainder of the conversation. Do not re-probe for every call in the same session unless the user switches instances or a call fails with "tool not found".
Step 5 — Only Then Decide Whether Tools Are Missing
You may conclude "Plane tools are not connected" only after Steps 1–3 return no matches across all query variants. When reporting this to the user, say what you probed and suggest how to connect Plane (MCP, connector, or cowork).
Discovery Cheat Sheet — Action Names to Probe
Group queries by Plane domain. Use these as ToolSearch inputs:
| Domain | Representative actions to search for |
|---|
| Workspace | get_me, get_workspace_members, get_workspace_features |
| Projects | list_projects, create_project, get_project_members, retrieve_project |
| Work items | list_work_items, create_work_item, update_work_item, search_work_items, retrieve_work_item_by_identifier |
| Cycles / sprints | list_cycles, create_cycle, add_work_items_to_cycle, list_archived_cycles, transfer_cycle_work_items |
| Modules | list_modules, create_module, add_work_items_to_module |
| Epics | list_epics, create_epic, update_epic |
| Initiatives | list_initiatives, create_initiative |
| Milestones | list_milestones, create_milestone, add_work_items_to_milestone |
| States | list_states, create_state |
| Labels | list_labels, create_label |
| Relations | list_work_item_relations, create_work_item_relation |
| Comments / links | list_work_item_comments, create_work_item_link |
| Work logs | list_work_logs, create_work_log |
| Intake | list_intake_work_items, create_intake_work_item |
| Work item types / properties |
Refusal Policy (Hard Rule)
Before you output any message that says or implies "I don't have Plane tools", "I can't access Plane", "tool not available", or "Plane is not connected":
- You MUST have run at least four distinct
ToolSearch queries covering the domains relevant to the user's request.
- You MUST have attempted
select: form for at least one action name taken from the relevant skill.
- If the user's request involves multiple domains (e.g., sprint + backlog + work items), you MUST probe each.
Only then is a refusal justified — and it should include the list of probes you ran.
Integration with Other Skills
All other plane-ops skills reference action names (e.g., create_cycle). Resolve those through this bootstrap protocol once per session. Every skill assumes that, by the time its logic runs, the actual tool names for the current instance have been discovered.
