Build and debug bb plugins with agent-driven scaffolding

Where this fits

A user asks: "Add a sidebar panel to bb that shows today's tasks." You could hand-write UI code and hope it hooks in. With bb-plugins, the agent scaffolds a TypeScript plugin, installs it, and debugs it against the real plugin API. The skill covers the full loop: create, install, debug, and extend bb with custom plugins, panels, CLI subcommands, themes, providers, and agent tools.

Why agents benefit

• The agent knows to use this skill instead of bb-cli, avoiding confusion between running threads and extending the platform.
• Scaffolding (bb plugin new hello) creates a clean TypeScript project with expected entry points, so the agent doesn't guess from minified dist files.
• Running bb plugin types before coding surfaces installed SDK signatures and prevents local type drift.
• Debugging guidance helps the agent inspect in-process lifecycle events and server-side errors.
• Security is built in: plugins are full-trust, so the agent reviews source and uses secret: true for credentials.

Practical scenarios

Adding a sidebar panel without touching core bb

A user wants a "Deploy Status" panel. The agent scaffolds a plugin, creates the panel component, registers it in the manifest, and verifies it locally. The UI stays isolated and upgrade-safe.

Building a private bb CLI subcommand

A team wants bb report --weekly. The agent registers a new subcommand in a plugin and tests it in a project directory. It behaves exactly like a first-party command.

Debugging a provider plugin after an update

A provider stops connecting after a bb upgrade. The agent inspects the plugin source, regenerates types, and enables plugin logs to find the changed API surface.

Add it to your agent workflow

Install the skill with:

npx skills add davidondrej/skills --skill bb-plugins

Then ask your agent to "add a bb plugin that logs unhandled promise rejections." The agent scaffolds it with:

bb plugin new logger

After edits, bb plugin types validates the API bindings before install.

Compare before adopting

Compare with hand-written scripts and core CLI patching. Look at quality signals: 3.8k stars, maintenance freshness, and how many first-party bb features are plugins. Also compare with bb-cli for day-to-day operation. For an index of similar agent skills, see https://www.openagentskill.com/skills/davidondrej-bb-plugins.

Why it is worth tracking

The 3.8k-star count and the fact that bb ships core features as plugins make this a strong signal for anyone extending bb. Track it when evaluating agent tooling for plugin development or planning custom panels, providers, or subcommands. Because plugins are full-trust, this skill's emphasis on source review and typed APIs makes it worth evaluating alongside your security workflow.