How to Use dotnet Skills in Cursor IDE: A Complete Setup Guide

You can use dotnet skills in Cursor IDE by adding the dotnet/skills marketplace to your Cursor settings.json, installing the desired plugin from the Marketplace panel, and invoking skills via the /skill command or chat interface.

The dotnet/skills repository exposes AI-powered development capabilities to the Cursor IDE through a dedicated plugin marketplace architecture. By integrating these dotnet skills in Cursor IDE, you gain access to specialized .NET tools for compilation, testing, and code generation directly within your editor's chat interface.

Enable the dotnet Skills Marketplace

Before installing individual plugins, you must register the dotnet/skills marketplace in your Cursor configuration. The repository's .cursor-plugin/marketplace.json file defines the marketplace (dotnet-agent-skills) and enumerates available plugins such as dotnet, dotnet-msbuild, and dotnet-test.

Add the following configuration to your settings.json:

{
  "chat.plugins.enabled": true,
  "chat.plugins.marketplaces": ["dotnet/skills"]
}

After saving the file, reload Cursor using Developer → Reload Window to apply the changes.

Install dotnet Plugins from the Cursor Marketplace

Once the marketplace is registered, open the Marketplace panel using Command Palette → Cursor: Open Marketplace. Search for "dotnet" and install the desired plugin, such as the core dotnet plugin which provides the base LSP functionality.

The plugin metadata is defined in plugins/dotnet/.codex-plugin/plugin.json, which points to the skill folder (./skills/) and the LSP server configuration (./lsp.json). Restart Cursor if prompted after installation to complete the registration process.

Invoke dotnet Skills in Your Workflow

After installation, Cursor automatically registers the skills from the plugin. You can interact with them in two ways:

• List all available skills by typing /skills in the chat panel
• Execute a specific skill using /skill <skill-name>, such as /skill dotnet.compile

The skill definitions are located in files like plugins/dotnet/skills/.../SKILL.md (for example, plugins/dotnet11/skills/system-text-json-net11/SKILL.md), which contain the implementation details and usage documentation. The LSP server configuration in plugins/dotnet/lsp.json handles the underlying language server communication for compilation and diagnostics.

Summary

• Add "chat.plugins.marketplaces": ["dotnet/skills"] to your Cursor settings to enable the marketplace defined in .cursor-plugin/marketplace.json
• Install plugins like dotnet from the Cursor Marketplace panel, which reads metadata from plugins/dotnet/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
• Invoke skills using /skill <name> or browse available options with /skills
• Skill execution relies on LSP configurations defined in plugins/dotnet/lsp.json and individual skill definitions in SKILL.md files

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add the dotnet skills marketplace to Cursor IDE?

Add the dotnet/skills entry to your settings.json file under chat.plugins.marketplaces, ensure chat.plugins.enabled is set to true, and reload the window. This allows Cursor to discover plugins listed in the repository's .cursor-plugin/marketplace.json file.

What file defines the available dotnet skills in the repository?

The .cursor-plugin/marketplace.json file at the repository root registers the marketplace and lists all available plugins. Each plugin has its own .codex-plugin/plugin.json file (such as plugins/dotnet/.codex-plugin/plugin.json) that defines its specific skills and LSP server configuration.

Can I use dotnet skills without installing the Cursor plugin?

No, you must install the specific dotnet plugin (e.g., dotnet) from the Cursor Marketplace after registering the marketplace. The skills are packaged within the plugin structure and require installation to register their commands with the Cursor IDE.

Where are the skill definitions stored in the dotnet/skills repository?

Individual skill definitions are stored in SKILL.md files within each plugin's skills directory, such as plugins/dotnet11/skills/system-text-json-net11/SKILL.md. These files contain the skill documentation and invocation logic used by the Cursor chat interface.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}