documentation/docs/getting-started/using-extensions.md
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Extensions are add-ons that provide a way to extend the functionality of goose by connecting with applications and tools you already use in your workflow. These extensions can be used to add new features, access data and resources, or integrate with other systems.
Extensions are based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), so you can connect goose to a wide ecosystem of capabilities.
goose automatically checks external extensions for known malware before activation. If a malicious package is detected, the extension will be blocked with a clear error message.
:::tip Tutorials Check out the step-by-step tutorials for adding and using various goose extensions :::
goose includes several built-in extensions you can start using out of the box:
:::warning Access Control goose operates autonomously by default. Combined with the Developer extension's tools, this means goose can execute commands and modify files without your approval. If you want more control over this behavior, you can configure the goose permission mode, tool permissions, and .gooseignore files. See Configuring Access Controls for a brief overview. :::
Platform extensions are built-in extensions that provide global features like conversation search, task tracking, and extension management. These extensions are always available and can be toggled on or off as needed.
If you know the exact name of the extension you'd like to add, run:
```sh
goose mcp {name}
```
To navigate through available extensions:
1. Run the following command:
```sh
goose configure
```
2. Select `Add Extension` from the menu. Use the up and down keys to highlight your choice then press `Enter`.
3. Select `Built-In Extension`.
4. Select the extension to enable.
5. Provide a timeout for the extension (in seconds).
6. Press `Enter`.
**Example: Adding Built-in Extension**
```
┌ goose-configure
│
◇ What would you like to configure?
│ Add Extension
│
◇ What type of extension would you like to add?
│ Built-in Extension
│
◇ Which built-in extension would you like to enable?
│ Auto Visualiser
│
◇ Please set the timeout for this tool (in secs):
│ 300
│
└ Enabled Auto Visualiser extension
```
:::info goose's built-in extensions are MCP servers in their own right. If you'd like to use the MCP servers included with goose with any other agent, you are free to do so. :::
goose provides a central directory of extensions that you can install and use.
You can also add any other MCP Server as a goose extension, even if it's not listed in our directory.
Extensions can be installed directly via the extensions directory, CLI, or UI.
:::warning Airgapped Environments If you're in a corporate or airgapped environment and extensions fail to activate, see Airgapped/Offline Environments for workarounds. :::
You can install any MCP server as a goose extension.
Many MCP servers work better when they understand your active workspace. goose supports MCP Roots, which lets roots-aware extensions see your current session working directory automatically.
:::tip MCP Server Directory See available servers in the MCP Server Directory. :::
<Tabs groupId="interface"> <TabItem value="ui" label="goose Desktop" default>Extensions button on the sidebar.Extensions, click Add custom extension.Add custom extension modal, enter the necessary details
Add button to the right of the variableTimeout field lets you set how long goose should wait for a tool call from this extension to completeAdd button* **Type**: `Standard IO`
* **ID**: `kgm-mcp` (_set this to whatever you want_)
* **Name**: `Knowledge Graph Memory` (_set this to whatever you want_)
* **Description**: `maps and stores complex relationships between concepts` (_set this to whatever you want_)
* **Command**: `npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory`
```sh
goose configure
```
2. Select Add Extension from the menu.
Choose the type of extension you'd like to add:
Built-In Extension: Use an extension that comes pre-installed with goose.Command-Line Extension: Add a local command or script to run as an extension.Remote Extension (Streamable HTTP): Connect to a remote system via Streamable HTTPFollow the prompts based on the type of extension you selected.
┌ goose-configure
│
◇ What would you like to configure?
│ Add Extension
│
◇ What type of extension would you like to add?
│ Command-line Extension
│
◇ What would you like to call this extension?
│ Wikipedia Reader
│
◇ What command should be run?
│ uvx mcp-wiki
│
◇ Please set the timeout for this tool (in secs):
│ 300
│
◆ Would you like to add environment variables?
│ No
│
└ Added Wikipedia Reader extension
Note: Java and Kotlin extensions are only support on Linux and macOS
┌ goose-configure
│
◇ What would you like to configure?
│ Add Extension
│
◇ What type of extension would you like to add?
│ Command-line Extension
│
◇ What would you like to call this extension?
│ Spring Data Explorer
│
◇ What command should be run?
│ jbang -Dspring.profiles.active=dev org.example:spring-data-mcp:1.0.0
│
◇ Please set the timeout for this tool (in secs):
│ 300
│
◆ Would you like to add environment variables?
│ Yes
│
◇ Environment variable name:
│ SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL
│
◇ Environment variable value:
│ jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb
│
◇ Add another environment variable?
│ No
│
└ Added Spring Data Explorer extension
Extensions can be installed using goose's deep link protocol. The URL format varies based on the extension type:
<Tabs groupId="interface"> <TabItem value="stdio" label="StandardIO" default> ``` goose://extension?cmd=<command>&arg=<argument>&id=<id>&name=<name>&description=<description> ```Required parameters:
cmd: The base command to run, one of jbang, npx, uvx, goosed, or dockerarg: (cmd only) Command arguments (can be repeated for multiple arguments: &arg=...&arg=...)timeout: Maximum time (in seconds) to wait for extension responsesid: Unique identifier for the extensionname: Display name for the extensiondescription: Brief description of the extension's functionalityA command like npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github would be represented as:
goose://extension?cmd=npx&arg=-y&arg=%40modelcontextprotocol/server-github&timeout=<timeout>&id=<id>&name=<name>&description=<description>
Note that each parameter to the npx command is passed as a separate arg parameter in the deeplink.
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="streamable_http" label="Streamable HTTP">
goose://extension?url=<remote-streamable-http-url>&type=streamable_http&id=<id>&name=<n>&description=<description>
Parameters:
url: The URL of the remote Streamable HTTP servertype: Must be set to streamable_http to specify the protocol typetimeout: Maximum time (in seconds) to wait for extension responsesid: Unique identifier for the extensionname: Display name for the extensiondescription: Brief description of the extension's functionalityFor example, a deeplink for a URL like https://example.com/streamable would look like this when URL-encoded:
goose://extension?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fstreamable&type=streamable_http&timeout=<timeout>&id=<id>&name=<n>&description=<description>
:::note
All parameters in the deeplink must be URL-encoded. For example, spaces should be replaced with %20, and @ should be replaced with %40.
:::
For advanced users, you can also directly edit the config file (~/.config/goose/config.yaml) to add, remove, or update an extension:
extensions:
github:
name: GitHub
cmd: npx
args: [-y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github]
enabled: true
envs: { "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_TOKEN>" }
type: stdio
timeout: 300
You can enable or disable installed extensions at any time, either as defaults for new sessions or to change the extensions you're using in the current session.
Changes made to your default extensions apply to future sessions. Updates to these settings do not affect any currently active sessions.
<Tabs groupId="interface"> <TabItem value="ui" label="goose Desktop" default>Extensions button on the sidebar.goose configure
Toggle Extensions from the menu.space bar to toggle the extension. Solid means enabled.Example:
┌ goose-configure
│
◇ What would you like to configure?
│ Toggle Extensions
│
◆ enable extensions: (use "space" to toggle and "enter" to submit)
│ ◼ developer
│ ◻ fetch
└
Changes made during a session preserve your current conversation without starting over. Mid-session changes apply only to the current chat session and do not change your default extensions for new sessions.
<Tabs groupId="interface"> <TabItem value="ui" label="goose Desktop" default>Add extensions during an interactive session with slash commands:
Add a stdio extension:
/extension npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory
Add built-in extension:
/builtin developer
The Smart Extension Recommendation system in goose automatically identifies and suggests relevant extensions based on your tasks and needs. This section explains how to use this feature effectively and understand its capabilities and limitations.
When you request a task, goose checks its enabled extensions and their tools to determine if it can fulfill the request. If not, it suggests or enables additional extensions as needed. You can also request specific extensions by name.
:::warning Any extensions enabled dynamically are only enabled for the current session. To keep extensions enabled between sessions, see Enabling/Disabling Extensions. :::
goose automatically detects when an extension is needed based on your task requirements. Here's an example of how goose identifies and enables a needed extension during a conversation:
<Tabs groupId="interface"> <TabItem value="ui" label="goose Desktop" default>Find all orders with pending status from our production database
I'll help you search for available extensions that might help us interact with PostgreSQL databases.
🔍 Search Available Extensions
└─ Output ▼
I see there's a PostgreSQL extension available. Let me enable it so we can query your database.
🔧 Manage Extensions
└─ action enable
extension_name postgresql
The extension 'postgresql' has been installed successfully
Great! Now I can help you query the database...
Find all orders with pending status from our production database
I apologize, but I notice that I don't currently have access to your database. Let me search if there are any database-related extensions available.
─── search_available_extensions | platform ──────────────────────────
I see that there is a "postgresql" extension available. Let me enable it so I can help you query your database.
─── enable_extension | platform ──────────────────────────
extension_name: postgresql
■ goose would like to enable the following extension, do you approve?
// highlight-start
| ● Yes, for this session
// highlight-end
| ○ No
goose responds to explicit requests for extensions, allowing users to manually enable specific tools they need. Here's an example of how goose handles a direct request to enable an extension:
<Tabs groupId="interface"> <TabItem value="ui" label="goose Desktop" default>Use PostgreSQL extension
I'll help enable the PostgreSQL extension for you.
🔧 Manage Extensions
└─ action enable
extension_name postgresql
The extension 'postgresql' has been installed successfully
The PostgreSQL extension is now ready to use. What would you like to do with it?
Use the PostgreSQL extension
I'll help enable the PostgreSQL extension for you.
─── enable_extension | platform ──────────────────────────
extension_name: postgresql
■ goose would like to enable the following extension, do you approve?
// highlight-start
| ● Yes, for this session
// highlight-end
| ○ No
goose relies on extension properties to determine how to handle an extension. You can edit these properties if you want to change the extension's display settings and behavior, such as the name, timeout, or environment variables.
<Tabs groupId="interface"> <TabItem value="ui" label="goose Desktop" default>Extensions button on the sidebar.Extensions, click the <Settings className="inline" size={16} /> button on the extension you'd like to edit.Save Changes.~/.config/goose/config.yaml on macOS.You can remove installed extensions.
<Tabs groupId="interface"> <TabItem value="ui" label="goose Desktop" default>Extensions button on the sidebar.Extensions, click the <Settings className="inline" size={16} /> button on the extension you'd like to remove.Remove Extension.1. Run the following command to open up goose's configurations:
```sh
goose configure
```
2. Select `Remove` from the menu. Disabled extensions will be listed.
3. Arrow down to the extension you want to remove.
4. Press the `space bar` to select the extension. Solid means selected.
```
┌ goose-configure
│
◇ What would you like to configure?
│ Remove Extension
│
◆ Select extensions to remove (note: you can only remove disabled extensions - use "space" to toggle and "enter" to submit)
│ ◼ fetch
└
```
5. Press Enter to save
You can start a tailored goose session with specific extensions directly from the CLI.
:::info Notes
To enable a built-in extension while starting a session, run the following command:
goose session --with-builtin "{extension_id}"
For example, to enable the Developer and Computer Controller extensions and start a session, you'd run:
goose session --with-builtin "developer,computercontroller"
Or alternatively:
goose session --with-builtin developer --with-builtin computercontroller
To enable an extension while starting a session, run the following command:
goose session --with-extension "{extension command}" --with-extension "{another extension command}"
For example, to start a session with the Fetch extension, you'd run:
goose session --with-extension "uvx mcp-server-fetch"
Some extensions require environment variables. You can include these in your command:
goose session --with-extension "VAR=value command arg1 arg2"
For example, to start a session with the GitHub extension, you'd run:
goose session --with-extension "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=<YOUR_TOKEN> npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
:::info
Note that you'll need Node.js installed on your system to run this command, as it uses npx.
:::
To enable a remote extension over Streamable HTTP while starting a session, run the following command:
goose session --with-streamable-http-extension "{extension URL}" --with-streamable-http-extension "{another extension URL}"
For example, to start a session with a Streamable HTTP extension, you'd run:
goose session --with-streamable-http-extension "https://example.com/streamable"
goose can use the --container flag to run extensions inside your Docker containers for devcontainer workflows. See Running Extensions in Docker Containers for details.
goose extensions are implemented with MCP, a standard protocol that allows AI models and agents to securely connect with local or remote resources. Learn how to build your own extension as an MCP server.
Tutorials: