How to beginner · 3 min read

Fix Semantic Kernel plugin not found

Quick answer

To fix the Semantic Kernel plugin not found error, ensure you have installed the semantic-kernel Python package via pip install semantic-kernel and import plugins correctly using import semantic_kernel as sk. Also, verify your environment uses Python 3.8+ and that your import statements match the latest SDK conventions.

PREREQUISITES

Python 3.8+
pip install semantic-kernel
Basic Python knowledge

Setup

Install the official semantic-kernel package from PyPI to get the latest plugins and core functionality. Use Python 3.8 or higher.

bash

pip install semantic-kernel

Step by step

Import the Semantic Kernel package and create a kernel instance. Use the correct import path for plugins. This example shows loading the OpenAI chat completion plugin.

python

import os
import semantic_kernel as sk
from semantic_kernel.connectors.ai.open_ai import OpenAIChatCompletion

# Create kernel instance
kernel = sk.Kernel()

# Add OpenAI chat completion plugin
kernel.add_service(OpenAIChatCompletion(
    service_id="chat",
    api_key=os.environ["OPENAI_API_KEY"],
    ai_model_id="gpt-4o-mini"
))

print("Semantic Kernel initialized with OpenAI plugin.")

output

Semantic Kernel initialized with OpenAI plugin.

Common variations

Use other AI plugins by importing from semantic_kernel.connectors.ai.
For Azure OpenAI, use AzureChatCompletion plugin with appropriate parameters.
Ensure you do not use deprecated import paths or old versions of the package.

Troubleshooting

If you see plugin not found, confirm semantic-kernel is installed in your active environment (pip show semantic-kernel).
Check for typos in import statements; use import semantic_kernel as sk and import plugins from semantic_kernel.connectors.ai.
Upgrade the package if outdated: pip install --upgrade semantic-kernel.
Verify Python version is 3.8 or higher.

✅

Key Takeaways

Always install the latest semantic-kernel package to access plugins.
Import plugins from semantic_kernel.connectors.ai to avoid 'plugin not found' errors.
Use Python 3.8+ and verify your environment to prevent compatibility issues.

Verified 2026-04 · gpt-4o-mini

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