> Byte Agent can help you create resource packages. Ask it to bundle your extensions, skills, prompt templates, or themes.

# Byte Agent Packages

Byte Agent packages bundle extensions, skills, prompt templates, and themes so you can share them through npm or git. For compatibility with the inherited extension ecosystem, a package declares resources in `package.json` under the `pi` key, or uses conventional directories.

## Table of Contents

- [Install and Manage](#install-and-manage)
- [Package Sources](#package-sources)
- [Creating a Byte Agent Package](#creating-a-byte-agent-package)
- [Package Structure](#package-structure)
- [Dependencies](#dependencies)
- [Package Filtering](#package-filtering)
- [Enable and Disable Resources](#enable-and-disable-resources)
- [Scope and Deduplication](#scope-and-deduplication)

## Install and Manage

> **Security:** Byte Agent packages run with full system access. Extensions execute arbitrary code, and skills can instruct the model to perform any action including running executables. Review source code before installing third-party packages.

```bash
zyte-agent package install npm:@foo/bar@1.0.0
zyte-agent package install git:github.com/user/repo@v1
zyte-agent package install https://github.com/user/repo  # raw URLs work too
zyte-agent package install /absolute/path/to/package
zyte-agent package install ./relative/path/to/package

zyte-agent package remove npm:@foo/bar
zyte-agent package list                  # show installed packages from settings
zyte-agent package update                # update all non-pinned packages
zyte-agent package update npm:@foo/bar   # update one package
zyte-agent update                        # update Byte Agent
zyte-agent update --force                # reinstall Byte Agent even if current
```

By default, `package install` and `package remove` write to global settings (`~/.zyte/agent/settings.json`). Use `--local` to write to project settings (`.zyte/agent/settings.json`) instead. Project settings can be shared with your team, and Byte Agent installs any missing packages automatically on startup.

To try a package without installing it, use `--extension` or `-e`. This installs to a temporary directory for the current run only:

```bash
zyte-agent -e npm:@foo/bar
zyte-agent -e git:github.com/user/repo
```

## Package Sources

Byte Agent accepts three source types in settings and `zyte-agent package install`.

### npm

```
npm:@scope/pkg@1.2.3
npm:pkg
```

- Versioned specs are pinned and skipped by `zyte-agent package update`.
- Global installs use `npm install -g`.
- Project installs go under `.zyte/agent/npm/`.
- Set `npmCommand` in `settings.json` to pin npm package lookup and install operations to a specific wrapper command such as `mise` or `asdf`.

Example:

```json
{
  "npmCommand": ["mise", "exec", "node@20", "--", "npm"]
}
```

### git

```
git:github.com/user/repo@v1
git:git@github.com:user/repo@v1
https://github.com/user/repo@v1
ssh://git@github.com/user/repo@v1
```

- Without `git:` prefix, only protocol URLs are accepted (`https://`, `http://`, `ssh://`, `git://`).
- With `git:` prefix, shorthand formats are accepted, including `github.com/user/repo` and `git@github.com:user/repo`.
- HTTPS and SSH URLs are both supported.
- SSH URLs use your configured SSH keys automatically (respects `~/.ssh/config`).
- For non-interactive runs (for example CI), you can set `GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0` to disable credential prompts and set `GIT_SSH_COMMAND` (for example `ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=5`) to fail fast.
- Refs pin the package and skip `zyte-agent package update`.
- Cloned to `~/.zyte/agent/git/<host>/<path>` (global) or `.zyte/agent/git/<host>/<path>` (project).
- Runs `npm install` after clone or pull if `package.json` exists.

**SSH examples:**
```bash
# git@host:path shorthand (requires git: prefix)
zyte-agent package install git:git@github.com:user/repo

# ssh:// protocol format
zyte-agent package install ssh://git@github.com/user/repo

# With version ref
zyte-agent package install git:git@github.com:user/repo@v1.0.0
```

### Local Paths

```
/absolute/path/to/package
./relative/path/to/package
```

Local paths point to files or directories on disk and are added to settings without copying. Relative paths are resolved against the settings file they appear in. If the path is a file, it loads as a single extension. If it is a directory, Byte Agent loads resources using package rules.

## Creating a Byte Agent Package

Add a `pi` manifest to `package.json` or use conventional directories. Include the `zyte-agent-package` keyword for discoverability.

```json
{
  "name": "my-package",
  "keywords": ["zyte-agent-package"],
  "zyte": {
    "extensions": ["./extensions"],
    "skills": ["./skills"],
    "prompts": ["./prompts"],
    "themes": ["./themes"]
  }
}
```

Paths are relative to the package root. Arrays support glob patterns and `!exclusions`.

### Gallery Metadata

The `zyte-agent-package` keyword and optional `video` or `image` fields are available as package metadata:

```json
{
  "name": "my-package",
  "keywords": ["zyte-agent-package"],
  "zyte": {
    "extensions": ["./extensions"],
    "video": "https://example.com/demo.mp4",
    "image": "https://example.com/screenshot.png"
  }
}
```

- **video**: URL for an MP4 preview.
- **image**: URL for a PNG, JPEG, GIF, or WebP preview.

If both are set, video takes precedence.

## Package Structure

### Convention Directories

If no `pi` manifest is present, Byte Agent auto-discovers resources from these directories:

- `extensions/` loads `.ts` and `.js` files
- `skills/` recursively finds `SKILL.md` folders and loads top-level `.md` files as skills
- `prompts/` loads `.md` files
- `themes/` loads `.json` files

## Dependencies

Third party runtime dependencies belong in `dependencies` in `package.json`. Dependencies that do not register extensions, skills, prompt templates, or themes also belong in `dependencies`. When Byte Agent installs a package from npm or git, it runs `npm install`, so those dependencies are installed automatically.

Byte Agent bundles core packages for extensions and skills. If you import any of them, list them in `peerDependencies` with a `"*"` range and do not bundle them: `@zyte-agent/ai`, `@zyte-agent/agent-core`, `@zyte-agent/coding-agent`, `@zyte-agent/tui`, `typebox`.

Other resource packages must be bundled in your tarball. Add them to `dependencies` and `bundledDependencies`, then reference their resources through `node_modules/` paths. Byte Agent loads packages with separate module roots, so separate installs do not collide or share modules.

Example:

```json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "shitty-extensions": "^1.0.1"
  },
  "bundledDependencies": ["shitty-extensions"],
  "zyte": {
    "extensions": ["extensions", "node_modules/shitty-extensions/extensions"],
    "skills": ["skills", "node_modules/shitty-extensions/skills"]
  }
}
```

## Package Filtering

Filter what a package loads using the object form in settings:

```json
{
  "packages": [
    "npm:simple-pkg",
    {
      "source": "npm:my-package",
      "extensions": ["extensions/*.ts", "!extensions/legacy.ts"],
      "skills": [],
      "prompts": ["prompts/review.md"],
      "themes": ["+themes/legacy.json"]
    }
  ]
}
```

`+path` and `-path` are exact paths relative to the package root.

- Omit a key to load all of that type.
- Use `[]` to load none of that type.
- `!pattern` excludes matches.
- `+path` force-includes an exact path.
- `-path` force-excludes an exact path.
- Filters layer on top of the manifest. They narrow down what is already allowed.

## Enable and Disable Resources

Use `zyte-agent config` to enable or disable extensions, skills, prompt templates, and themes from installed packages and local directories. This works for both global (`~/.zyte/agent`) and project (`.zyte/agent/`) scopes.

## Scope and Deduplication

Packages can appear in both global and project settings. If the same package appears in both, the project entry wins. Identity is determined by:

- npm: package name
- git: repository URL without ref
- local: resolved absolute path