plugins

# Claude Code Plugins

## Overview

Plugins extend Claude Code with custom functionality including commands, agents, hooks, Skills, and MCP servers. They can be shared across projects and teams through marketplaces.

## Quick Start

### Basic Structure
A plugin requires:
- **Plugin manifest** (`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`) - metadata
- **Commands directory** (`commands/`) - custom slash commands
- **Optional components** - agents, skills, hooks, MCP servers

### Creating Your First Plugin

1. **Setup directories**
```bash
mkdir test-marketplace/my-first-plugin
cd my-first-plugin
mkdir .claude-plugin commands
```

2. **Create plugin manifest** (`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`)
```json
{
  "name": "my-first-plugin",
  "description": "A simple greeting plugin",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": {"name": "Your Name"}
}
```

3. **Add command** (`commands/hello.md`)
Contains: "Greet the user warmly and ask how you can help them today."

4. **Create marketplace manifest** (`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`)
Lists your plugins with their source paths and descriptions.

5. **Install locally**
```
/plugin marketplace add ./test-marketplace
/plugin install my-first-plugin@test-marketplace
```

## Plugin Components

### Commands
Markdown files in `commands/` directory defining custom slash commands that Claude can invoke.

### Agents
Agent definitions in `agents/` directory for specialized task automation.

### Skills
`SKILL.md` files in `skills/` directory that extend Claude's autonomous capabilities. Model-invoked based on task context.

### Hooks
`hooks.json` for event handling and workflow automation.

### MCP Servers
`.mcp.json` configuration for external tool integration.

## Managing Plugins

**Add marketplace**: `/plugin marketplace add your-org/claude-plugins`

**Browse/install**: `/plugin` opens interactive menu

**Direct install**: `/plugin install formatter@org-name`

**Control**: Enable, disable, or uninstall plugins as needed

**Verify**: Run `/help` to see newly ava