In our WorkDesk language, a plugin is usually skills plus connectors packaged together so you install the whole thing at once, though some products call almost any add-on a plugin. A single install might give an agent the method for client emails, the access to Outlook, and the instructions for both. The useful test: repeatable work is a skill, reach into another app is a connector or MCP, and a package of both is a plugin.
Imagine a new hire’s starter kit. On day one you hand them the checklist for the job, the badge that opens the right doors, and the tools they need at the desk. You could hand each over separately; packaging the kit is cleaner.
Why you care
Plugins let a good setup travel: a proven transcript or document-review workflow installs as a unit instead of everyone rebuilding it. Treat them with respect, though. A plugin can change what an agent sees, what it can do, and which instructions it follows. That’s risky when you install random tooling. Ask what it adds, what it can access, and who maintains it. If the answers are fuzzy, slow down.