plugin-mcp-and-agent-setup

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

1. Determine which responsibilities belong in:
   • a custom agent
   • a reusable skill
   • an MCP server integration
2. 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
3. For each skill:
   • create skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md
   • keep the skill name unique
   • define trigger, workflow, output expectations, and quality bar
4. 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
5. 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.