Compound Engineering is a plugin of 35 skills for AI coding agents. It structures the work around a loop — brainstorm, plan, build, review, then capture what you learned — so the knowledge from each change is written down where the next change can read it.
It runs on 14 agent hosts, including Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex.
Maintained by Kieran Klaassen and Trevin Chow, with contributions from the open-source community.
For understanding before a change, ask ce-explain how the relevant behavior works and why it exists. For a recommendation, use ce-pov; “oracle this” adds independent model opinions. Both can contribute to another workflow without a separate human interaction.
Install
Claude Code
/plugin marketplace add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
/plugin install compound-engineering
[!IMPORTANT]
Already have Compound Engineering installed? Refresh the marketplace before updating — see Upgrading. Running /plugin update alone keeps you on the old version.
Cursor
In Cursor Agent chat, install from the plugin marketplace:
/add-plugin compound-engineering
Or search for "compound engineering" in the plugin marketplace.
Grok Bot
Grok Bot is its own app, but it uses your Cursor account and plugin library. There is no separate Grok Bot login. Install Compound Engineering once on that account and Grok Bot agents can load it.
In Cursor Agent chat:
/add-plugin compound-engineering
Or search for "compound engineering" in the Cursor plugin marketplace. Do not run /add-plugin in the Grok Bot chat, and do not clone this repository onto the Grok Bot computer.
Codex App
Compound Engineering is not listed in Codex's built-in plugin marketplace yet. Add it as a custom marketplace:
In the Codex app, open Plugins from the sidebar.
Click the arrow next to Create, then select Add marketplace.
Enter:
| Field |
Value |
| Source |
EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin |
| Git ref |
main |
| Sparse paths |
leave blank |
Click Add marketplace.
Search for Compound Engineering, install compound-engineering-plugin, then restart Codex.
The Codex app install is self-contained for Compound Engineering. Specialist reviewer and research behavior lives inside the skills as local prompt assets; no separate custom-agent install step is required.
Codex CLI
Register the marketplace, then install the plugin.
Register the marketplace with Codex:
codex plugin marketplace add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
Install the plugin:
codex plugin add compound-engineering@compound-engineering-plugin
You can also launch codex, run /plugins, find the Compound Engineering marketplace, select the compound-engineering plugin, and choose Install. Restart Codex after install completes.
The native Codex plugin install is self-contained for Compound Engineering. Specialist reviewer and research behavior lives inside the skills as local prompt assets; no separate custom-agent install step is required.
For a non-default Codex profile, run every Codex-related step against the same CODEX_HOME. This example installs CE into a work profile:
CODEX_HOME="$HOME/.codex/profiles/work" codex plugin marketplace add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
CODEX_HOME="$HOME/.codex/profiles/work" codex plugin add compound-engineering@compound-engineering-plugin
The marketplace step only makes the plugin available; the plugin install is what activates the native CE skills for that profile.
Another editor or CLI? Kimi Code CLI, Cline, Grok Build CLI, Devin CLI, GitHub Copilot, Factory Droid, Qwen Code, OpenCode, Pi, oh-my-pi (omp), and Antigravity CLI are all supported — see More install options.
Philosophy
Each unit of engineering work should make subsequent units easier -- not harder.
Invocation syntax: this README uses /skill-name examples for slash-skill hosts. In Codex, invoke installed skills with $skill-name (for example, $ce-plan and $lfg). In oh-my-pi (omp), these prompts can model-route to visible skills; use the native deterministic /skill:<name> form for manual-only or hidden skills (for example, /skill:ce-polish). /goal remains a Codex built-in command.
Traditional development accumulates technical debt. Every feature adds complexity. Every bug fix leaves behind a little more local knowledge that someone has to rediscover later. The codebase gets larger, the context gets harder to hold, and the next change becomes slower.
Compound engineering inverts this. 80% is in planning and review, 20% is in execution:
- Plan thoroughly before writing code with
/ce-brainstorm and /ce-plan using one readiness-based plan artifact
- Review to catch issues and calibrate judgment with
/ce-code-review and /ce-doc-review
- Codify knowledge so it is reusable with
/ce-compound
- Keep quality high so future changes are easy
The point is leverage, not ceremony. A good brainstorm makes the plan sharper. A good plan makes execution smaller. A good review catches the pattern, not just the bug. A good compound note means the next agent does not have to learn the same lesson from scratch.
The loop
The core loop is six steps: brainstorm the requirements, plan the implementation, work through the plan, simplify what you wrote, review the result, then compound the learning -- and repeat with better context.
| Skill |
Purpose |
/ce-brainstorm |
Interactive Q&A to think through a feature or problem and write a requirements-only unified plan before planning |
/ce-plan |
Enrich feature ideas or requirements-only plans into implementation-ready plans |
/ce-work |
Execute implementation-ready plans natively or through a qualified cross-model author while retaining host verification, commits, and shipping |
/ce-simplify-code |
Refine the freshly written code for clarity and reuse before review |
/ce-code-review |
Report-only multi-agent review against the plan before merging; local apply is explicit |
/ce-compound |
Capture the learning into docs/solutions/ so the next loop starts smarter |
Each cycle compounds. /ce-compound writes learnings that the next /ce-brainstorm and /ce-plan read as grounding. Brainstorms sharpen plans, plans inform future plans, reviews catch more issues, patterns get documented. That return arrow is the whole point.
Run one teaches it. Run two remembers.
Replayed from a real pair of sessions 18 days apart, with names and paths anonymized and the six-minute run compressed to about 30 seconds. Nothing shown is behavior the skills don't have — see assets/demo for the source and the substitutions.
Artifact folders like docs/solutions/ and docs/plans/ are the defaults. A project whose docs/ is tracked content can relocate every CE artifact folder under one repo-relative root via the docs_root setting -- see configuration.
Want the same knowledge compounding across every repo in your org -- team conventions, security policies, a stack's hard-won rules -- instead of being relearned in each one? Declare it as Compound Packs: folders of prescriptive rules (local, or ref-pinned git repos) that planning grounds in and review enforces, every use cited back to the rule file (experimental) -- see Compound Packs.
Try it
After installing, run /ce-setup in any project. It reports optional tool capabilities, creates repo .compound-engineering/config.yaml when missing, refreshes the committed example, and gitignores an existing local override.
The standard loop -- turn a rough idea into shipped, reviewed code:
/ce-brainstorm make background job retries safer
/ce-plan
/ce-work
/ce-simplify-code
/ce-code-review
/ce-compound
Autonomous -- hand off a feature and let the agent run the whole pipeline:
/ce-brainstorm describe the feature
/lfg
/lfg runs the loop hands-off: it plans, works through the plan, simplifies, runs code review and applies the fixes, runs browser tests, then commits. When a git remote exists it pushes, opens a PR, and watches CI with a bounded repair loop (it does not merge, and it can finish with leftovers if the repair budget is hit). With no remote it stops at local commits. Start it after /ce-brainstorm so it plans against real requirements rather than a one-line prompt.
Starting from a bug instead of a feature? Use /ce-debug. Not sure what to build yet? Start with /ce-ideate.
Skills at a glance
35 skills, grouped by what they are for. The full catalog, with a page per skill and how each one chains into the others, is in docs/guides.
| Group |
Skills |
What it covers |
| Core loop |
ce-brainstorm ce-plan ce-work ce-simplify-code ce-code-review ce-compound |
The six steps of every iteration |
| Around the loop |
ce-strategy ce-product-pulse ce-sweep ce-compound-refresh |
Anchors and feeds that keep the loop grounded |
| On demand |
ce-ideate ce-bakeoff ce-pov ce-debug ce-explain ce-doc-review ce-optimize ce-prototype |
Reached for when a specific need arises |
| Git workflow |
ce-commit ce-commit-push-pr ce-babysit-pr ce-resolve-pr-feedback ce-worktree |
Committing, shipping, and shepherding PRs |
| Autonomous |
lfg |
The whole pipeline, hands-off |
| Testing & design |
ce-test-browser ce-test-xcode ce-polish ce-dogfood |
Verifying and polishing what you built |
| Collaboration |
ce-proof ce-handoff ce-promote |
Sharing work and handing it off |
| Utilities |
ce-setup ce-noslop ce-retune ce-riffrec-feedback-analysis |
Setup, writing, and maintenance |
Learn more
More Install Options
Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex are at the top. Everything here is equally supported.
Kimi Code CLI
Kimi Code CLI can install Compound Engineering directly from this repository because the repo ships a native .kimi-plugin/plugin.json manifest:
/plugins install https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
You can also browse it through Kimi's custom marketplace flow:
/plugins marketplace https://raw.githubusercontent.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin/main/.kimi-plugin/marketplace.json
After installing or updating, run /reload or start a new Kimi session so the plugin skills are loaded.
Cline
Cline loads CE skills from on-demand SKILL.md directories. Enable Settings -> Features -> Enable Skills in the Cline extension, then link this repository's skills globally or per project:
git clone https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
./compound-engineering-plugin/.cline/scripts/install-skills.sh --global
Per-project install from a checkout:
./compound-engineering-plugin/.cline/scripts/install-skills.sh --project
Start a new Cline task after installing or updating skills. See .cline/INSTALL.md for pinning, local development, and uninstall steps.
Grok Build CLI (grok)
xAI's Grok Build CLI (grok) installs Compound Engineering directly from this repository. The repo root is a valid Grok plugin: grok reads the existing Claude-compatible manifests, and the repo also ships a native .grok-plugin/plugin.json.
grok plugin install EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
This tracks the repository; run grok plugin update to pull the latest. To browse it as a marketplace source instead, the repo ships a native .grok-plugin/marketplace.json:
grok plugin marketplace add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
grok plugin install compound-engineering
Both paths track the repository directly (no commit pin). Add --trust to skip the install confirmation. grok stores config under ~/.grok; start a new session after installing so the skills load.
Compound Engineering is also being submitted to the official xAI plugin marketplace; see docs/grok-marketplace-submission.md for the maintainer runbook.
Devin CLI
Devin CLI can install Compound Engineering directly from GitHub because the repo ships a native .devin-plugin/plugin.json manifest:
devin plugins install EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
Verify the install and inspect the skills:
devin plugins list
devin plugins info compound-engineering
Update to the latest version with devin plugins update compound-engineering. Plugins load at session start, so start a new Devin session after installing or updating for the skills to appear (as /compound-engineering:<skill> slash commands).
A few skills declare Claude-style allowed-tools names that Devin does not map (for example Bash); those skills still work, but some of their actions ask for permission instead of running auto-approved. See docs/specs/devin.md for details.
GitHub Copilot
For VS Code Copilot Agent Plugins:
- Run
Chat: Install Plugin from Source from the VS Code command palette
- Use
EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin for the repo
- Select
compound-engineering when VS Code shows the plugins in this repository
For Copilot CLI, use:
Inside Copilot CLI:
/plugin marketplace add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
/plugin install compound-engineering@compound-engineering-plugin
From a shell with the copilot binary:
copilot plugin marketplace add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
copilot plugin install compound-engineering@compound-engineering-plugin
Copilot CLI reads the existing Claude-compatible plugin manifests directly.
Factory Droid
From a shell with the droid binary:
droid plugin marketplace add https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
droid plugin install compound-engineering@compound-engineering-plugin
Droid uses plugin@marketplace plugin IDs; here compound-engineering is the plugin and compound-engineering-plugin is the marketplace name. Droid installs the existing Claude Code-compatible plugin and translates the format automatically.
Qwen Code
qwen extensions install EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin:compound-engineering
Qwen Code installs Claude Code-compatible plugins directly from GitHub and converts the plugin format during install.
OpenCode
Add Compound Engineering to the plugin array in your global or project opencode.json:
{
"plugin": ["compound-engineering@git+https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin.git"]
}
Restart OpenCode after changing the config. The OpenCode plugin registers the Compound Engineering skills directory directly; no Bun installer or generated skill copy is required. See .opencode/INSTALL.md for pinning examples.
Pi
Install Compound Engineering as a Pi package from this repository:
pi install git:github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
Required companion for CE workflows that dispatch reviewer, research, or implementation subagents:
pi install npm:pi-subagents
Recommended companion for richer blocking questions:
pi install npm:pi-ask-user
oh-my-pi (omp)
oh-my-pi (omp) installs Compound Engineering through its marketplace flow. The repo ships a native .omp-plugin/marketplace.json catalog whose plugin entry carries a release-managed version, so omp's update checker can see each new CE release:
omp plugin marketplace add EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
omp plugin install compound-engineering@compound-engineering-plugin
To stay current automatically, enable auto-update:
omp config set marketplace.autoUpdate auto
The default notify mode only writes update availability to the debug log — it does not prompt — so without auto you will not hear about new releases. To upgrade by hand instead, run omp plugin upgrade compound-engineering@compound-engineering-plugin.
Other install paths (pin-style and contributor development)
omp install https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin installs the repository as an npm-style plugin. That path has no update mechanism — treat it as pinning a snapshot, not as the recommended install.
For local development from a checkout, use a live symlink instead:
omp plugin link "$PWD"
Run /reload-plugins or start a new omp session after installing so the skills load. omp's native deterministic command is /skill:<name> (for example, /skill:ce-plan); ordinary /skill-name prompts can also model-route to visible skills, but manual-only or hidden skills require the native form. See docs/specs/omp.md for details.
Antigravity CLI (agy)
Google has replaced the consumer Gemini CLI with Antigravity CLI (agy), which still runs on Gemini models. Install Compound Engineering directly from GitHub — no clone step required:
agy plugin install https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
Verify with agy plugin list. The repository root is the plugin package (plugin.json plus skills/).
For a local checkout or pinned release:
git clone https://github.com/EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
agy plugin install ./compound-engineering-plugin
The bundled .agy/ directory remains a compatibility entry point (agy plugin install ./compound-engineering-plugin/.agy). agy also loads GEMINI.md workspace context from the checkout.
See .agy/INSTALL.md for pinning, local development, uninstall, and legacy Gemini import.
Upgrading an existing install
Compound Engineering moved to a root-native, skills-o
Compound Engineering 是一个为 AI 编程代理准备的插件,包含 35 个技能。它把工作组织成一个循环——头脑风暴、制定计划、动手开发、审查,然后记录你学到的东西——这样每次改动都能让下一次更轻松。它支持 14 个代理平台,包括 Claude Code、Cursor 和 Codex。