install-vscode-extension

$npx mdskill add microsoft/vscode/install-vscode-extension

Install specific VS Code extensions using their unique ID to extend editor functionality.

  • Adds new features to the development environment by adding required add-ons.
  • Integrates with the VS Code environment via the `copilot_runVscodeCommand` tool.
  • Determines the correct package identifier and whether to install a pre-release build.
  • Executes the necessary command directly within the user's active VS Code workspace.

SKILL.md

.github/skills/install-vscode-extensionView on GitHub ↗
---
name: install-vscode-extension
description: 'How to install a VS Code extension from an extension ID. Useful when the user wants to add new capabilities to their VS Code environment by installing extensions.'
---

# Installing VS Code extensions

1. VS Code extensions are identified by their unique extension ID, which typically follows the format `publisher.extensionName`. For example, the Python extension by Microsoft has the ID `ms-python.python`.
2. To install a VS Code extension, you need to use the VS Code command `workbench.extensions.installExtension` and pass in the extension ID. The args are of the format:
```
[extensionId, { enable: true, installPreReleaseVersion: boolean }]
```
> NOTE: install the pre-release version of the extension if the user explicitly mentions it or if the current environment is VS Code Insiders. Otherwise, install the stable version.
3. Run that command via the `copilot_runVscodeCommand` tool. Make sure to pass the `skipCheck` argument as true to avoid checking if the command exists, as we know it does.

More from microsoft/vscode

SkillDescription
accessibilityPrimary accessibility skill for VS Code. REQUIRED for new feature and contribution work, and also applies to updates of existing UI. Covers accessibility help dialogs, accessible views, verbosity settings, signals, ARIA announcements, keyboard navigation, and ARIA labels/roles.
act-on-feedbackAct on user feedback attached to the current session. Use when the user submits feedback on the session's changes via the Submit Feedback button.
add-policyUse when adding, modifying, or reviewing VS Code configuration policies. Covers the full policy lifecycle from registration to export to platform-specific artifacts. Run on ANY change that adds a `policy:` field to a configuration property.
agent-customization**WORKFLOW SKILL** — Create, update, review, fix, or debug VS Code agent customization files (.instructions.md, .prompt.md, .agent.md, SKILL.md, copilot-instructions.md, AGENTS.md). USE FOR: saving coding preferences; troubleshooting why instructions/skills/agents are ignored or not invoked; configuring applyTo patterns; defining tool restrictions; creating custom agent modes or specialized workflows; packaging domain knowledge; fixing YAML frontmatter syntax. DO NOT USE FOR: general coding questions (use default agent); runtime debugging or error diagnosis; MCP server configuration (use MCP docs directly); VS Code extension development. INVOKES: file system tools (read/write customization files), ask-questions tool (interview user for requirements), subagents for codebase exploration. FOR SINGLE OPERATIONS: For quick YAML frontmatter fixes or creating a single file from a known pattern, edit the file directly — no skill needed.
anthropic-sdk-upgrader"Use this agent when the user needs to upgrade Anthropic SDK packages. This includes: upgrading @anthropic-ai/sdk or @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk to newer versions, migrating between SDK versions, resolving SDK-related dependency conflicts, updating SDK types and interfaces, or asking about SDK upgrade procedures. Examples: 'Upgrade the Anthropic SDK to the latest version', 'Help me migrate to the latest claude-agent-sdk', 'What's the process for upgrading Anthropic packages?'"
author-contributionsIdentify all files a specific author contributed to on a branch vs its upstream, tracing code through renames. Use when asked who edited what, what code an author contributed, or to audit authorship before a merge. This skill should be run as a subagent — it performs many git operations and returns a concise table.
auto-perf-optimizeRun agent-driven VS Code performance or memory investigations. Use when asked to launch Code OSS, automate a VS Code scenario, run the Chat memory smoke runner, capture renderer heap snapshots, take workflow screenshots, compare run summaries, or drive a repeatable scenario before heap-snapshot analysis.
azure-pipelinesUse when validating Azure DevOps pipeline changes for the VS Code build. Covers queueing builds, checking build status, viewing logs, and iterating on pipeline YAML changes without waiting for full CI runs.
chat-customizations-editorUse when working on the Chat Customizations editor — the management UI for agents, skills, instructions, hooks, prompts, MCP servers, and plugins.
chat-perfRun chat perf benchmarks and memory leak checks against the local dev build or any published VS Code version. Use when investigating chat rendering regressions, validating perf-sensitive changes to chat UI, or checking for memory leaks in the chat response pipeline.