Pi Packages

Source: https://pi.dev/docs/latest/packages

Reviewed against Pi 0.99.2 and the package versions listed in ../SKILL.md on 2026-09-30.

Pi packages bundle extensions, skills, prompt templates, and themes for sharing through npm, git, URL, or local paths. Packages run with full system access — extensions execute arbitrary code and skills can instruct the model to run executables. Review third-party source before installing.

Install and Manage

pi install npm:@foo/bar@1.0.0
pi install git:github.com/user/repo@v1
pi install https://github.com/user/repo
pi install /absolute/path/to/package
pi install ./relative/path/to/package

pi remove npm:@foo/bar
pi list                     # installed packages from settings
pi update                   # update pi only
pi update --all             # pi + packages; reconcile pinned git refs
pi update --extensions      # packages only; reconcile pinned git refs
pi update --models          # refresh model catalogs only
pi update --self            # update pi only
pi update --self --force    # reinstall pi even if current
pi update npm:@foo/bar      # update one package
pi update --extension npm:@foo/bar
pi config                   # enable/disable package resources

install/remove write to user settings by default; -l writes to project settings (.pi/settings.json), which can be shared with a team — Pi installs missing project packages automatically on startup after the project is trusted. To try a package for one run without installing, use -e/--extension (installs to a temporary directory):

pi -e npm:@foo/bar
pi -e git:github.com/user/repo

Sources

npm — npm:@scope/pkg@1.2.3 or npm:pkg. Versioned specs are pinned and skipped by package updates. User installs go under ~/.pi/agent/npm/, project installs under .pi/npm/. npmCommand in settings pins npm operations to a wrapper such as mise.

git — git:github.com/user/repo@v1, git:git@github.com:user/repo@v1, https://github.com/user/repo@v1, ssh://git@github.com/user/repo@v1. Without the git: prefix only protocol URLs are accepted (https://, http://, ssh://, git://); with it, shorthand forms work. SSH URLs use your configured keys and respect ~/.ssh/config. For CI, set GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 and GIT_SSH_COMMAND (e.g. ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=5) to fail fast. Refs are pinned tags or commits — updates reconcile an existing clone to the configured ref but never move it to a newer ref; use pi install git:host/user/repo@new-ref to move it. Clones live in ~/.pi/agent/git/<host>/<path> or .pi/git/<host>/<path>. Reconciliation resets and cleans the clone, then runs npm install when package.json exists.

Local paths — absolute or relative, added to settings without copying. Relative paths resolve against the settings file. A file loads as a single extension; a directory loads using package rules.

Package Manifest

{
  "name": "my-package",
  "keywords": ["pi-package"],
  "pi": {
    "extensions": ["./extensions"],
    "skills": ["./skills"],
    "prompts": ["./prompts"],
    "themes": ["./themes"]
  }
}

Paths are relative to the package root and support glob patterns and !exclusions. The pi-package keyword makes the package visible in the gallery; add pi.video (MP4 only, autoplays on hover) or pi.image (PNG/JPEG/GIF/WebP) for a preview — video wins if both are set.

Without a manifest, Pi auto-discovers convention directories: extensions/ (.ts and .js), skills/ (recursive SKILL.md folders plus top-level .md files), prompts/ (.md), themes/ (.json).

Dependencies

Third-party runtime dependencies belong in dependencies; Pi runs npm install when installing from npm or git.

Pi bundles core packages for extensions and skills. If you import @earendil-works/pi-ai, @earendil-works/pi-agent-core, @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent, @earendil-works/pi-tui, or typebox, list them in peerDependencies with "*" and do not bundle them or add physical runtime copies in dependencies. Managed installs suppress automatic peer installation; local packages retain the author's dependency tree. A duplicate host package can create separate classes and registries in compiled ESM.

Other Pi packages must be bundled: add them to dependencies and bundledDependencies, then reference their resources through node_modules/ paths. Pi loads packages with separate module roots, so separate installs neither collide nor share modules.

Filtering

{
  "packages": [
    "npm:simple-pkg",
    {
      "source": "npm:my-package",
      "extensions": ["extensions/*.ts", "!extensions/legacy.ts"],
      "skills": [],
      "prompts": ["prompts/review.md"],
      "themes": ["+themes/legacy.json"]
    }
  ]
}

Omit a key to load all of that type, [] to load none, !pattern to exclude matches, +path to force-include an exact path, -path to force-exclude. +/- paths are exact and relative to the package root. Filters narrow what the manifest already allows.

Enable/Disable and Scope

pi config toggles extensions, skills, prompt templates, and themes from installed packages and local directories. It starts in global settings; Tab switches between global and project-local, and pi config -l starts in project overrides with inherited global resources dimmed.

A package can appear in both global and project settings. The project entry wins unless it sets autoload: false, in which case it applies as a delta over the global entry. Identity: npm package name, git repository URL without ref, or resolved absolute path for local packages.

Notable Ecosystem Packages

• pi install npm:pi-subagents — delegation, chains, parallel runs: references/pi-subagents.md
• pi install npm:pi-mcp-adapter — token-efficient MCP server access: references/pi-mcp-adapter.md
• pi install npm:pi-web-access — web search, URL/PDF/repo fetching, video understanding: references/pi-web-access.md
• pi install npm:pi-interview — interactive interview forms: references/pi-interview.md
• pi install npm:glimpseui — native macOS WebView windows used by several packages
• pi install npm:@gotgenes/pi-permission-system — runtime allow/ask/deny policy, composes with pi-subagents