Add a Power

A Power is a bundle that teaches the agent one technology properly. It carries a POWER.md steering document, the MCP server configuration for that technology, and optional steering and hooks, and it loads only when your request matches.

When to use this

Reach for a Power before you hand-configure an MCP server for a well-known service. The difference is context cost: a pile of always-on MCP servers loads their tool descriptions into every turn, while a Power loads on demand when keywords match. Launch partners include Stripe, Supabase, Figma, Neon, Netlify, Datadog, Dynatrace, Postman, the Strands SDK, and AWS Aurora.

Steps

1. Open the Powers area in Kiro and browse the marketplace. Installation is one click from there.
2. Read what is inside before you install. A Power contains steering the agent will follow and an MCP server it will call. Skim it the way you would skim a setup script from the internet.
3. Install from a local folder or a GitHub URL when the Power is not in the marketplace. Powers use the open Agent Plugin format since IDE v1.0.288, which is what makes those two sources work.
4. Provide any credentials the bundled MCP server needs. The MCP configuration expands ${VAR} environment variables, so set the variable in your environment rather than editing a secret into a file. See Add an MCP server.
5. Check where it landed. Installed Powers live in ~/.kiro/powers/, which is a global location, so a Power you install is available in every project.
6. Note which Powers are cloud-synced. Cloud configuration sync (IDE v1.0.437, CLI v2.21.0) brings Powers configured in Kiro Web into your local installed list as read-only previews. Edit those in Kiro Web.

Check it worked

Ask the agent a question that names the technology, such as how to create a test payment in Stripe. A working Power shows up as the agent reaching for the bundled tools rather than answering from memory. Ask a question about something unrelated and confirm the Power stays out of the way. That silence is the whole point of on-demand loading.

Common problems

• The Power never activates. Its trigger is keyword-based. Name the technology explicitly in your request instead of describing it.
• The MCP server inside it fails to start. Treat it like any MCP problem: run the command yourself, check the environment variables, read the “Kiro - MCP Logs” output channel.
• The Power is read-only. It came from cloud configuration sync. Change it in Kiro Web, not locally.
• Too many Powers installed. Each one you install is another candidate for activation. Remove the ones you no longer use.
• You wanted team procedures, not vendor knowledge. That is a skill, not a Power. Powers wrap a third-party technology; skills capture how your team does something.

Related

• Powers explains the format and how loading works.
• Add an MCP server is the manual alternative.
• Write a skill covers your own procedures.