Name: Create Custom Agent
Author: dotnet

This skill helps you create VS Code custom agent files that define specialized AI personas for development tasks. Custom agents configure which tools are available, provide specialized instructions, and can chain together via handoffs.

When to Use

Creating a new custom agent from scratch
Scaffolding an .agent.md file with proper frontmatter
Setting up agent-to-agent handoffs for multi-step workflows
Configuring tool restrictions for specialized roles (planner, reviewer, etc.)
Creating workspace-shared or user-profile agents

When Not to Use

Creating instruction files (use .instructions.md instead)
Creating reusable prompts (use .prompt.md instead)
Modifying existing agents (edit the file directly)

Inputs

Input	Required	Description

When to Use

Creating a new custom agent from scratch
Scaffolding an .agent.md file with proper frontmatter
Setting up agent-to-agent handoffs for multi-step workflows
Configuring tool restrictions for specialized roles (planner, reviewer, etc.)
Creating workspace-shared or user-profile agents

When Not to Use

Creating instruction files (use .instructions.md instead)
Creating reusable prompts (use .prompt.md instead)
Modifying existing agents (edit the file directly)

Inputs

Input	Required	Description

Create Custom Agent

When to Use

When Not to Use

Inputs

Create Custom Agent

When to Use

When Not to Use

Inputs

Workflow

Step 1: Create the agent file

Step 2: Add YAML frontmatter

Coding Agent (bash-first)

Install Vscode Extension

Launch

Agent Customization

Init

Launch