Question 1

What are Claude Code Plugins?

Accepted Answer

Claude Code Plugins are extensible packages that add functionality to Claude Code. A plugin is a directory with a .claude-plugin/plugin.json manifest file and can contain multiple components: Skills (SKILL.md), Agents, Hooks (.hooks.json), MCP servers (.mcp.json), and LSP servers (.lsp.json). Plugins enable sharing and reusing functionality across projects and teams.

Question 2

What's the difference between Plugins and Skills?

Accepted Answer

A Skill is a single capability that Claude can invoke (defined in SKILL.md). A Plugin is a container that bundles multiple Skills and other components together. Skills can exist standalone in the .claude/skills/ directory (/hello) or be part of a plugin (/plugin-name:hello). Note: Custom slash commands have been merged into skills - a file at .claude/commands/review.md and a skill at .claude/skills/review/SKILL.md both create /review and work the same way. Your existing .claude/commands/ files keep working.

Question 3

How do I install a Claude Code Plugin?

Accepted Answer

Plugins can be installed from marketplaces using the /plugin install command. For local development, you can use claude --plugin-dir ./my-plugin to load a plugin directory directly. After installation, plugin commands are available under the plugin's namespace (e.g., /plugin-name:command).

Question 4

What can Plugins contain?

Accepted Answer

A plugin can contain: Skills (SKILL.md files for AI capabilities and slash commands), Agents (custom agent definitions), Hooks (event handlers in hooks.json), MCP servers (.mcp.json for external tool integration), and LSP servers (.lsp.json for code intelligence). Skills add optional features: a directory for supporting files, frontmatter to control whether you or Claude invokes them, and the ability for Claude to load them automatically when relevant.

Question 5

How do I create my own Plugin?

Accepted Answer

Create a directory with a .claude-plugin/plugin.json manifest file (name, description, version). Then add your desired components: skills/ for skills and commands, agents/ for agents, hooks/ for event handlers. Test with claude --plugin-dir ./your-plugin and publish via a marketplace when ready.

Question 6

Are Claude Code Plugins compatible with other tools?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Claude Code Plugins are compatible with many other tools. MCP servers enable integration with external APIs and services. IDE extensions like VS Code, Neovim, and Emacs can be used alongside Claude Code. Hooks can interact with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and other development tools. The open plugin architecture allows developers to seamlessly integrate Claude Code into existing workflows.

Question 7

Are Claude Code Plugins free?

Accepted Answer

Most plugins in this directory are open source and freely available on GitHub. They are developed by the community and Anthropic. Some specialized plugins may be paid - this is indicated in the respective plugin description.

Claude Code Plugins

Plugin Components

Plugin Structure

Standalone vs. Plugin

Frequently Asked Questions about Claude Code Plugins