---
title: "Create plugins"
description: "> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further."
type: skill
canonical_url: https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/plugins
source: "Claudary"
difficulty: intermediate
author: "Claude Code Knowledge Pack"
date: 2026-07-10T11:32:05.007Z
license: CC-BY-4.0
attribution: "Create plugins — Claudary (https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/plugins)"
---

# Create plugins
> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

## Overview

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create plugins

> Create custom plugins to extend Claude Code with skills, agents, hooks, and MCP servers.

Plugins let you extend Claude Code with custom functionality that can be shared across projects and teams. This guide covers creating your own plugins with skills, agents, hooks, and MCP servers.

Looking to install existing plugins? See [Discover and install plugins](/en/discover-plugins). For complete technical specifications, see [Plugins reference](/en/plugins-reference).

## When to use plugins vs standalone configuration

Claude Code supports two ways to add custom skills, agents, and hooks:

| Approach                                                    | Skill names          | Best for                                                                                        |
| :---------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Standalone** (`.claude/` directory)                       | `/hello`             | Personal workflows, project-specific customizations, quick experiments                          |
| **Plugins** (directories with `.claude-plugin/plugin.json`) | `/plugin-name:hello` | Sharing with teammates, distributing to community, versioned releases, reusable across projects |

**Use standalone configuration when**:

* You're customizing Claude Code for a single project
* The configuration is personal and doesn't need to be shared
* You're experimenting with skills or hooks before packaging them
* You want short skill names like `/hello` or `/deploy`

**Use plugins when**:

* You want to share functionality with your team or community
* You need the same skills/agents across multiple projects
* You want version control and easy updates for your extensions
* You're distributing through a marketplace
* You're okay with namespaced skills like `/my-plugin:hello` (namespacing prevents conflicts between plugins)

<Tip>
  Start with standalone configuration in `.claude/` for quick iteration, then [convert to a plugin](#convert-existing-configurations-to-plugins) when you're ready to share.
</Tip>

## Quickstart

This quickstart walks you through creating a plugin with a custom skill. You'll create a manifest (the configuration file that defines your plugin), add a skill, and test it locally using the `--plugin-dir` flag.

### Prerequisites

* Claude Code [installed and authenticated](/en/quickstart#step-1-install-claude-code)

<Note>
  If you don't see the `/plugin` command, update Claude Code to the latest version. See [Troubleshooting](/en/troubleshooting) for upgrade instructions.
</Note>

### Create your first plugin

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the plugin directory">
    Every plugin lives in its own directory containing a manifest and your skills, agents, or hooks. Create one now:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdir my-first-plugin
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the plugin manifest">
    The manifest file at `.claude-plugin/plugin.json` defines your plugin's identity: its name, description, and version. Claude Code uses this metadata to display your plugin in the plugin manager.

    Create the `.claude-plugin` directory inside your plugin folder:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdir my-first-plugin/.claude-plugin
    ```

    Then create `my-first-plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json` with this content:

    ```json my-first-plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json theme={null}
    {
      "name": "my-first-plugin",
      "description": "A greeting plugin to learn the basics",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "author": {
        "name": "Your Name"
      }
    }
    ```

    | Field         | Purpose                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
    | :------------ | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | `name`        | Unique identifier and skill namespace. Skills are prefixed with this (e.g., `/my-first-plugin:hello`).                                                                                                                                                         |
    | `description` | Shown in the plugin manager when browsing or installing plugins.                                                                                                                                                                                               |
    | `version`     | Optional. If set, users only receive updates when you bump this field. If omitted and your plugin is distributed via git, the commit SHA is used and every commit counts as a new version. See [version management](/en/plugins-reference#version-management). |
    | `author`      | Optional. Helpful for attribution.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |

    For additional fields like `homepage`, `repository`, and `license`, see the [full manifest schema](/en/plugins-reference#plugin-manifest-schema).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a skill">
    Skills live in the `skills/` directory. Each skill is a folder containing a `SKILL.md` file. The folder name becomes the skill name, prefixed with the plugin's namespace (`hello/` in a plugin named `my-first-plugin` creates `/my-first-plugin:hello`).

    Create a skill directory in your plugin folder:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdir -p my-first-plugin/skills/hello
    ```

    Then create `my-first-plugin/skills/hello/SKILL.md` with this content:

    ```markdown my-first-plugin/skills/hello/SKILL.md theme={null}
    ---
    description: Greet the user with a friendly message
    disable-model-invocation: true
    ---

    Greet the user warmly and ask how you can help them today.
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test your plugin">
    Run Claude Code with the `--plugin-dir` flag to load your plugin:

    ```bash theme={null}
    claude --plugin-dir ./my-first-plugin
    ```

    Once Claude Code starts, try your new skill:

    ```shell theme={null}
    /my-first-plugin:hello
    ```

    You'll see Claude respond with a greeting. Run `/help` to see your skill listed under the plugin namespace.

    <Note>
      **Why namespacing?** Plugin skills are always namespaced (like `/my-first-plugin:hello`) to prevent conflicts when multiple plugins have skills with the same name.

      To change the namespace prefix, update the `name` field in `plugin.json`.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add skill arguments">
    Make your skill dynamic by accepting user input. The `$ARGUMENTS` placeholder captures any text the user provides after the skill name.

    Update your `SKILL.md` file:

    ```markdown my-first-plugin/skills/hello/SKILL.md theme={null}
    ---
    description: Greet the user with a personalized message
    ---

    # Hello Skill

    Greet the user named "$ARGUMENTS" warmly and ask how you can help them today. Make the greeting personal and encouraging.
    ```

    Run `/reload-plugins` to pick up the changes, then try the skill with your name:

    ```shell theme={null}
    /my-first-plugin:hello Alex
    ```

    Claude will greet you by name. For more on passing arguments to skills, see [Skills](/en/skills#pass-arguments-to-skills).
  </Step>
</Steps>

You've successfully created and tested a plugin with these key components:

* **Plugin manifest** (`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`): describes your plugin's metadata
* **Skills directory** (`skills/`): contains your custom skills
* **Skill arguments** (`$ARGUMENTS`): captures user input for dynamic behavior

<Tip>
  The `--plugin-dir` flag is useful for development and testing. When you're ready to share your plugin with others, see [Create and distribute a plugin marketplace](/en/plugin-marketplaces).
</Tip>

## Plugin structure overview

You've created a plugin with a skill, but plugins can include much more: custom agents, hooks, MCP servers, LSP servers, and background monitors.

<Warning>
  **Common mistake**: Don't put `commands/`, `agents/`, `skills/`, or `hooks/` inside the `.claude-plugin/` directory. Only `plugin.json` goes inside `.claude-plugin/`. All other directories must be at the plugin root level.
</Warning>

| Directory         | Location    | Purpose                                                                        |
| :---------------- | :---------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `.claude-plugin/` | Plugin root | Contains `plugin.json` manifest (optional if components use default locations) |
| `skills/`         | Plugin root | Skills as `<name>/SKILL.md` directories                                        |
| `commands/`       | Plugin root | Skills as flat Markdown files. Use `skills/` for new plugins                   |
| `agents/`         | Plugin root | Custom agent definitions                                                       |
| `hooks/`          | Plugin root | Event handlers in `hooks.json`                                                 |
| `.mcp.json`       | Plugin root | MCP server configurations                                                      |
| `.lsp.json`       | Plugin root | LSP server configurations for code intelligence                                |
| `monitors/`       | Plugin root | Background monitor configurations in `monitors.json`                           |
| `bin/`            | Plugin root | Executables added to the Bash tool's `PATH` while the plugin is enabled        |
| `settings.json`   | Plugin root | Default [settings](/en/settings) applied when the plugin is enabled            |

<Note>
  **Next steps**: Ready to add more features? Jump to [Develop more complex plugins](#develop-more-complex-plugins) to add agents, hooks, MCP servers, and LSP servers. For complete technical specifications of all plugin components, see [Plugins reference](/en/plugins-reference).
</Note>

## Develop more complex plugins

Once you're comfortable with basic plugins, you can create more sophisticated extensions.

### Add Skills to your plugin

Plugins can include [Agent Skills](/en/skills) to extend Claude's capabilities. Skills are model-invoked: Claude automatically uses them based on the task context.

Add a `skills/` directory at your plugin root with Skill folders containing `SKILL.md` files:

```text theme={null}
my-plugin/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json
└── skills/
    └── code-review/
        └── SKILL.md
```

Each `SKILL.md` contains YAML frontmatter and instructions. Include a `description` so Claude knows when to use the skill:

```yaml theme={null}
---
description: Reviews code for best practices and potential issues. Use when reviewing code, checking PRs, or analyzing code quality.
---

When reviewing code, check for:
1. Code organization and structure
2. Error handling
3. Security concerns
4. Test coverage
```

After installing the plugin, run `/reload-plugins` to load the Skills. For complete Skill authoring guidance including progressive disclosure and tool restrictions, see [Agent Skills](/en/skills).

### Add LSP servers to your plugin

<Tip>
  For common languages like TypeScript, Python, and Rust, install the pre-built LSP plugins from the official marketplace. Create custom LSP plugins only when you need support for languages not already covered.
</Tip>

LSP (Language Server Protocol) plugins give Claude real-time code intelligence. If you need to support a language that doesn't have an official LSP plugin, you can create your own by adding an `.lsp.json` file to your plugin:

```json .lsp.json theme={null}
{
  "go": {
    "command": "gopls",
    "args": ["serve"],
    "extensionToLanguage": {
      ".go": "go"
    }
  }
}
```

Users installing your plugin must have the language server binary installed on their machine.

For complete LSP configuration options, see [LSP servers](/en/plugins-reference#lsp-servers).

### Add background monitors to your plugin

Background monitors let your plugin watch logs, files, or external status in the background and notify Claude as events arrive. Claude Code starts each monitor automatically when the plugin is active, so you don't need to instruct Claude to start the watch.

Add a `monitors/monitors.json` file at the plugin root with an array of monitor entries:

```json monitors/monitors.json theme={null}
[
  {
    "name": "error-log",
    "command": "tail -F ./logs/error.log",
    "description": "Application error log"
  }
]
```

Each stdout line from `command` is delivered to Claude as a notification during the session. For the full schema, including the `when` trigger and variable substitution, see [Monitors](/en/plugins-reference#monitors).

### Ship default settings with your plugin

Plugins can include a `settings.json` file at the plugin root to apply default configuration when the plugin is enabled. Currently, only the `agent` and `subagentStatusLine` keys are supported.

Setting `agent` activates one of the plugin's [custom agents](/en/sub-agents) as the main thread, applying its system prompt, tool restrictions, and model. This lets a plugin change how Claude Code behaves by default when enabled.

```json settings.json theme={null}
{
  "agent": "security-reviewer"
}
```

This example activates the `security-reviewer` agent defined in the plugin's `agents/` directory. Settings from `settings.json` take priority over `settings` declared in `plugin.json`. Unknown keys are silently ignored.

### Organize complex plugins

For plugins with many components, organize your directory structure by functionality. For complete directory layouts and organization patterns, see [Plugin directory structure](/en/plugins-reference#plugin-directory-structure).

### Test your plugins locally

Use the `--plugin-dir` flag to test plugins during development. This loads your plugin directly without requiring installation.

```bash theme={null}
claude --plugin-dir ./my-plugin
```

When a `--plugin-dir` plugin has the same name as an installed marketplace plugin, the local copy takes precedence for that session. This lets you test changes to a plugin you already have installed without uninstalling it first. Marketplace plugins force-enabled by managed settings are the only exception and cannot be overridden.

As you make changes to your plugin, run `/reload

---

Source: [Claudary](https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/plugins) · https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com