OpenAI, Microsoft, and Cursor Unite Behind Agent Plugins to End Fragmented AI Workflows
OpenAI, Microsoft, Cursor, AWS, and Vercel launch Agent Plugins v1.0: one plugin format that works across Codex, ChatGPT, Copilot, VS Code, Cursor, and Kiro.
- Agent Plugins v1.0 is a new open standard for packaging Agent Skills and MCP server configs into one portable plugin directory that works across multiple agent clients.
- Launch clients include ChatGPT, Codex, GitHub Copilot, VS Code, Cursor, and Kiro (AWS) -- all loading the same plugin format.
- The Technical Steering Committee includes Amazon, Cursor, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Vercel, making this a genuine cross-industry standard.
- Agent Skills (originally from Anthropic) bundle instructions, scripts, and reference docs into a simple folder with a
SKILL.mdfile -- no server required. - MCP server configs can be bundled in the same plugin via
mcp.json, supporting stdio, Streamable HTTP, and legacy SSE transports. - The spec is free and open at agent-plugins.org; proposals and governance happen publicly on GitHub.
Every major coding agent has had its own plugin format. A workflow packaged for GitHub Copilot needed rework before Cursor could use it. A tool integration wired up for Codex wouldn't load in VS Code. Plugin authors ended up maintaining parallel versions of the same thing across a fragmented ecosystem. Agent Plugins is the industry's answer.
One package, every client
Agent Plugins is an open, vendor-neutral standard for packaging reusable components into portable plugins. Its v1.0.0 specification defines a shared format for Agent Skills and MCP servers that compatible clients can discover and load consistently. The Technical Steering Committee includes core maintainers from Amazon, Cursor, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Vercel.
The launch clients are:
- ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI)
- GitHub Copilot (Microsoft)
- VS Code (Microsoft)
- Cursor
- Kiro (AWS)
The standard defines the minimum shared structure so the portable parts stay portable, while each client retains full control over installation, permissions, and UX.
What's inside a plugin
An Agent Plugin is a directory. The structure is intentionally minimal:
my-plugin/
├── plugin.json # identity + spec version
├── skills/
│ └── summarize/
│ └── SKILL.md # instructions for the agent
├── mcp.json # MCP server config
└── com.example.client/ # client-specific extensions