mcpbeat

Apm Usage

microsoft/apm-usage

> configuring, authoring, or troubleshooting AI-agent packages, dependencies, compilation, MCP servers, policy, or any `apm` CLI command.

47k tokens
context cost
the whole folder, loaded on every use
9
files
instructions only
0
copies elsewhere
how many repositories repackaged it
3460
stars on the repo
on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository 
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/apm --skill apm-usage

What comes with it

185 010 bytes besides the instruction
authentication.md
commands.md
dependencies.md
governance.md
installation.md
package-authoring.md
troubleshooting.md
workflow.md

The instruction itself

4 sections, as written by the author

APM Usage

APM (Agent Package Manager) is the open-source package manager for AI coding

agents. It lets teams install, share, and govern reusable instructions, prompts,

agents, skills, and MCP server configurations across projects.

When to activate

  • User mentions apm or "Agent Package Manager"
  • Questions about installing or managing AI-agent packages
  • Setting up instructions, prompts, agents, skills, or chatmodes
  • Configuring MCP servers through apm.yml
  • Authentication for private repos (GitHub, ADO, GHES, Artifactory)
  • Policy enforcement or apm audit
  • Package authoring or publishing
  • Compiling agent context (apm compile)
  • Troubleshooting apm errors

Key rules

  • Commit these files: apm.yml, apm.lock.yaml, .apm/, deployed harness directories including .grok/, and AGENTS.md
  • Never commit: apm_modules/ (add to .gitignore)
  • Team sync: after git clone, run apm install to restore dependencies
  • Update deps: apm install --update refreshes to latest refs
  • Pin versions: use tags (#v1.0.0) in production, branches for development
  • ASCII only: all CLI output and source must stay within printable ASCII

Reference

For detailed guidance, see the following resources:

  • Installation -- install and update APM
  • Workflow -- core workflow, apm.yml format, what to commit
  • Commands -- full CLI command reference
  • Dependencies -- all dependency formats and version pinning
  • Authentication -- token setup for private repos
  • Governance -- policy engine and audit checks
  • Package Authoring -- creating APM packages
  • Troubleshooting -- common errors and fixes

How to use it

Copy the folder

Take microsoft/apm-usage from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

Check the name does not clash

The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.