Support Copilot CLI plugin marketplace format in JetBrains IDE

[xanoysky]

Feature Request

GitHub Copilot CLI already supports a plugin marketplace specification — a marketplace.json registry format that allows teams and the community to package, distribute, and install custom skills, agents, hooks, and MCP server configs via copilot plugin marketplace add [owner]/[repo].

This format is currently only supported in the Copilot CLI. It would be highly valuable to bring this same plugin marketplace support to the JetBrains IDE plugin, so that users can install and use community plugins directly from their IDE — just as they can from the terminal.

What this would enable

• Install marketplace plugins from JetBrains IDEs — browse and add plugins from a marketplace.json registry without leaving the IDE
• Full parity with Copilot CLI — skills, agents, hooks, and MCP servers defined in marketplace plugins should work in IntelliJ just as they do in the CLI
• Team/enterprise extensibility — organizations can maintain private plugin marketplaces and have them work across both CLI and IDE

Cross-tool compatibility with Claude Code format

It's worth noting that Claude Code uses a nearly identical plugin format (.claude-plugin/ directory with a plugin.json manifest + skills/, agents/, hooks/ directories and a marketplace.json registry). Several teams are already building plugin marketplaces that target both Copilot CLI and Claude Code.

Supporting this format in the IntelliJ plugin would maximize portability — a single plugin repo could serve users of Copilot CLI, Copilot in JetBrains, and Claude Code without maintaining separate implementations.

Reference

• Copilot CLI Plugin Marketplace docs
• Claude Code plugin specification

[nickzhums]

Thanks xanoysky for the feedback, this is on our roadmap. cc Ji (@jidddddd)

[rlatreil-hts]

Any ETA regarding plugins support in IntelliJ ? It appears it already works in VSCode.

[nickzhums]

Hi rlatreil-hts xanoysky , we recently added Copilot CLI support in the nightly build. You can try this version:

https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/17718-github-copilot--your-ai-pair-programmer/versions/nightly

Pick "Copilot CLI" from the dropdown, and your plugin will be recognized automatically.

[credmond]

That's not the final solution, I assume?

[nickzhums]

Hi Cormac Redmond (@credmond) , a complete experience will include UX settings, and a marketplace for users to discover plugins.

That being said, we just released a stable version today (https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/17718-github-copilot--your-ai-pair-programmer/versions/stable/1041417) that includes Copilot CLI integration, where plug-in already supported

[xanoysky]

Hi @credmond , a complete experience will include UX settings, and a marketplace for users to discover plugins.

That being said, we just released a stable version today (https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/17718-github-copilot--your-ai-pair-programmer/versions/stable/1041417) that includes Copilot CLI integration, where plug-in already supported

nickzhums Thanks for the attention and work on this - it's a great feature request and much appreciated!

I can confirm this still seems not to work on my side.
Even when I select Copilot CLI, skills from marketplace-installed plugins are not recognized in IntelliJ.

When installing a marketplace plugin via the Copilot CLI (copilot plugin marketplace add), it saves the plugin manifests and skills by default under:
~/.copilot/installed-plugins/<marketplace>/<plugin>/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md

So the installation appears to succeed - the manifests are present on disk - but the IDE integration does not discover or expose those skills.