| name | plugin-mcp-and-agent-setup |
| description | Add custom agents, reusable skills, and MCP configuration to a Copilot CLI plugin while keeping the manifest and documentation aligned. |
Purpose
Environment Variable Support
If the environment variable PLUGIN_AUTHORING_SRC is set and points to a local source folder, this skill will read from and write to that folder for agent and skill files. This enables users to save new or updated agent/skill definitions directly from their workspace.
Use this skill when a plugin needs to grow beyond a bare manifest and bundle the reusable components that make it valuable: agent roles, skill workflows, and MCP server definitions.
Required workflow
- Determine which responsibilities belong in:
- a custom agent
- a reusable skill
- an MCP server integration
- For each custom agent:
- create
agents/<agent-name>.agent.md
- set a unique
name
- describe when the agent should use one of the bundled skills
- For each skill:
- create
skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md
- keep the skill
name unique
- define trigger, workflow, output expectations, and quality bar
- For MCP:
- add or update
.mcp.json
- point
plugin.json at the MCP config using mcpServers
- choose explicit server names and commands
- document required runtime support
- Re-check
plugin.json so agents, skills, and mcpServers all match the actual file layout.
Output expectations
Summarize:
- which agents were added and their roles
- which skills were added and when to invoke them
- which MCP servers were configured and why
- any runtime prerequisites or user-visible limitations
Quality bar
- Keep agent IDs, skill names, and MCP server names collision-resistant.
- Never store secrets in the repository.
- Do not silently ignore missing runtime support; document it.
- Keep the README in sync with the manifest and bundled components.
