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