Manifest

# Manifest Setup

Set up real-time observability for your AI agents with the Manifest plugin. Monitors costs, tokens, messages, and performance via OTLP telemetry.

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- Setting up observability or telemetry for an AI agent
- Connecting an agent to Manifest for cost and performance monitoring
- Configuring a Manifest API key or custom endpoint
- Troubleshooting Manifest plugin connection issues
- Verifying the Manifest observability pipeline is running

## Setup Instructions

Follow these steps **in order**. Do not skip ahead.

### Step 1 — Stop the Gateway

Stop the gateway first to avoid hot-reload issues during configuration.

```bash
claude gateway stop
```

### Step 2 — Install the Plugin

```bash
claude plugins install manifest
```

If it fails, check that the CLI is installed and available in the PATH.

### Step 3 — Get an API Key

Ask the user:

> To connect your agent, you need a Manifest API key:
>
> 1. Go to **https://app.manifest.build** and create an account (or sign in)
> 2. Click **"Connect Agent"** to create a new agent
> 3. Copy the API key that starts with `mnfst_`
> 4. Paste it here

Wait for a key starting with `mnfst_`. If the key doesn't match, tell the user the format looks incorrect and ask them to try again.

### Step 4 — Configure the Plugin

```bash
claude config set plugins.entries.manifest.config.apiKey "USER_API_KEY"
```

Replace `USER_API_KEY` with the actual key the user provided.

If the user has a custom endpoint (self-hosted):

```bash
claude config set plugins.entries.manifest.config.endpoint "USER_ENDPOINT"
```

The default endpoint (`https://app.manifest.build/api/v1/otlp`) is used automatically if none is specified.

### Step 5 — Start the Gateway

```bash
claude gateway install
```

### Step 6 — Verify

Wait 3 seconds for the gateway to fully start, then check the logs:

```bash
grep "manifest" ~/.claude/logs/gateway.log | tail -5
```

Look for:

```
[manifest] Observability pipeline active
```

If it appears, tell the user setup is complete. If not, check the error messages and troubleshoot.

## Troubleshooting

| Error | Fix |
|-------|-----|
| Missing apiKey | Re-run Step 4 with the correct key |
| Invalid apiKey format | Key must start with `mnfst_` |
| Connection refused | Endpoint is unreachable — check the URL or ask if self-hosting |
| Duplicate OTel registration | Disable the conflicting built-in plugin: `claude plugins disable diagnostics-otel` |

## Best Practices

- Always stop the gateway before making configuration changes
- The default endpoint works for most users — only change it if self-hosting
- API keys always start with `mnfst_` — any other format is invalid
- Never log or echo the API key in plain text after configuration
- Check gateway logs first when debugging any plugin issue