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title Copilot CLI Plugins
description Install HVE Core agents, prompts, and skills as Copilot CLI plugins
sidebar_position 2
author Microsoft
ms.date 2026-03-23
ms.topic how-to

Install HVE Core collections as Copilot CLI plugins for terminal-based AI-assisted development workflows.

Prerequisites

  • GitHub Copilot CLI installed and authenticated
  • Git symlink support enabled (Windows: Developer Mode + git config --global core.symlinks true)

Register hve-core as a Plugin Marketplace

copilot plugin marketplace add microsoft/hve-core

Browse Available Plugins

Type /plugin in a Copilot CLI chat session to browse available plugins.

Install a Plugin

Choose one of the following plugins to install. Each command installs a different collection from the hve-core marketplace.

For the core Research, Plan, Implement, Review lifecycle:

copilot plugin install hve-core@hve-core

For the full bundle (includes everything in hve-core plus all additional collections):

copilot plugin install hve-core-all@hve-core

Tip

hve-core-all is a superset of hve-core. Install one or the other, not both. If you are unsure which to pick, start with hve-core-all for the complete experience.

Available Plugins

Plugin Description
hve-core Research, Plan, Implement, Review lifecycle
github GitHub issue management
ado Azure DevOps integration
coding-standards Language-specific coding guidelines
project-planning PRDs, BRDs, ADRs, architecture diagrams
data-science Data specs, notebooks, dashboards
design-thinking Design thinking coaching and methodology
security Security and incident response
installer Installer skill for guided workspace setup and MCP auto-configuration (Extension)
experimental Experimental and preview artifacts
hve-core-all Full HVE Core bundle

Plugin Contents

Each plugin includes:

Component CLI Discovery Description
Agents Yes Custom chat agents for specialized workflows
Commands Yes Task prompts accessible via the CLI
Skills Yes Self-contained skill packages (hve-core-all only)
Instructions No Included for #file: references, not auto-applied

Artifacts are symlinked from the plugin directory to the source repository, enabling zero-copy installation.

Limitations

Instructions are not auto-applied from plugins

The Copilot CLI plugin spec recognizes agents, skills, commands, hooks, mcpServers, and lspServers as component types. There is no instructions component type.

The CLI loads path-specific instructions exclusively from .github/instructions/**/*.instructions.md in the project repo. Instruction files in plugin directories are not auto-applied via applyTo pattern matching.

Instruction files are still included in plugin output because agents and prompts reference them via #file: directives. Those cross-file references resolve correctly within the plugin directory tree. The difference is between explicit inclusion (an agent pulls in instruction content at execution time) and automatic application (the CLI matches applyTo patterns against the files you are editing).

For full path-specific instruction behavior, copy instruction files into your project's .github/instructions/ directory.

Other limitations

  • Skills require skill-compatible agent environments

Using Agents After Installation

After installing a plugin, agents and named commands are available in your CLI session.

Named Commands vs Agent Mode

CLI plugins provide two distinct interaction patterns:

Mode Command Behavior
Named Command /git-commit Executes a predefined workflow, then returns to default mode
Agent Mode /agent Task Researcher Switches to the agent for open-ended conversation

Named commands (prompts) run a specific workflow and produce structured output. Agent mode enables freeform conversation with a specialized agent until you exit.

Important

The CLI does not support prompts that switch to a custom agent directly. Prompts like /task-research are designed to run within a specific agent context. To use them, first switch to the agent, then run the prompt:

/agent Task Researcher
/task-research topic="API authentication patterns"

Prompts that do not require an agent context (e.g., /git-commit, /git-merge) work directly from the default mode.

Example: Research Workflow

Switch to the agent first, then run the prompt:

> /agent Task Researcher
Switched to Task Researcher
> /task-research topic="API authentication patterns"
[Agent executes research workflow, creates research document]

Continue with follow-up questions in the same agent context:

> What are common API authentication patterns for REST APIs?
[Research conversation continues]
> How do OAuth2 and API keys compare for microservices?
[Follow-up within same agent context]
> /exit

Available Agents

After installing the hve-core plugin, these agents are available via /agent <name>:

  • Task Researcher - deep research and technical investigation
  • Task Planner - implementation planning with phased execution
  • Task Implementor - code changes following plans
  • Memory - persistent context across sessions
  • PR Review - pull request analysis and feedback

For the complete list, run /help in a CLI session to see all available commands and agents.

When to Use Each Mode

  • Use named commands (/git-commit-message, /git-merge) directly from default mode for workflows that do not require a custom agent.
  • Use agent mode (/agent <name>) first, then run agent-specific prompts (/task-research, /task-plan) for structured workflows that need agent context.
  • Stay in agent mode for exploratory conversations, follow-up questions, or tasks that don't fit a predefined prompt.

🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.