---
title: "Extensions Guides"
source: https://docs.autohand.ai/guides/extensions/
---

# Extensions

Turn team knowledge and existing Autohand capabilities into portable, versioned building blocks—or choose the Agent SDK when the extension belongs in your own application.

## Build the right kind of extension

These guides start with product and architecture decisions, then move through package composition, a barebone CLI profile, contribution design, lifecycle policy, and distribution. For hands-on builds, continue to the [Extensions tutorials](/tutorials/extensions/index.html).

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Start here

### Choose an extension model

Compare CLI extensions, the Code Agent SDK, meta-tools, external agents, skills, MCP, and hooks by ownership and runtime needs.

Architecture guide](/guides/extensions/choose-extension-model.html)[

### Design an extension package

Set a narrow capability boundary, choose declarative or trusted runtime contributions, and plan validation before writing files.

Package design](/guides/extensions/design-extension-package.html)[

Composition

### Barebone CLI + extensions

Start Autohand with minimal ambient behavior and layer in only the project extensions your workflow needs.

Minimal runtime guide](/guides/extensions/barebone-cli.html)[

### Compose tools and agents

Design shell-backed tools, focused reviewers, tool allowlists, and evidence-oriented prompts that work together.

Contribution design](/guides/extensions/tools-and-agents.html)[

Migration

### Adapt a Pi package

Map Pi skills, tools, commands, UI, hooks, providers, and permission policy to Autohand's declarative and trusted runtime layers.

Pi compatibility guide](/guides/extensions/adapt-pi-package.html)[

### Scopes, security, and lifecycle

Choose user or project ownership, understand precedence, and operate installation and updates without bypassing authorization.

Operations guide](/guides/extensions/scopes-security-lifecycle.html)[

### Distribute and maintain

Version packages, test copied installations, publish immutable source releases, and evolve the API safely.

Release guide](/guides/extensions/distribute-and-maintain.html)

## What extensions add to existing CLI features

| Existing feature | Extension package benefit |
|---|---|
| Meta-tools | Bundle one or more tools with an id, version, scope, ownership, atomic installation, and diagnostics. |
| External agents | Ship focused agent prompts beside the tools they depend on and retain package provenance. |
| Permission manager and hooks | Reuse the same authorization and lifecycle path rather than inventing a second executor. |
| User and project configuration | Choose capabilities that follow a developer or stay owned by one repository. |
| Interactive, sub-agent, teammate, RPC, and ACP runtimes | Discover one deterministic extension snapshot across supported entrypoints. |
| Bare mode | Keep ambient startup integrations disabled while retaining explicitly installed declarative capabilities and reviewed runtime extensions. |