The Hands-on AI Plugin
One plugin, one install, three categories of work. Bundles the AI Workflow Framework (methodology), the AI Registry (documentation tooling), and Agentic Coding (feature-spec writing) — everything you need to take an AI workflow from idea to documented production system. 1 agent + 14 skills.
These are plain-text Markdown files that work in any AI tool. Install as a Claude Code plugin for the full experience, or download individual skills as ZIPs for ChatGPT, M365 Copilot, Cursor, and other platforms.
Get the Plugin
Section titled “Get the Plugin”One-command install in Claude Code with automatic agent routing and slash commands:
/plugin marketplace add jamesgray-ai/handsonai-plugins/plugin install handsonai@handsonaiSee Using Plugins for setup details across Claude.ai upload, Cowork, and API usage.
Download individual skill ZIPs from the GitHub Releases page and add them to your tool of choice.
Works with Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, VS Code Copilot, M365 Copilot, and more. See How to Add Skills to Your Platform for step-by-step instructions for each tool.
You can also browse the source on GitHub and paste any skill file directly into your system prompt, project instructions, or custom GPT.
What’s Inside
Section titled “What’s Inside”The plugin is organized into three coherent toolkits. Use them independently or together.
AI Workflow Framework
Section titled “AI Workflow Framework”The seven-step methodology for going from a workflow idea to a deployed AI system: Analyze → Deconstruct → Design → Build → Test → Run → Improve. Run the full flow with the orchestrator agent, or invoke any individual step as a skill.
framework-agent
Section titled “framework-agent”Walks you through the full 7-step framework end-to-end. The agent calls the right skill at each step, gathers inputs from you between steps, and produces working artifacts (specs, prompts, agents) along the way.
When to use it: Use this when you have a workflow you want to apply AI to and want guided, end-to-end help. If you’d rather drive each step yourself, invoke the skills directly.
Skills
Section titled “Skills”| Skill | Slash command | What it does |
|---|---|---|
analyze | /handsonai:analyze | Audit your workflows (individual or organizational lens) to find where AI creates the most value |
deconstruct | /handsonai:deconstruct | Break a workflow into structured steps using the 6-question framework |
design | /handsonai:design | Design the AI workflow architecture and produce a Design Spec |
build | /handsonai:build | Generate platform-appropriate artifacts (prompts, skills, agents) from the approved spec |
test | /handsonai:test | Test workflow artifacts and evaluate output quality |
run | /handsonai:run | Generate a Run Guide for deploying and operating the workflow |
improve | /handsonai:improve | Evaluate a running workflow for quality and evolution opportunities |
Full documentation: The AI Workflow Framework walks through the methodology with worked examples for each step.
AI Registry
Section titled “AI Registry”Once you’ve built workflows worth tracking, you need a registry. These five skills maintain your AI Registry — a registry/ knowledge bundle at your workspace root, plus everything derived from it. The bundle holds typed concept nodes (Business, LineOfBusiness, Function, Process, Workflow, Note) as individual Markdown files, governed by a registry/SCHEMA.md producer profile that every skill reads before it writes — required frontmatter, enum values, link discipline, and banned fields all live there, so every skill’s writes and every maintenance pass’s lint checks agree on the same contract. The bundle is the source of truth; the REGISTRY.md dashboard, directory indexes, and GENERATED blocks are all derived from it — edit sources, regenerate, never hand-edit a derived view.
Skills
Section titled “Skills”scaffolding-registry
Section titled “scaffolding-registry”Slash command: /handsonai:scaffolding-registry
Stands up a brand-new AI Registry: a guided, ~30-minute interview that creates the registry/ bundle — SCHEMA.md, the typed directories, and a first real Business, Line of Business, Function, Process, and Workflow node for your actual work. Triggers when you ask to set up your registry, or automatically when another framework skill finds no registry/SCHEMA.md in the workspace. Re-running on an existing bundle fills gaps rather than re-scaffolding, and it also migrates legacy layouts (old per-workflow manifest files or flat requirements files) into the bundle. Hands off to indexing-registry for the workspace’s first maintenance pass and dashboard.
naming-workflows
Section titled “naming-workflows”Slash command: /handsonai:naming-workflows
Generates consistent, outcome-focused names and descriptions for business workflows, then records them as Workflow nodes in your registry bundle. Follows domain-specific naming patterns (Sales, Marketing, Product, Education, Operations) so your registry stays organized as it grows.
writing-workflow-sops
Section titled “writing-workflow-sops”Slash command: /handsonai:writing-workflow-sops
Writes Standard Operating Procedure documentation for workflows and saves them as Markdown files, recording the SOP link in the workflow’s registry entry. Selects a full or lightweight SOP template based on autonomy level (deterministic vs. guided/autonomous) and adapts for execution mode (Manual, Augmented, Automated).
writing-process-guides
Section titled “writing-process-guides”Slash command: /handsonai:writing-process-guides
Writes Business Process Guide documentation that explains the strategic context and rhythm of a complete business process — when to execute it, why it matters, and how its component workflows fit together. The strategic companion to tactical SOPs.
indexing-registry
Section titled “indexing-registry”Slash command: /handsonai:indexing-registry
Maintains the AI Registry bundle and its derived views. Lints your bundle against its SCHEMA, refreshes indexes and GENERATED views, and regenerates your REGISTRY.md and visual dashboard. Runs five jobs in a full pass: lint the bundle, refresh typed-directory indexes, regenerate GENERATED blocks (a Workflow’s Insights, a Function’s Owns list), regenerate the Tier 1 REGISTRY.md dashboard (and the Tier 2 visual HTML dashboard on request), and append log.md for schema changes and migrations. The framework skills trigger it automatically at their closing steps; run it standalone to pick up assets created outside the framework or to repair a stale index.
Recommended workflow: Scaffold the bundle → Name workflows → Document procedure (SOP) → Connect workflows (Process Guide) → Refresh the index. Each skill works independently if you don’t need the full sequence.
Agentic Coding
Section titled “Agentic Coding”For turning ideas into shippable feature specs before you write code. Two skills — one for fuzzy ideas, one for production specs.
Skills
Section titled “Skills”writing-vision-briefs
Section titled “writing-vision-briefs”Slash command: /handsonai:writing-vision-briefs
Captures a fuzzy idea as a structured Vision Brief — the essence of an idea before formal requirements. Walks you through problem, users, vision, capabilities, and success criteria in plain language. Assesses scope and breaks bigger visions into epics and features. Feeds directly into writing-feature-prds.
writing-feature-prds
Section titled “writing-feature-prds”Slash command: /handsonai:writing-feature-prds
Creates a Product Requirements Document for one feature with user stories, acceptance criteria, and a linked GitHub issue. Stress-tests the PRD for edge cases and ambiguity before finalizing.
Full documentation: Agentic Coding shows the full feature-development workflow these skills plug into.
Looking for example components?
Section titled “Looking for example components?”Earlier versions of the marketplace shipped specialized agents for executive writing, HBR-style editorial review, AI news research, and meeting prep, plus several portable prompts. They’ve moved to the Example Gallery as study material — copy and customize them for your own workflows.
License
Section titled “License”MIT — fork, modify, and ship freely.