Plugins overview changedplugins/overview
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55A Claude Code plugin is a directory of skills, agents, hooks, MCP servers, or other components that Claude Code installs and loads as one unit. Most plugins come from a marketplace, which is a catalog that lists plugins and where to fetch each one. You can also load a plugin from a folder someone gives you, or [build your own](/docs/en/plugins/create).
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7<Note>
8 These cases are covered on other pages:
7> [!NOTE]
8>
9> These cases are covered on other pages:
10>
11> * **You use claude.ai chat or Cowork and not Claude Code**: see [Plugins on claude.ai and in Cowork](https://claude.com/docs/plugins/overview)
12> * **You built an MCP server and want it in Anthropic's directory**: see [Publish to the directory](https://claude.com/docs/directory/publish)
13> * **You want Claude Code inside VS Code or a JetBrains IDE**: that's the VS Code extension or the JetBrains plugin, not a Claude Code plugin. See [Use Claude Code in VS Code](/docs/en/vs-code) or [JetBrains IDEs](/docs/en/jetbrains)
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10 * **You use claude.ai chat or Cowork and not Claude Code**: see [Plugins on claude.ai and in Cowork](https://claude.com/docs/plugins/overview)
11 * **You built an MCP server and want it in Anthropic's directory**: see [Publish to the directory](https://claude.com/docs/directory/publish)
12 * **You want Claude Code inside VS Code or a JetBrains IDE**: that's the VS Code extension or the JetBrains plugin, not a Claude Code plugin. See [Use Claude Code in VS Code](/docs/en/vs-code) or [JetBrains IDEs](/docs/en/jetbrains)
13</Note>
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1515To try a plugin now, run `/plugin` in a Claude Code terminal session and install one from the **Discover** tab, which lists the plugins from your marketplaces. From there:
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1717* [Install and manage plugins](/docs/en/plugins/install): the full install steps, scopes, and other surfaces
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3131This diagram shows a plugin named `my-plugin` that holds a skill, an agent, hooks, and an MCP server, and what you get from each file once the plugin loads.
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33<img src="https://mintcdn.com/claude-code/2Q_GtOEovg5qaBem/images/plugin-directory.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=2Q_GtOEovg5qaBem&q=85&s=f623b64e82713b830e48174f0a922888" className="dark:hidden" alt="Diagram in two columns joined by five straight arrows. Left, the directory of a plugin named my-plugin, holding a manifest at .claude-plugin/plugin.json, skills/review/SKILL.md, agents/reviewer.md, hooks/hooks.json, .mcp.json, and other components. Right, what each file gives you in your session: the manifest sets the plugin name, my-plugin; the skill runs as /my-plugin:review; the agent file is a subagent Claude can delegate to; the hooks file holds hooks that run on lifecycle events; and .mcp.json adds an MCP server that gives Claude tools." width="760" height="336" data-path="images/plugin-directory.svg" />
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35<img src="https://mintcdn.com/claude-code/2Q_GtOEovg5qaBem/images/plugin-directory-dark.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=2Q_GtOEovg5qaBem&q=85&s=17ee2bd45b63154fcc148ae1d1f736d8" className="hidden dark:block" alt="Diagram in two columns joined by five straight arrows. Left, the directory of a plugin named my-plugin, holding a manifest at .claude-plugin/plugin.json, skills/review/SKILL.md, agents/reviewer.md, hooks/hooks.json, .mcp.json, and other components. Right, what each file gives you in your session: the manifest sets the plugin name, my-plugin; the skill runs as /my-plugin:review; the agent file is a subagent Claude can delegate to; the hooks file holds hooks that run on lifecycle events; and .mcp.json adds an MCP server that gives Claude tools." width="760" height="336" data-path="images/plugin-directory-dark.svg" />
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3735For every component type a plugin can hold, with an example of each, see [Plugin components](/docs/en/plugins/components). To see where each piece is located in a plugin's directory, use the [plugin explorer](/docs/en/plugins/components#explore-the-plugin-directory) on that page.
3836
3937### Decide whether you need a plugin
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6159A marketplace is a repository or directory with a `.claude-plugin/marketplace.json` file that lists plugins and where to fetch each one. It's a catalog, not a hosted store. You add a marketplace once, then install plugins from it by name, such as `commit-commands@claude-plugins-official`.
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63<Note>
64 A plugin marketplace isn't [Claude Marketplace](https://claude.com/marketplace). Claude Marketplace is the website at claude.com/marketplace where you browse plugins, connectors, partner products, and service partners. It isn't a marketplace you add with `/plugin marketplace add`.
65</Note>
61> [!NOTE]
62>
63> A plugin marketplace isn't [Claude Marketplace](https://claude.com/marketplace). Claude Marketplace is the website at claude.com/marketplace where you browse plugins, connectors, partner products, and service partners. It isn't a marketplace you add with `/plugin marketplace add`.
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6765Claude Code adds Anthropic's official marketplace the first time you start an interactive terminal session, unless a [managed policy](/docs/en/plugins/org#allow-the-official-marketplace-and-your-own) blocks it. Claude Code doesn't add Anthropic's community and demo marketplaces on its own. To distinguish the three Anthropic marketplaces, read [Anthropic's marketplaces](/docs/en/plugins/anthropic-marketplaces). To see what the official one lists, open the **Discover** tab of `/plugin` in a session or browse [Claude Marketplace](https://claude.com/marketplace/plugins).
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6967This diagram shows the path from a marketplace to your session. A marketplace lists a plugin, you install that plugin, and Claude Code loads its components.
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71<img src="https://mintcdn.com/claude-code/2Q_GtOEovg5qaBem/images/plugins-model.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=2Q_GtOEovg5qaBem&q=85&s=4196344954b7c2e27fc0bd6a9a1113a1" className="dark:hidden" alt="Diagram of the marketplace path in three boxes, left to right. A marketplace, a catalog of plugins, lists a plugin. The plugin is one directory installed as a unit, holding skills, agents, hooks, MCP servers, and other components. You install the plugin into Claude Code, which loads its components." width="760" height="252" data-path="images/plugins-model.svg" />
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73<img src="https://mintcdn.com/claude-code/2Q_GtOEovg5qaBem/images/plugins-model-dark.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=2Q_GtOEovg5qaBem&q=85&s=f6cdefe1fc05daf3b253d26e9f3f70f6" className="hidden dark:block" alt="Diagram of the marketplace path in three boxes, left to right. A marketplace, a catalog of plugins, lists a plugin. The plugin is one directory installed as a unit, holding skills, agents, hooks, MCP servers, and other components. You install the plugin into Claude Code, which loads its components." width="760" height="252" data-path="images/plugins-model-dark.svg" />
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7571[Install and manage plugins](/docs/en/plugins/install#install-a-plugin) has the install steps for each place you run Claude Code. While you're developing a plugin, you don't need a marketplace: load it straight from its folder with `--plugin-dir`, as [Develop without a marketplace](/docs/en/plugins/create#develop-without-a-marketplace) shows.
7672
7773### Make an installed plugin available in your session
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109105A cloud session, including one in the browser at claude.ai/code, doesn't load the plugins in your local settings. For install steps in the terminal, VS Code, and the desktop app, and for what a cloud session loads, see [Install a plugin](/docs/en/plugins/install#install-a-plugin).
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111<Note>
112 The same plugin format also installs on claude.ai and in Cowork, where a different set of components loads. For those surfaces, see [Plugins on claude.ai and in Cowork](https://claude.com/docs/plugins/overview) on claude.com and its [component support table](https://claude.com/docs/plugins/platform-support#compare-component-support-by-app).
113</Note>
107> [!NOTE]
108>
109> The same plugin format also installs on claude.ai and in Cowork, where a different set of components loads. For those surfaces, see [Plugins on claude.ai and in Cowork](https://claude.com/docs/plugins/overview) on claude.com and its [component support table](https://claude.com/docs/plugins/platform-support#compare-component-support-by-app).
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115111## Next steps
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