// Guide for extending Pi — decide between skills, extensions, prompt templates, themes, context files, or custom models, then create and package them. Use when someone wants to extend Pi, add capabilities, create a skill, build an extension, or make a Pi package.
| name | extending-pi |
| description | Guide for extending Pi — decide between skills, extensions, prompt templates, themes, context files, or custom models, then create and package them. Use when someone wants to extend Pi, add capabilities, create a skill, build an extension, or make a Pi package. |
Help the user decide what to build and where to find guidance.
| Goal | Build a… | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Teach Pi a workflow or how to use a tool/API/CLI | Skill | Read skill-creator/SKILL.md for detailed guidance |
| Give Pi a new tool, command, or runtime behavior | Extension | Read Pi docs: docs/extensions.md |
| Reuse a prompt pattern with variables | Prompt template | Read Pi docs: docs/prompt-templates.md |
| Set project-wide coding guidelines | Context file | AGENTS.md in project root or .pi/agent/ — just markdown |
| Change Pi's appearance | Theme | Read Pi docs: docs/themes.md |
| Add a model or provider | Custom model | Read Pi docs: docs/models.md (JSON) or docs/custom-provider.md (extension) |
| Share any of the above | Package | Read Pi docs: docs/packages.md |
If bash + instructions can do it, prefer a skill (simpler, no code to maintain). If you need event hooks, typed tools, UI components, or policy enforcement, use an extension.
Examples:
rm -rf" → Extension (event interception)db_query tool" → Extension (registerTool)Create or update Pi skills (SKILL.md plus optional scripts, references, or assets). Use when someone asks to design a new Pi skill, refine an existing one, or structure skills for Pi discovery or packaging.
Long-running iterative development loops with pacing control and verifiable progress. Use when tasks require multiple iterations, many discrete steps, or periodic reflection with clear checkpoints; avoid for simple one-shot tasks or quick fixes.
Cheat sheet + workflow for launching interactive coding-agent CLIs (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, Cursor CLI, and pi itself) via the interactive_shell overlay or headless dispatch. Use for TUI agents and long-running processes that need supervision, fire-and-forget delegation, or headless background execution. Regular bash commands should use the bash tool instead.
Clarify requirements before implementing. Do not use automatically, only when invoked explicitly.
Web search and content extraction via Brave Search API. Use for searching documentation, facts, or any web content. Lightweight, no browser required.
Generate flat favicons from image prompts, then key out a magenta background and build PNG/ICO/WebP outputs with ImageMagick. Use when you need a reliable favicon workflow.