M365 Agent Scaffolder

⚠️ QUICK PROJECT CREATION ONLY ⚠️

This skill does ONE thing: creates new M365 Copilot agent project structures using ATK CLI. It collects minimal required information and scaffolds the project. All architecture, planning, implementation, and deployment is handled by other skills.

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When to Use This Skill

Use this skill ONLY when:

• Creating a brand new empty M365 Copilot agent project from scratch
• The user explicitly asks to create a new project, agent, or workspace
• Starting a new agent development initiative that needs initial project structure

Do NOT use this skill when:

• Working with existing projects (use m365-agent-developer)
• Implementing features or capabilities (use m365-agent-developer)
• Deploying or managing agents (use m365-agent-developer)
• Troubleshooting issues (use m365-agent-developer)
• Designing architecture or planning (use m365-agent-developer)

Instructions

Follow these exact steps when creating a new M365 Copilot agent project:

Step 1: Understand the Request

Action: Verify the user wants to create a NEW project.

Check for:

• Keywords: "new project", "create agent", "scaffold", "start from scratch"
• Confirmation this is NOT an existing project

If existing project: Stop and recommend using m365-agent-developer skill.

Step 2: Collect Required Information

Action: Ask the user for two pieces of information:

1. Project name (required)

   • What should the project be named?
   • Must be valid for directory names (no spaces, special characters)
   • Example: "customer-support-agent", "sales-assistant"

2. Location preference (optional, default: new subdirectory)

   • Create in current directory? (Will create project files directly here)
   • Create in new subdirectory? (Recommended - will create a folder)

Example questions:

What would you like to name your M365 Copilot agent project?

Should I create this in the current directory or a new subdirectory? 
(Default: new subdirectory)

Step 3: Run ATK CLI Command

Action: Execute the scaffolding command with the collected information.

Command:

npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new -n <project-name> -c declarative-agent -with-plugin type-spec -i false

Parameters:

• -n <project-name>: The project name provided by the user
• -c declarative-agent: Create a declarative agent
• -with-plugin type-spec: Include TypeSpec plugin scaffolding
• -i false: Non-interactive mode (no prompts)

Why it's important: This creates the complete project structure with all necessary files and configuration.

Step 4: Confirm Creation and Stop

Action: Provide a simple confirmation message with next steps.

Message template:

✅ Project created at: <absolute-project-path>

Your empty M365 Copilot agent project structure is ready.

🎯 NEXT STEPS:

Use the m365-agent-developer skill to design, implement, and deploy your agent:
"Design and implement a [describe your agent] using the m365-agent-developer skill"

STOP HERE.

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Examples

Example 1: Basic Project Scaffolding

User: "Create a new M365 Copilot agent project"

Interaction:

Assistant: What would you like to name your M365 Copilot agent project?

User: sales-assistant
Assistant: Should I create this in the current directory or a new subdirectory?

User: New subdirectory

Script executed:

npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new -n sales-assistant -c declarative-agent -with-plugin type-spec -i false

Confirmation:

✅ Project created at: /home/user/projects/sales-assistant

Your new M365 Copilot agent project structure is ready.

🎯 NEXT STEPS:
Use the m365-agent-developer skill to design, implement, and deploy your agent.

Example 2: Project with Name Provided

Interaction:

User: Scaffold a new project called customer-support-agent

Script executed:

npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new -n customer-support-agent -c declarative-agent -with-plugin type-spec -i false

Confirmation:

✅ Project created at: /home/user/projects/customer-support-agent

Your new M365 Copilot agent project structure is ready.

🎯 NEXT STEPS:
Use the m365-agent-developer skill to design, implement, and deploy your agent.

Example 3: Creating in Current Directory

Interaction:

User: Create a document-finder agent in this directory

Script executed:

npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new -n document-finder -c declarative-agent -with-plugin type-spec -i false

Confirmation:

✅ Project created at: /home/user/projects/document-finder

Your new M365 Copilot agent project structure is ready.

🎯 NEXT STEPS:
Use the m365-agent-developer skill to design, implement, and deploy your agent.

Example 4: Quick Succession

Interaction:

User 1: expense-tracker
User 2: inventory-manager
User 3: meeting-scheduler

Scripts executed:

npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new -n expense-tracker -c declarative-agent -with-plugin type-spec -i false
npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new -n inventory-manager -c declarative-agent -with-plugin type-spec -i false
npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new -n meeting-scheduler -c declarative-agent -with-plugin type-spec -i false

Example 5: What NOT to Do

User: "Create a customer support agent with SharePoint and Teams capabilities"

WRONG - Do NOT do this:

❌ Creating TODO.md with architecture plans
❌ Discussing which capabilities to use
❌ Writing TypeSpec code
❌ Implementing agent instructions
❌ Opening workspace in VS Code

CORRECT - Do this:

✅ Ask for project name
✅ Run: npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new -n customer-support-agent -c declarative-agent -with-plugin type-spec -i false
✅ Confirm creation
✅ Direct to m365-agent-developer skill
✅ STOP

Best Practices

Follow these best practices when scaffolding new M365 Copilot agent projects:

Project Naming

• Use Descriptive Names: Choose names that clearly indicate the agent's purpose
  • ✅ Good: customer-support-agent, sales-assistant, document-finder
  • ❌ Bad: agent1, test, myproject
• Use Kebab-Case: Use lowercase with hyphens for maximum compatibility
  • ✅ Good: expense-tracker-agent
  • ❌ Bad: ExpenseTrackerAgent, expense_tracker_agent, Expense Tracker
• Avoid Special Characters: Stick to alphanumeric characters and hyphens only
  • No spaces, underscores, or special symbols
• Keep It Concise: 2-4 words maximum for readability
  • ✅ Good: sales-dashboard
  • ❌ Bad: comprehensive-sales-and-marketing-analytics-dashboard-agent

Directory Management

• Default to New Subdirectory: Unless user explicitly requests current directory
  • Prevents cluttering existing directories
  • Creates clean, isolated project structure
• Verify Current Location: Always check and confirm the working directory
  • Use absolute paths in all confirmations
  • Prevent accidental creation in wrong location
• Check for Conflicts: Avoid creating projects in directories that already contain projects
  • Check for existing package.json or project files
  • Warn if directory is not empty
• Use Absolute Paths: Always provide full absolute paths in confirmation messages
  • Helps users locate the project easily
  • Prevents confusion about project location

Command Execution

• Always Use Full ATK CLI Command: Never abbreviate or use shortcuts
  • Full command: npx -p @microsoft/m365agentstoolkit-cli@latest atk new
  • Ensures latest version is used
  • Prevents version compatibility issues
• Non-Interactive Mode: Always use -i false parameter
  • Prevents unexpected prompts
  • Ensures consistent, predictable behavior
• Verify Exit Code: Check command success before confirming to user
  • Handle errors gracefully
  • Provide clear error messages if scaffolding fails
• Capture Output: Monitor command output for errors or warnings
  • Log any issues encountered
  • Provide diagnostic information if needed

Communication Best Practices

• Be Brief and Direct: Keep all messages short and actionable
  • No lengthy explanations or architectural discussions
  • Focus only on scaffolding confirmation
• Clear Handoff: Explicitly direct users to m365-agent-developer skill
  • Provide specific next-step guidance
  • Make it clear this skill's job is complete
• No Extra Work: Do NOT:
  • Create TODO.md files
  • Open workspaces in VS Code
  • Provide implementation guidance
  • Discuss architecture or design
  • Run additional commands beyond scaffolding
• Set Clear Expectations: Make it obvious this skill only scaffolds
  • "Your empty project structure is ready"
  • Emphasize that implementation happens in another skill

Scope Boundaries

• Stay in Scope: Only handle project creation, nothing more
  • Ask for name
  • Ask for location
  • Run command
  • Confirm
  • Stop
• Quick Exit: Complete the task and stop immediately
  • No lingering to answer follow-up questions about implementation
  • Direct all follow-ups to m365-agent-developer skill
• No Planning: Don't discuss:
  • Architecture decisions
  • Capability selection
  • API plugin design
  • Security considerations
  • Deployment strategies
• No Implementation: Don't write or suggest:
  • TypeSpec code
  • Agent decorators
  • Capability configurations
  • API endpoints
  • Instruction text

Error Handling

• Validate Input: Check project name before running command
  • Ensure valid characters
  • Warn about potential issues
  • Suggest corrections if needed
• Handle Command Failures: If scaffolding fails:
  • Capture and report error message
  • Suggest common fixes (permissions, disk space, network)
  • Don't proceed with confirmation
• Provide Context: When errors occur, give users actionable information
  • What failed
  • Why it might have failed
  • What they can try next
• Don't Retry Automatically: Let users diagnose and fix issues
  • Don't run the command multiple times
  • Let users verify prerequisites

Quality Checks

• Verify Prerequisites: Before running command, ensure:
  • Node.js and npm are available
  • User has write permissions
  • Network connectivity for npm packages
• Confirm Success: After command completes:
  • Verify project directory exists
  • Check for key files (package.json, src/ directory)
  • Confirm structure was created properly
• Provide Accurate Paths: Double-check all paths in messages
  • Use pwd or similar to get absolute paths
  • Verify path format for user's OS

Integration with m365-agent-developer

• Seamless Transition: Make it easy for users to move to next skill
  • Provide clear instruction on what to say next
  • Reference m365-agent-developer explicitly by name
• Set Context: In handoff message, briefly mention what comes next
  • "Use the m365-agent-developer skill to design, implement, and deploy"
  • Helps users understand the workflow
• Don't Duplicate: Trust m365-agent-developer skill for all post-scaffolding work
  • No architectural guidance
  • No implementation hints
  • Pure handoff