Developing Claude Code Plugins

Overview

This skill provides efficient workflows for creating Claude Code plugins. Use it to make plugin development fast and correct - it synthesizes official docs into actionable steps and provides working examples.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Creating a new Claude Code plugin from scratch
• Adding components to an existing plugin (skills, commands, hooks, MCP servers)
• Setting up a development marketplace for testing
• Troubleshooting plugin structure issues
• Understanding plugin architecture and patterns
• Releasing a plugin (versioning, tagging, marketplace distribution)
• Publishing updates or maintaining existing plugins

For comprehensive official documentation, use the working-with-claude-code skill to access full docs.

Quick Reference

Plugin Development Workflow

Phase 1: Plan

Before writing code:

1. Define your plugin's purpose

   • What problem does it solve?
   • Who will use it?
   • What components will it need?

2. Choose your pattern (read references/common-patterns.md)

   • Simple plugin with one skill?
   • MCP integration with guidance?
   • Command collection?
   • Full-featured platform?

3. Review examples

   • examples/simple-greeter-plugin/ - Minimal plugin
   • examples/full-featured-plugin/ - All components
   • Installed plugins in ~/.claude/plugins/

Phase 2: Create Structure

1. Create directories (see references/plugin-structure.md for details):

   mkdir -p my-plugin/.claude-plugin
   mkdir -p my-plugin/skills
   # Add other component directories as needed
   

2. Write plugin.json (required):

   {
     "name": "my-plugin",
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "description": "What your plugin does",
     "author": {"name": "Your Name"}
   }
   

   See references/plugin-structure.md for complete format.

3. Create development marketplace (for local testing):

   Create .claude-plugin/marketplace.json:

   {
     "name": "my-dev",
     "plugins": [{
       "name": "my-plugin",
       "source": "./"
     }]
   }
   

   See references/plugin-structure.md for complete format.

Phase 3: Add Components

Use TodoWrite to track component creation:

Example:

- Create skill: main-workflow
- Add command: /hello
- Configure hooks
- Write README
- Test installation

For each component type, see:

• Format/syntax: references/plugin-structure.md
• When to use: references/common-patterns.md
• Working code: examples/ directory

Phase 4: Test Locally

1. Install for testing:

   /plugin marketplace add /path/to/my-plugin
   /plugin install my-plugin@my-dev
   

   Then restart Claude Code.

2. Test each component:

   • Skills: Ask for tasks matching skill descriptions
   • Commands: Run /your-command
   • MCP servers: Check tools are available
   • Hooks: Trigger relevant events

3. Iterate:

   /plugin uninstall my-plugin@my-dev
   # Make changes
   /plugin install my-plugin@my-dev
   # Restart Claude Code
   

Phase 5: Debug and Refine

If something doesn't work, read references/troubleshooting.md for:

• Plugin not loading
• Skill not triggering
• Command not appearing
• MCP server not starting
• Hooks not firing

Common issues are usually:

• Wrong directory structure
• Hardcoded paths (use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT})
• Forgot to restart Claude Code
• Missing executable permissions on scripts

Phase 6: Release and Distribute

…