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The Kiro CLI converter creates JSON agent configs, prompt files, skills, and steering files for project context.

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Installation

bunx @every-env/compound-plugin install compound-engineering --to kiro

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Output Structure

Writes to .kiro/: 
.kiro/
├── agents/
│   ├── agent-name.json       # Agent config
│   └── prompts/
│       └── agent-name.md     # Agent prompt body
├── skills/
│   ├── command-name/
│   │   └── SKILL.md          # Commands as skills
│   └── existing-skill/       # Pass-through skills
├── steering/
│   └── compound-engineering.md  # CLAUDE.md content
└── settings/
    └── mcp.json              # MCP server config (stdio only)
Kiro uses a split config approach: JSON for agent metadata, Markdown for prompt content.

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Conversion Details

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Agents → JSON Configs + Prompts

Each agent generates two files: Config (.kiro/agents/plan-specialist.json): 
{
  "name": "plan-specialist",
  "description": "Planning agent for complex features",
  "prompt": "file://./prompts/plan-specialist.md",
  "tools": ["*"],
  "resources": [
    "file://.kiro/steering/**/*.md",
    "skill://.kiro/skills/**/SKILL.md"
  ],
  "includeMcpJson": true,
  "welcomeMessage": "Switching to the plan-specialist agent. Planning agent for complex features"
}
Prompt (.kiro/agents/prompts/plan-specialist.md): 
## Capabilities
- Break down complex features
- Create detailed plans

You are a planning specialist...

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Commands → Skills

Commands become skills: 
---
name: workflows-plan
description: Turn feature ideas into detailed plans
---

You are a planning specialist. Use the use_subagent tool to delegate to the repo-research-analyst agent: research the feature.

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Steering Files

If the plugin has a CLAUDE.md file, it’s converted to a steering file: 
# Compound Engineering

This plugin provides tools for compound engineering workflows...
Steering files provide context to all agents in the project.

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Content Transformation

Task agent calls: 
- Task repo-research-analyst(feature_description)
+ Use the use_subagent tool to delegate to the repo-research-analyst agent: feature_description
Path rewriting: 
- ~/.claude/skills/
+ ~/.kiro/skills/
- .claude/
+ .kiro/
Slash command refs: 
- Run /workflows:plan
+ Run the workflows-plan skill
Tool name mapping: 
- Use the Bash tool
+ Use the shell tool

- Use the Write tool
+ Use the write tool

- Use the Read tool
+ Use the read tool

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Tool Name Mapping

ClaudeKiroNotes
BashshellShell commands
WritewriteFull-file write
ReadreadRead files
EditwriteLossy: Kiro write is full-file, not surgical edit
GlobglobFind files
GrepgrepSearch content
WebFetchweb_fetchHTTP requests
Taskuse_subagentSubagent delegation
Edit maps to write, which is a lossy mapping. Kiro’s write tool rewrites the entire file, unlike Claude’s surgical edits.

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MCP Servers

MCP servers are written to settings/mcp.json: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem"],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_PATHS": "/Users/you/projects"
      }
    }
  }
}
stdio only: Kiro only supports stdio-based MCP servers (command + args).
Remote MCP servers (HTTP/SSE) are not supported and will be skipped with a warning.

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Name Normalization

Names are normalized to kebab-case with strict validation:
InputOutputValid?
workflows:planworkflows-plan✓
Plan Reviewplan-review✓
my/commandmy-command✓
UPPERCASEuppercase✓
123-startitem✗ (must start with letter)
very-long-name-that-exceeds-64-chars...Truncated at 64✓
Rules:
  • Max length: 64 characters
  • Pattern: /^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*$/
  • Must start with a letter
  • Lowercase only
  • Colons, slashes, spaces → hyphens
  • Consecutive hyphens collapsed

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Example Output

Input (Claude agent): 
{
  "name": "code-review-agent",
  "description": "Review code for issues",
  "capabilities": ["Identify bugs", "Suggest improvements"],
  "body": "You review code carefully."
}
Output (.kiro/agents/code-review-agent.json): 
{
  "name": "code-review-agent",
  "description": "Review code for issues",
  "prompt": "file://./prompts/code-review-agent.md",
  "tools": ["*"],
  "resources": [
    "file://.kiro/steering/**/*.md",
    "skill://.kiro/skills/**/SKILL.md"
  ],
  "includeMcpJson": true,
  "welcomeMessage": "Switching to the code-review-agent agent. Review code for issues"
}
Output (.kiro/agents/prompts/code-review-agent.md): 
## Capabilities
- Identify bugs
- Suggest improvements

You review code carefully.

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Limitations

  • stdio MCP only: Remote MCP servers are not supported
  • No hooks support: Kiro uses a different hook format (preToolUse/postToolUse in agent configs)
  • Lossy tool mapping: Edit → write loses surgical edit capability
  • 64-char name limit: Names are truncated at 64 characters
  • Description truncation: Descriptions are limited to 1024 characters
If your plugin has hooks, they will not be converted. Kiro’s hook format (preToolUse/postToolUse) is incompatible with Claude’s event-based hooks.

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Sync Support

Sync personal Claude config to Kiro: 
bunx @every-env/compound-plugin sync --target kiro
This syncs:
  • Personal skills from ~/.claude/skills/ (symlinked)
  • Personal commands from ~/.claude/commands/ (as skills)
  • MCP servers from ~/.claude/settings.json (stdio only, to settings/mcp.json)

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See Also

Kiro CLI Documentation

Official Kiro CLI documentation

Sync Command

Sync personal Claude config to Kiro