Get Started with Kiro + MCP in Minutes. Go Deeper with Kiro powers.
Kiro, the agentic development environment from AWS, offers three powerful ways to extend your workflow — from one-click MCP server installation to Custom and Curated Kiro powers. This guide walks you through each integration path, helping you start fast and go deeper as your needs grow.
Introduction
Kiro is the agentic development environment from AWS that brings structure to AI coding through spec-driven development . But what makes Kiro uniquely powerful isn't just its built-in AI capabilities — it's the extensibility model that lets developers connect any external service, tool, or data source directly into their agentic workflows.
Kiro provides three distinct integration paths — each designed for a different level of depth and commitment:
- One-click MCP install from the curated server directory — try it in 30 seconds
- Custom Kiro Powers — build your own Power with POWER.md, steering files, and hooks
- Curated Kiro Powers — AWS-endorsed, co-developed with the Kiro team, featured in the IDE
This blog post walks through all three paths and explains when to use each. If you're an ISV partner, a platform engineering team, or an individual developer looking to bring your tools into Kiro, this guide is for you.
Path 1: MCP Server Directory — One-Click Integration
Best for: Exploring a new tool | Trying before committing | Individual developers
Time: ~30 seconds | Effort: Low | Visibility: Medium
The Kiro MCP Server Directory is a curated catalog of vetted MCP servers with one-click installation. It includes integrations for observability platforms, databases, cloud providers, version control systems, AI/ML tools, and more.
How it works
- Navigate to the Kiro MCP Server Directory
- Find the tool you want to integrate
- Click "+ Add to Kiro"
- Kiro opens and prompts you to approve the configuration
- If the server requires authentication, complete the OAuth flow or provide credentials when prompted
That's it. The MCP server is now connected, and you can interact with it through Kiro's chat using natural language.
When to use this path
- You want to try out an integration quickly without any manual configuration
- You're an individual developer exploring what tools are available for Kiro
- You want to demonstrate an integration to your team before committing to a deeper setup
The intent is simple: let a developer test out an integration with Kiro in seconds — zero friction, just click and go. Once they see the value, they can graduate to deeper integration paths.
Path 2: Custom Kiro Powers — Maximum Flexibility
Best for: ISVs and teams that want to bundle tools with best practices | Public or private distribution
Time: ~2 minutes to install | Effort: Medium | Visibility: High
This is where Kiro moves from "I can talk to a tool" to "I know how to use this tool expertly."
Custom Kiro Powers give ISVs and platform teams maximum flexibility to build their own integration bundles — complete with MCP tools, steering files, and hooks — and distribute them publicly via GitHub or privately within their organization.
What makes Powers different from MCP
Feature | MCP Server | Kiro Power |
|---|---|---|
Activation | Always on (persistent process) | On-demand (dynamic activation) |
Scope | Tool access (read/write APIs) | Tools + workflows + best practices |
Configuration | Manual JSON config | One-click install with guided setup |
Context management | Loads all tools upfront | Only relevant tools activate via keywords |
Structure | mcp.json only | POWER.md + mcp.json + steering/ files |
How Custom Powers work
A Custom Kiro Power consists of three components:
Plain text
power-my-tool/├── POWER.md # Manifest: metadata, keywords, onboarding, steering mappings├── mcp.json # MCP server configuration (if using MCP tools)└── steering/ # Workflow-specific guidance files├── incident-response.md├── cost-optimization.md└── security-review.md
POWER.md contains frontmatter with keywords that trigger activation. When a developer mentions a relevant keyword in conversation, Kiro detects it and loads the power's context and tools automatically — no manual invocation needed.
Steering files map to specific workflows. Instead of loading all guidance upfront (which would overwhelm the context), Kiro selectively loads only the steering file relevant to the current task:
- Debugging a production issue? → loads
incident-response.md
- Reviewing cloud costs? → loads
cost-optimization.md
- Running a security review? → loads
security-review.md
Installing a Custom Power
From a GitHub repository:
- Powers panel → Add power from GitHub
- Enter the repository URL
- Click Install
From a local path (for development/testing):
- Powers panel → Add power from Local Path
- Select the directory containing
POWER.md
- Click Install
When you install a Power that includes MCP integrations, Kiro automatically registers the MCP server in your
~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json — so you get the MCP connection plus the guided workflow layer on top.Distribution options
Custom Powers offer flexibility in how you distribute:
- Public GitHub repo — open to any developer to install
- Private repo — scoped to your organization, requires access permissions
- Local path — ideal for development, testing, or internal-only workflows
- One-click install link — generate an install URL that pre-fills the configuration
When to use this path
- You're an ISV that wants complete control over how your integration works
- You want to embed your domain expertise and best practices into the developer experience
- You need to distribute publicly or privately — or both
- You want dynamic activation so your tools load only when relevant, keeping the context clean
Path 3: Curated Kiro Powers — The Premium Integration
Best for: Strategic ISV partnerships | Maximum developer visibility | AWS-endorsed integrations
Time: Varies (co-development) | Effort: High | Visibility: Highest
Curated Kiro Powers represent the premium integration path. These are Powers that are co-developed with the Kiro team at AWS and distributed directly through the Kiro IDE — giving them the highest visibility to the entire Kiro developer base.
What makes Curated Powers different from Custom Powers
Feature | Custom Power | Curated Power |
|---|---|---|
Development | ISV builds independently | Co-developed with AWS Kiro team |
Distribution | GitHub, local, or install link | Featured directly in Kiro IDE |
Visibility | Depends on your distribution | Highest — shown to all Kiro users |
Support | Self-supported | Full technical support from AWS |
Review | No formal review | AWS quality review and endorsement |
How it works
- ISV partner engages with the Kiro team to propose a curated Power
- The Power is co-developed with AWS technical support and best practices guidance
- After AWS quality review, the Power is published in the Kiro Powers directory
- Developers discover and install the Power directly from the IDE's Powers panel (👻⚡)
Launch partners for curated Kiro Powers include Datadog, Figma, Neon, Netlify, Postman, Supabase, and Stripe — with more being added regularly.
When to pursue this path
- You're a strategic ISV partner looking for maximum developer reach
- You want your integration to be AWS-endorsed and featured in the Kiro IDE
- You're ready to invest in co-development with the Kiro team for the highest quality result
- You want full technical support from AWS for your integration
For ISVs: If you're interested in becoming a curated Kiro Power partner, submit your Power for review, or reach out to your AWS Partner Solutions Architect to start the conversation.
Building Your Own Kiro Power
Whether you're targeting Custom (Path 2) or Curated (Path 3), building a Kiro Power starts the same way.
Minimum viable Power
At minimum, you need a
POWER.md file with frontmatter (name, description, keywords) and instructions for onboarding and best practices. Optionally add:-
mcp.json— MCP server configuration for tool integrations
-
steering/— Workflow-specific guidance files for complex tools
Sharing your Power
- Push to a public GitHub repository
- Developers install via: Powers panel → Add power from GitHub → enter your repo URL
- For the curated directory: submit your Power for review
For complete documentation on building Powers, including examples of simple, single-tool, multi-tool, and documentation-only powers, see Create Your Own Power .
Conclusion
Kiro's extensibility model is designed around a simple principle: make it easy to start, and powerful to go deep. The three integration paths form a natural progression:
Path | Integration | Best For | Effort | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | MCP Server Directory | Quick start, individual devs | Low | Medium |
2 | Custom Kiro Powers | ISVs wanting flexibility | Medium | High |
3 | Curated Kiro Powers | Strategic ISV partnerships | High | Highest |
Start by clicking "Add to Kiro" on a tool from the MCP Server Directory , see the value, and go deeper with Powers when you're ready.
Get started today:
- 🔌 Kiro MCP Server Directory — browse and install integrations
- 👻⚡ Kiro Powers Directory — curated powers from launch partners
- 📚 MCP in Kiro — Overview — what MCP is, setup, and troubleshooting
- 📖 MCP Configuration Guide — manual setup reference
- 🛠️ Create Your Own Power — build and share powers
- 🏷️ Submit a Power — get your power listed in the curated directory
- 🌐 Remote MCP Server Support Blog — deep dive on remote MCP
Whether you're a developer looking to bring your favorite tools into Kiro, or an ISV looking to reach developers where they work, the extensibility model is ready. Start exploring. 🚀
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