Building extensions

⚠️ Experimental — Squad is alpha software. APIs, commands, and behavior may change between releases.

You’ve decided your idea is a Squad Extension (Layer 2). Now build one in five minutes.

What is an extension?

An extension is a reusable collection of skills, ceremonies, and directives that any team can install. It lives outside Squad core, packaged as a GitHub repository or marketplace plugin. Extensions let you codify workflows (the client-delivery pattern), domain expertise (Azure deployment strategies), or testing ceremonies that other teams benefit from.

Extension structure

my-extension/
├── skills/
│   ├── SKILL1.md
│   └── SKILL2.md
├── ceremonies/
│   └── CEREMONY.md
├── directives/
│   └── DIRECTIVE.md
└── README.md

Build one

Step 1: Create a repo

mkdir my-extension
cd my-extension
git init

Step 2: Add a skill

Create skills/example-skill.md:

# Example Skill

**When to use:** You need to do X.

## Context

Brief problem statement.

## Steps

1. Do the first thing
2. Do the second thing
3. Done

Step 3 (optional): Add a ceremony

Create ceremonies/code-review.md following Squad ceremony format (decision gate, verdicts, escalation).

Step 4: Write the README

Explain the problem, installation, and usage:

# My Extension

Codifies client-delivery workflows for consulting teams.

## Install

squad plugin install github/my-org/my-extension

## What's Inside

- **discovery-interview** skill — clarify requirements
- **evidence-bundler** skill — collect test results
- **plan-review** ceremony — gate for approval

Step 5: Test locally

Copy your extension directory into .squad/skills/, .squad/ceremonies/, and .squad/directives/. Load your Squad session and verify the skills appear and work as expected.

Share it

Push to GitHub:

git add .
git commit -m "Initial extension: my-extension"
git push

Register with a marketplace or pin directly by repository URL:

squad plugin install github/my-org/my-extension

Real examples

• Client-delivery workflow (RFC #328) — discovery, research, multi-round review with evidence gates
• Azure infrastructure patterns — VM provisioning, Cosmos DB design, monitoring rules
• Knowledge library skills — document structured analysis, reference synthesis

Related docs

• Extensibility guide — Where does your idea belong? (decision tree)
• Plugin Marketplace — How teams discover and install your extension
• Skills — How to author reusable skills
• Ceremonies — How to define decision gates and review rituals

Ready to share? Open a discussion in the Squad community.