powershell-master

Q: How do I install powershell-master?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace --skill powershell-master in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/powershell-master/ (personal) or .claude/skills/powershell-master/ (project).

by josiahsiegelDevOps & Cloud

Complete PowerShell expertise system across ALL platforms (Windows/Linux/macOS). PROACTIVELY activate for: (1) ANY PowerShell task (scripts/modules/cmdlets), (2) CI/CD automation (GitHub Actions/Azure DevOps/Bitbucket), (3) Cross-platform scripting, (4) Module discovery and management (PSGallery), (5) Azure/AWS/Microsoft 365 automation, (6) Script debugging and optimization, (7) Best practices and security. Provides: PowerShell 7+ features, popular module expertise (Az, Microsoft.Graph, PnP, AWS Tools), PSGallery integration, platform-specific guidance, CI/CD pipeline patterns, cmdlet syntax mastery, and production-ready scripting patterns. Ensures professional-grade, cross-platform PowerShell automation following industry standards.

Installs: 1.1K
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace --skill powershell-master

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads powershell-master automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

PowerShell Master

CRITICAL GUIDELINES

Windows File Path Requirements

MANDATORY: Always Use Backslashes on Windows for File Paths

When using Edit or Write tools on Windows, you MUST use backslashes (\) in file paths, NOT forward slashes (/).

Examples:

WRONG: D:/repos/project/file.tsx
CORRECT: D:\repos\project\file.tsx

This applies to:

Edit tool file_path parameter
Write tool file_path parameter
All file operations on Windows systems

Documentation Guidelines

NEVER create new documentation files unless explicitly requested by the user.

Priority: Update existing README.md files rather than creating new documentation
Repository cleanliness: Keep repository root clean - only README.md unless user requests otherwise
Style: Documentation should be concise, direct, and professional - avoid AI-generated tone
User preference: Only create additional .md files when user specifically asks for documentation

Complete PowerShell expertise across all platforms for scripting, automation, CI/CD, and cloud management.

When to Activate

PROACTIVELY activate for ANY PowerShell-related task:

PowerShell Scripts - Creating, reviewing, optimizing any .ps1 file
Cmdlets & Modules - Finding, installing, using any PowerShell modules
Cross-Platform - Windows, Linux, macOS PowerShell tasks
CI/CD Integration - GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket Pipelines
Cloud Automation - Azure (Az), AWS, Microsoft 365 (Microsoft.Graph)
Module Management - PSGallery search, installation, updates
Script Debugging - Troubleshooting, performance, security
Best Practices - Code quality, standards, production-ready scripts

Reference Map

Detailed material lives in references/. Load only what the current task needs.

Topic	File	When to load
Cross-platform patterns (paths, platform detection, encoding, shell detection)	`references/cross-platform-patterns.md`	Writing scripts that run on Windows + Linux/macOS, or distinguishing PowerShell vs Git Bash
Module management (PSResourceGet, PSGallery, popular modules)	`references/modules-and-gallery.md`	Installing/finding modules, Az 14.5.0, Microsoft.Graph 2.32.0, PnP, AWS Tools, offline installs
CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket)	`references/cicd-integration.md`	Setting up automated PowerShell builds/tests with multi-platform matrices
Syntax & cmdlet reference (variables, operators, flow, functions, pipeline, error handling, Pester, performance, REST)	`references/syntax-reference.md`	Authoring scripts, looking up cmdlets, writing Pester tests, performance tuning
Security (JEA, WDAC, Constrained Language Mode, Script Block Logging, credentials, code signing)	`references/security-2025.md`	Production security hardening, credential management, audit logging

PowerShell Overview

PowerShell Versions & Platforms

PowerShell 7+ (Recommended)

Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, macOS
Open source, actively developed
Better performance than PowerShell 5.1
UTF-8 by default
Parallel execution support
Ternary operators, null-coalescing

Windows PowerShell 5.1 (Legacy)

Windows-only
Ships with Windows
UTF-16LE default encoding
Required for some Windows-specific modules

Installation Locations:

Windows: C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\ (PS7) or C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\ (5.1)
Linux: /opt/microsoft/powershell/7/ or /usr/bin/pwsh
macOS: /usr/local/microsoft/powershell/7/ or /usr/local/bin/pwsh

Core Workflow

Identify scope — Is this a script, module, automation pipeline, or one-off command? Note target platform(s).
Check version & modules — $PSVersionTable.PSVersion, Get-Module -ListAvailable. Confirm PowerShell 7+ unless legacy required.
Load the relevant reference(s) from the Reference Map above. Avoid loading material you do not need.
Apply the pre-flight checklist (below) before authoring or running production scripts.
Validate — Invoke-ScriptAnalyzer for linting, Invoke-Pester for tests, -WhatIf for destructive cmdlets.

Pre-Flight Checklist for Scripts

Before running any PowerShell script, ensure:

Platform Detection - Use $IsWindows, $IsLinux, $IsMacOS (see references/cross-platform-patterns.md)
Version Check - #Requires -Version 7.0 if needed
Module Requirements - #Requires -Modules specified
Error Handling - try/catch blocks in place
Input Validation - Parameter validation attributes used (see references/syntax-reference.md)
No Aliases - Full cmdlet names in scripts
Path Handling - Use Join-Path or [IO.Path]::Combine()
Encoding Specified - UTF-8 for cross-platform
Credentials Secure - Never hardcoded (see references/security-2025.md)
Verbose Logging - Write-Verbose for debugging

Quick Decision Guide

Use PowerShell 7+ when:

Cross-platform compatibility needed
New projects or scripts
Performance is important
Modern language features desired

Use Windows PowerShell 5.1 when:

Windows-specific modules required (WSUS, GroupPolicy legacy)
Corporate environments with strict version requirements
Legacy script compatibility needed

Choose Azure CLI when:

Simple one-liners needed
JSON output preferred
Bash scripting integration

Choose PowerShell Az module when:

Complex automation required
Object manipulation needed
PowerShell scripting expertise available
Reusable scripts and modules needed

Minimal Script Skeleton

#Requires -Version 7.0

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Brief description
.DESCRIPTION
    Detailed description
.PARAMETER Name
    Parameter description
.EXAMPLE
    PS> .\script.ps1 -Name "John"
#>

[CmdletBinding()]
param(
    [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
    [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
    [string]$Name
)

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
Set-StrictMode -Version Latest

try {
    Write-Verbose "Starting script"
    # ... main logic ...
    Write-Verbose "Script completed successfully"
}
catch {
    Write-Error "Script failed: $_"
    exit 1
}
finally {
    # Cleanup
}

Expand this skeleton using patterns from references/syntax-reference.md (advanced functions, pipeline, error handling) and references/security-2025.md (input validation, credential handling).

Additional Resources

PowerShell Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell
PowerShell Gallery: https://www.powershellgallery.com
Az Module Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/azure
Microsoft Graph Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/graph/powershell

For shell detection on Windows (PowerShell vs Git Bash), see the powershell-shell-detection skill.

Remember: ALWAYS research latest PowerShell documentation and module versions before implementing solutions. The PowerShell ecosystem evolves rapidly, and best practices are updated frequently.

FAQ

What does the powershell-master skill do?

How do I install powershell-master?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace --skill powershell-master in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/powershell-master/ (personal) or .claude/skills/powershell-master/ (project).

Which AI agents can use powershell-master?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is powershell-master safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains powershell-master?

It is published by josiahsiegel in josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace. It has 1,063 recorded installs.