Amazon, Cursor, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Vercel have announced a joint standard for AI agent plugins to replace the fragmented formats currently used across their platforms. Previously, developers faced the task of rebuilding extensions for every individual ecosystem due to conflicting folder structures and setup requirements. The new specification, named Agent Plugins, defines a single package format based on a directory containing a manifest file called plugin.json. Version 1.0.0 supports two core components: Agent Skills for reusable instructions and workflows, and MCP servers for connecting agents to external tools and data.
This initiative addresses the immediate friction of distributing software extensions without establishing a marketplace or defining permission models. The specification remains open for development on GitHub, allowing external contributors to shape its evolution. It focuses strictly on packaging and discoverability rather than runtime environments or security protocols. One notable absence from the group is Anthropic, which has previously created similar open standards including the Model Context Protocol and Agent Skills.
* The standard is version 1.0.0 and is being developed publicly on GitHub.
* Agent Skills handle reusable instructions while MCP servers manage tool connections.
* Anthropic is not participating in this specific collaborative effort.
