Instructions: prefer built-in skills:/plugins: frontmatter over on-the-fly installs - #54880
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pelikhan merged 2 commits intoAug 22, 2026
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Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
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Pull request overview
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Updates the agentic workflow guidance to treat agent plugins as first-class configuration alongside skills, emphasizing declaration via frontmatter rather than runtime installs.
Changes:
- Adds consistent guidance across workflow docs to use top-level
skills:/plugins:frontmatter and forbid on-the-fly installs. - Introduces/expands a dedicated
.github/aw/skills.mdsection documentingplugins:usage and examples. - Updates designer/create/update workflow guides to reference the new plugins guidance and checklist items.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| .github/skills/custom-agents/SKILL.md | Extends skill-install guidance to include plugins: and forbids runtime installs. |
| .github/skills/agentic-workflows/SKILL.md | Adds a pointer to the skills/plugins guidance doc. |
| .github/aw/update-agentic-workflow.md | Adds instructions + example for adding skills:/plugins: in frontmatter. |
| .github/aw/skills.md | Expands doc to cover plugins, adds rules/anti-patterns and a plugins: section. |
| .github/aw/designer.md | Updates workflow design phase/checklist to include plugins: and no on-the-fly installs. |
| .github/aw/create-agentic-workflow.md | Adds a “Skills and Plugins” section and references skills doc when relevant. |
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| # Skills in Agentic Workflows | ||
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| Use skills — domain-specific knowledge files (`SKILL.md`) under `skills/` or `.github/skills/` — in workflows. |
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| - Experimental: compiling a workflow that uses `plugins:` emits a warning. | ||
| - Supported by `copilot`, `claude`, `codex`, and imported engines that declare `engine.behaviors.plugins`; `gemini` and `pi` reject `plugins:` at compile time. | ||
| - Plugin repositories must be public — unlike `skills:`, there is no per-entry `github-token`/`github-app`. | ||
| - See [syntax-tools-imports.md](syntax-tools-imports.md) for the full field reference. |
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| ## Frontmatter `plugins:` (Preferred for Agent Plugins) | ||
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| When the user asks for a specific [Agent Plugin](https://agent-plugins.org), declare it in the top-level `plugins:` array. The compiler resolves each `owner/repository[/path]@ref` to a commit SHA at compile time, and the agent job checks out and registers every plugin with the engine before the agent starts. |
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| Use the `skills:` frontmatter field as the preferred way to install external skills for workflow runs. This installs skills during activation and persists them correctly between jobs. Use the top-level `plugins:` field the same way for agent plugins. Never add on-the-fly installation steps or ask the agent to install a skill or plugin from the prompt. | ||
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| Use `imports:` for workflow prompt/context files (including local custom agent files), not as the primary skill installation path. |
Contributor
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🎉 This pull request is included in a new release. Release: |
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The authoring instructions covered
skills:only in passing and said nothing aboutplugins:, leaving room for agents to generate run-time installation steps. gh-aw already resolves, pins, and installs both before the agent starts, so the guidance should point at the frontmatter fields and rule out on-the-fly installs..github/aw/skills.mdskills:/plugins:; nogh skill install,copilot plugin install,npx,curl,git clonesteps, and no prompt text asking the agent to install at run time.plugins:" section:owner/repo[/path]@refform, compile-time SHA pinning, engine support (copilot/claude/codex,behaviors.plugins), public-repo constraint, experimental warning.Creator / updater / designer prompts
create-agentic-workflow.md: conditional load ofskills.mdplus a "Skills and Plugins" rule.update-agentic-workflow.md: matching update rule and a minimal example.designer.md: phase 7b now asks about plugins, the workflow skeleton includesplugins:, and the validation checklist gained pinned-plugin and no-runtime-install items.Skills
agentic-workflows/SKILL.md: routing entry for skill/plugin requests.custom-agents/SKILL.md: example extended withplugins:and the no-runtime-install rule.Documentation/instruction-only change; no compiler or workflow behavior is affected.