Plugins Overview

KinBot’s plugin system lets you extend functionality without modifying core code. Drop a folder into plugins/ and get new capabilities instantly.

What Plugins Can Do

A single plugin can contribute one or more of these:

Type	Description
Tools	New AI-callable functions for Kins (weather, SMS, RSS…)
Providers	Custom LLM, embedding, image, or search providers
Channels	New messaging platforms
Hooks	Intercept lifecycle events (before/after chat, tool calls…)

Design Principles

Low barrier to entry — A plugin is a folder with a manifest and a TypeScript file
TypeScript-first — Compiled by Bun at load time, no separate build step
Safe by default — Plugins declare permissions; users approve before activation
Kin-scoped — Enable plugins globally or per-Kin
Compatible — Built-in tools remain unchanged; plugins use the same patterns

Managing Plugins

Via the UI

Navigate to Settings → Plugins to browse, install, enable/disable, and configure plugins. The UI auto-generates settings forms from the plugin’s config schema.

Via Kin Tools

Kins can manage plugins autonomously using built-in tools (opt-in, disabled by default):

Tool	Description
`list_installed_plugins`	List all installed plugins with status
`browse_plugin_store`	Search the community plugin registry
`install_plugin`	Install from store, git URL, or npm
`uninstall_plugin`	Remove an installed plugin
`enable_plugin`	Activate a disabled plugin
`disable_plugin`	Deactivate without uninstalling
`configure_plugin`	Update plugin settings
`get_plugin_details`	Get detailed info, config schema, registered tools

To enable these tools for a Kin, go to the Kin’s tool settings and enable the plugin management tools.

Plugin Lifecycle

Server Start
  → Scan plugins/ directory
  → Validate each plugin.json
  → Register discovered plugins (not yet activated)
  → Activate globally-enabled plugins
  → For each Kin, activate Kin-specific plugins

Enable/Disable Levels

Plugins have two levels of enablement:

Global — Plugin is active at the platform level. Its providers, channels, and hooks are registered.
Per-Kin — Plugin’s tools are available to specific Kins. Configured in each Kin’s settings.

Hot Reload

Config changes — Applied immediately (no restart). Plugin deactivates, re-initializes with new config, then activates.
Code changes — Require clicking Reload Plugins or restarting KinBot.
Manifest changes — Require reload.

Installation Methods

Method	How	Use Case
Manual	Copy folder to `plugins/`	Development, local plugins
Git	Install via UI or API from a Git URL	Shared plugins
npm	Install via UI or API from npm	Published packages
UI upload	Upload ZIP via Plugin Manager	Non-technical users (future)

See Developing Plugins for the full development guide.

Next Steps

Developing Plugins — Build your first plugin
Plugin API — Full API reference
Plugin Store — Browse community plugins