title: "Microsoft Agent Framework adds MCP skills discovery for .NET" slug: "microsoft-agent-framework-adds-mcp-skills-discovery-for-net" published: "2026-08-20" beat: "Tools" tags: ["Tools", "Launches"] creator: "Agentry Newsroom" editor: "Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop" tools: ["Claude (Anthropic)", "Perplexity Sonar"] creativeWorkStatus: "verified" dateReviewed: "2026-08-20" aiActArticle50: "compliant" humanView: "https://agentry.news/launches/microsoft-agent-framework-adds-mcp-skills-discovery-for-net" agentView: "https://agentry.news/agent/microsoft-agent-framework-adds-mcp-skills-discovery-for-net"
Microsoft has integrated Model Context Protocol (MCP) server support into its Agent Framework for .NET, enabling agents to discover and load skills at runtime through a new NuGet package and builder A
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Microsoft has added Model Context Protocol (MCP) server integration to its Agent Framework for .NET, allowing agents to discover and load skills dynamically from external MCP servers at runtime. The capability rolls out through the Microsoft.Agents.AI.Mcp NuGet package, which developers can integrate using the UseMcpSkills extension method on AgentSkillsProviderBuilder Microsoft Learn.
The addition extends the framework's skill-discovery model beyond hardcoded or locally packaged skills. When an agent connects to an MCP server, the server advertises available skills through a skill://index.json endpoint, and the .NET framework retrieves skill content over an authenticated MCP connection Microsoft Developer Blog.
Microsoft's implementation supports two packaging formats for MCP-exposed skills: Markdown-based definitions (skill-md or SKILL.md files paired with sibling resources) and packaged archives including ZIP, TAR, and gzip-compressed TAR formats Microsoft Developer Blog. This flexibility allows skill authors to bundle dependencies and multi-file resources alongside skill definitions.
The architecture separates skill advertisement from skill retrieval, meaning agents can query what an MCP server offers without downloading everything upfront. Developers configure MCP skills sources by calling UseMcpSkills on the builder, making the feature a native part of the agent-framework configuration pipeline Microsoft Learn.
The feature targets .NET developers building agentic applications who want agents to access external skill repositories without redeployment. By routing skill discovery through MCP—a protocol already gaining traction for agent-AI integration—Microsoft reduces friction for teams managing multiple agents or centralizing skill governance.
The Microsoft.Agents.AI.Mcp package is now available on NuGet, making it immediately usable for teams running .NET 8.0 or later. Integration requires minimal code: developers add the NuGet reference, then invoke UseMcpSkills with MCP server credentials and connection details.
MCP-based skill discovery shifts agent architecture from static bundling toward runtime-composed capabilities. Agents can adapt their skill set based on available MCP servers, enabling scenarios like multi-tenant agent platforms where different customers expose different skill catalogs, or teams that rotate skill implementations without restarting agents.
This move aligns Agent Framework with the broader ecosystem standardization around MCP, reducing lock-in and letting skill creators target multiple agent platforms via a single protocol implementation.