## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - The Skills Store lets a company find and install reusable agent
procedures
> - The MCP integration preparation procedure existed outside the app
catalog
> - Paperclip users could not find or install that procedure from the
product
> - This pull request adds the procedure as an optional software
development skill
> - The skill keeps research, human approval, and connector delivery as
separate gates
> - The benefit is a repeatable and governed path from vendor research
to one connector pull request
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
**What existing behavior does this improve?**
The app-shipped Skills Store can install optional skills, but it does
not include the MCP integration preparation workflow from
`paperclip-content`.
**Subsystem affected**
`packages/skills-catalog`.
**Current behavior**
An agent must know where the external workflow lives. The agent cannot
find or install it from the Paperclip skills catalog.
**Proposed behavior**
The optional catalog includes `prepare-mcp-integration`. The installed
skill directs agents through cited research, a research-only content
pull request, an exact-revision human gate, and one Paperclip connector
pull request per approved connection.
**Reason and benefit**
This change makes the existing integration and connector playbooks
available as one installable Paperclip workflow. It also prevents agents
from starting connector code before the research gate is approved.
**Breaking changes**
None. The skill is optional and markdown-only.
Related source work: paperclipai/paperclip-content#13.
## What Changed
- Add the optional `prepare-mcp-integration` catalog skill under
software development
- Add Paperclip catalog metadata for roles, requirements, tags, and
trust classification
- Add a worked Notion MCP research-gate example
- Regenerate the checked-in catalog manifest
- Add the new key to the shipped optional skill test
## Verification
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/skills-catalog build:manifest`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/skills-catalog validate`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/skills-catalog test`
- Confirm the generated catalog contains
`paperclipai/optional/software-development/prepare-mcp-integration`
- Confirm the trust level is `markdown_only` and compatibility is
`compatible`
## Risks
- Low risk. This change adds one optional markdown-only catalog entry.
- The workflow can become stale if the two upstream playbooks change.
The skill requires agents to read the current playbooks before each
phase and to update upstream rules when reusable specifications change.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex with GPT-5.4, reasoning mode, shell tool use, and code
editing.
## Checklist
- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
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Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
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