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install-atk — Claude Code skill: set up M365 Agents Toolkit

This skill checks that the M365 Agents Toolkit CLI runs and installs the VS Code extension. Handy when ATK has to be set up on a machine.

Install into Claude Code · Skills CLI (Vercel) All methods and platforms ↓
npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill install-atk -a claude-code
Open on GitHub

What install-atk does

One job: get M365 Agents Toolkit (ATK) installed or updated, both the CLI and the VS Code extension. Ask for it in plain words — "install atk", "update agents toolkit" — and the skill works out the scope: everything, CLI only, or just the VSIX.

Nothing gets installed globally. Every call goes through npx -y --package @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli atk, so the first run pulls the current package and later runs reuse the cache. The check itself is npx -y --package @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli atk --version. For the editor side the skill runs code --install-extension TeamsDevApp.ms-teams-vscode-extension.

Before touching atk, it exports ATK_CLI_SKILL=true for the session, which tags the CLI calls as skill-initiated. A broken Node.js 18+ or npm setup makes the verification step fail, so sort that out first. Failures are reported instead of swallowed.

What it helps with

  • install the M365 Agents Toolkit CLI without a global package
  • update the ATK extension inside VS Code
  • confirm which ATK CLI version the session can reach
  • set up ATK from scratch on a fresh machine
  • find out why the atk command will not start

Example prompts for the agent

  • Install ATK
  • Update the ATK VS Code extension
  • Check whether the ATK CLI works

How to install install-atk

1Skills CLI (Vercel)

npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill install-atk -a claude-code

2Manually: put the files in place

~/.claude/skills/install-atk/SKILL.md

Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/install-atk/

Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways

Questions about install-atk

How do I install install-atk in Claude Code?

Run npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill install-atk -a claude-code. The skill lands at ~/.claude/skills/install-atk/SKILL.md.

What does install-atk do?

It verifies that the M365 Agents Toolkit CLI responds and installs the VS Code extension when asked. It also tags atk runs with the ATK_CLI_SKILL variable.

Does the ATK CLI need a global install?

No. Calls use npx -y --package @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli atk, and the package downloads on demand. You need Node.js 18+ and npm in place.

Source text

SKILL.md · MIT
---
name: install-atk
description: >
  Install or update the M365 Agents Toolkit (ATK) CLI and VS Code extension.
  Triggers: "install atk", "update atk", "install agents toolkit", "update agents toolkit",
  "install the toolkit", "setup atk", "get atk", "install atk cli", "install atk extension",
  "install atk vsix", "update the vs code extension", "install latest atk", "upgrade atk"
---

# Install ATK

Install or update the M365 Agents Toolkit (ATK) CLI and/or VS Code extension.

## Telemetry Tagging

Before running any `atk` CLI commands, set the session environment variable so all CLI invocations are tagged as skill-initiated:
```bash
export ATK_CLI_SKILL=true
```
Run this once at the start of the session. All subsequent `atk` commands in the same terminal will inherit it.

## Triggers

This skill activates when the user asks to:
- Install or update ATK / Agents Toolkit / the toolkit
- Install or update the ATK CLI
- Install or update the ATK VS Code extension / VSIX
- Set up ATK / get started with ATK

## Behavior

ATK CLI commands use `npx -y --package @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli atk` which automatically downloads and runs the latest version — no global installation is needed.

When triggered, determine what the user wants:

| User intent | Action |
|-------------|--------|
| Install/update **everything** or just "ATK" | Verify CLI works + install VSIX |
| Install/update **CLI** only | Verify CLI works (npx handles it automatically) |
| Install/update **extension** / **VSIX** only | Install VSIX only |
| Ambiguous | Verify CLI works + install VSIX |

## Commands

### Step 1: Verify ATK CLI works

```bash
npx -y --package @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli atk --version
```

- **If this succeeds** (prints a version): ATK CLI is available. The `npx` prefix automatically downloads the latest package on first use and caches it for subsequent runs.
- **If this fails**: Check that Node.js 18+ and npm are installed. The `npx` command requires a working Node.js environment.

### Step 2: ATK VS Code Extension (if requested)

```bash
code --install-extension TeamsDevApp.ms-teams-vscode-extension
```

## Execution

1. **Verify** ATK CLI works by running `npx -y --package @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli atk --version`
2. Report the result (version number / failure)
3. Install VS Code extension if requested
4. Explain that all ATK commands use the `npx -y --package @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli atk` prefix — no global install needed

## Safety Rules

- **MUST NOT** skip errors — report failures clearly to the user
- **MUST** use the exact package names and extension IDs above — do not substitute with other names or links

© microsoft · MIT · microsoft/skills

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