Home Docs Claude Documentation 25 Sep 2026

One change · claude-docs

Plugins changedplugins/overview

Nearest release: v2.1.283, published under an hour after upstream edited the page. Shown because the two are within 24 hours of each other. Nothing here says the release caused the edit.

Upstream edited this page at 25 Sep 2026 18:00 UTC, give or take a minute or two: the time comes from Anthropic’s own sitemap rather than from a commit. This site recorded the change at 25 Sep 2026 18:07 UTC.

Upstream edited 25 Sep 2026 18:00 UTC

Recorded here 25 Sep 2026 18:07 UTC

Lines+124added

Lines−67removed

From line 1 where the diff opens

First seen 14 Aug 2026 this site's first read of the page

Recorded edits2to this page, all time

# Plugins ## Install a plugin ### Before you add a plugin ### Find and add a plugin ### Find the plugin in each app ### Bundled connectors ### Plugins your organization installs or requires ## Use a plugin ## Compare what each plugin component adds ## Manage installed plugins ## Track plugin usage in your organization ## Create your own plugin # Plugins overview ## What plugins do ## Plugin directory ## Origins in Claude Code ## Plugins in Cowork ## How plugins compose capabilities ## Availability

The whole hunk

from line 1, old and new numbered

lines

from line 1

1# Plugins overview

1# Plugins

3> Extend Claude with reusable capability packages that bundle MCP connectors, skills, slash commands, and sub-agents

3> Add plugins to Claude: what a plugin adds, where to find and install one, and where it's available across chat, Cowork, and Claude Code.

5Plugins are reusable capability packages that extend Claude with custom functionality. They bundle together [MCP connectors](/docs/connectors/overview), [skills](/docs/skills/overview), slash commands, and sub-agents into a single shareable unit — turning Claude into a specialist tailored to your role, team, and company.

5A plugin packages [skills](/docs/skills/overview), [MCP connectors](/docs/connectors/getting-started), and [commands and agents](#compare-what-each-plugin-component-adds) so you can add them to Claude as one unit. You add plugins from [**Customize > Plugins**](https://claude.ai/customize/plugins) in claude.ai or the Claude desktop app; **Customize** is the page that holds your connectors, skills, and plugins. Each plugin is saved to your account, so it's also available in Cowork and Claude Code without installing it again.

7## What plugins do

7This page is for people using plugins in claude.ai, the Claude desktop app, and Cowork.

9Plugins let you define how you like work done, which tools and data to pull from, how to handle critical workflows, and what slash commands to expose so your team gets consistent outcomes. Every component is file-based, so plugins are easy to build, edit, and share.

9<Note>

10 * If you want to build a plugin or submit one to the directory, see [Plugin structure and testing](/docs/plugins/build) and [Publish to the directory](/docs/directory/publish)

11 * If you install and manage plugins from the Claude Code command line, see [Install plugins](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins/install) in the Claude Code docs

12 * If you have a `.mcpb` file to install into the Claude desktop app, see [Install a local connector in the desktop app](/docs/connectors/custom/add-unlisted#install-a-local-connector-in-the-desktop-app)

13</Note>

1014

11As your team builds and shares plugins, Claude becomes a cross-functional expert. Best practices get baked into every interaction, so leaders and admins can spend less time enforcing processes and more time improving them.

15To get started, [find and add a plugin](#find-and-add-a-plugin), then see [how to use it in each app](#use-a-plugin) and [where it becomes available on your account](#find-the-plugin-in-each-app).

1216

13## Plugin directory

17## Install a plugin

1418

15To help you get started, Anthropic has open-sourced 11 plugins built and used internally:

19Every way of adding a plugin to your account starts from the **Plugins** page at [**Customize > Plugins**](https://claude.ai/customize/plugins) in claude.ai or the desktop app.

1620

17| Plugin | What it does |

18| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |

19| **Productivity** | Manage tasks, calendars, and daily workflows |

20| **Enterprise search** | Find information across your company's tools and docs |

21| **Sales** | Research prospects, prep deals, and follow your sales process |

22| **Finance** | Analyze financials, build models, and track key metrics |

23| **Data** | Query, visualize, and interpret datasets |

24| **Legal** | Review documents, flag risks, and track compliance |

25| **Marketing** | Draft content, plan campaigns, and manage launches |

26| **Customer support** | Triage issues, draft responses, and surface solutions |

27| **Product management** | Write specs, prioritize roadmaps, and track progress |

28| **Biology research** | Search literature, analyze results, and plan experiments |

29| **Plugin Create** | Create and customize new plugins from scratch |

21### Before you add a plugin

3022

31Browse the full collection at [claude.com/plugins](https://claude.com/plugins-for/cowork) or use the Plugin Create plugin to build your own.

23A plugin's skills and commands are instructions Claude follows, and its connectors reach outside services with the account you connect. In Cowork and Claude Code a plugin can also run agents and hooks, which run commands on your computer when certain events happen, and a connector marked **Runs in each session** runs a program on your computer. Anthropic reviews plugins listed in the directory: every version gets automated validation and a security scan, and a person reviews a new listing before it goes live, as [Prepare for review](/docs/directory/publish#prepare-for-review) describes. That review doesn't cover a plugin you add from a marketplace URL or upload yourself, so add those only from sources you trust. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner controls which sources members see and whether they can add their own, as [Manage plugins for your organization](/docs/plugins/admin) covers.

3224

33## Origins in Claude Code

25### Find and add a plugin

3426

35Plugins originated in [Claude Code](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins), where developers create and distribute them as versioned, shareable directories. A Claude Code plugin lives in a directory with a manifest (`plugin.json`) that defines its identity, version, and available components.

27On the **Plugins** page, you add a plugin from **Discover**, **Add > Add marketplace**, or **Add > Upload plugin**:

3628

37<Note>

38 For technical details on plugin structure, manifests, and configuration, see the [Claude Code plugins reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins-reference).

39</Note>

29* **Discover**: see the plugins available to you. These are the ones in Anthropic's default marketplaces, the directory, and any your organization provides. Select one to read what it contains, then select **Add**. The directory's plugins appear on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner chooses which Anthropic sources the organization includes, so you see the directory only if your organization keeps it

30* **Add > Add marketplace**: add a [plugin marketplace](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins/create-marketplace), a Git repository that contains plugins, so its plugins appear alongside the others. Enter a repository URL such as `https://github.com/your-org/your-plugins` or the `owner/repo` shorthand for GitHub. For a marketplace you add yourself, GitHub and GitHub Enterprise repositories work, and so do public GitLab and Bitbucket repositories. To add a private GitHub repository, connect your GitHub account when the dialog asks and give the Claude GitHub App access to the repository. If access is missing, the dialog says so and shows **Connect GitHub** or **Install the Claude GitHub App**. Plugins your organization distributes from its own repositories come through [organization settings](/docs/plugins/admin#add-your-own-plugins) instead

31* **Add > Upload plugin**: upload a plugin you have as a folder on your computer, as a `.zip` or `.plugin` file. Zip either the plugin folder itself or its contents; both work as long as the archive holds one `.claude-plugin/plugin.json`

4032

41## Plugins in Cowork

33[Plugin feature support across platforms](/docs/plugins/platform-support#compare-installation-sync-and-admin-controls) lists the size and count limits.

4234

43Plugins are fully supported in [Cowork](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190-getting-started-with-cowork), Anthropic's agentic workspace for complex, multi-step knowledge work. In Cowork, Claude runs inside an isolated virtual machine environment, executes tasks in parallel workstreams, and writes outputs directly to your file system — and plugins extend all of that capability.

35### Find the plugin in each app

4436

45A sales plugin, for example, could connect Claude to your CRM and knowledge base, teach it your sales process, and give you slash commands for everything from prospect research to call follow-ups. You define what goes in the plugin once, and Claude pulls from that context whenever it's relevant.

37After you install a plugin, it's recorded on your account for the organization you're in, and you can use its components wherever you use that account:

4638

47## How plugins compose capabilities

39* **Chat on the web, desktop, and mobile**: its skills, commands, and connectors are available in your conversations

40* **Cowork**: its skills, commands, agents, and connectors load into your tasks the next time you start one

41* **Claude Code**: it downloads as a synced plugin the next time you start a session signed in to the same account. Run `/reload-plugins` in that session to load it, or start Claude Code again. Plugins you install from the Claude Code command line stay on that machine and aren't added to your claude.ai account

4842

49| Plugin component | What it adds | Example |

50| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

51| **Skills** | Specialized instructions Claude follows when relevant tasks arise | A "brand voice" skill that activates when drafting external communications |

52| **MCP connectors** | Access to external tools and data | A connector to a CRM that lets Claude read and update deal records |

53| **Slash commands** | Explicit, user-triggered workflows | `/sales:prospect-research` to kick off a structured research workflow |

54| **Sub-agents** | Delegated workstreams that run in parallel | A sub-agent that handles competitive analysis while another drafts the proposal |

43### Bundled connectors

5544

56## Availability

45Adding a plugin doesn't add a connector to your account or sign you in to anything. To see the connectors a plugin includes, open the plugin from **Customize > Plugins** and select its **Connectors** tab. Each connector shows one of these states:

5746

58Plugin support in Cowork is available as a beta for all paid Claude users. Plugins are currently saved locally to your machine. Org-wide sharing and management are coming in the weeks ahead.

47* **Connected**: the connector is already connected on your account, so there's nothing more to do

48* **Not connected**: the connector is on your account, but you haven't signed in to the service yet. Connect it from this tab

49* **Not added**: the connector isn't on your account yet. Add it from this tab, then connect it. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner adds the connector for the organization. If you can't add it yourself, ask an Owner to add it, then connect it with your own account

5950

60| Platform | Plugin support |

61| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |

62| **Claude Code** | Full plugin support — create, install, and use plugins |

63| **Claude Cowork** | Full plugin support — plugins extend agentic, multi-step workflows |

51The plugin's skills load whether or not you connect anything. A skill that uses a connector's service can't reach that service until the connector shows **Connected**. After you add a connector, it also appears under **Customize > Connectors**. To disconnect one and keep the plugin, see [Manage installed plugins](#manage-installed-plugins).

6452

65Looking to submit your own plugin? See [Submitting your plugin](/docs/plugins/submit#submitting-your-plugin).

53The service a connector reaches is run by its provider, which may require its own account or paid plan.

6654

67## Next steps

55A bundled connector marked **Runs in each session** runs on your computer rather than over the internet. It works in Claude Code and in a Cowork session that runs on your computer in the desktop app, not in chat.

6856

69<Columns cols={2}>

70 <Card title="Plugin directory" icon="grid-2" href="https://claude.com/plugins-for/cowork">

71 Browse the full plugin collection.

72 </Card>

57### Plugins your organization installs or requires

7358

74 <Card title="Create plugins" icon="code" href="https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins">

75 Build and distribute plugins in Claude Code.

76 </Card>

59On Team and Enterprise plans, your organization can install a plugin for you as installed by default or as required:

7760

78 <Card title="Skills overview" icon="sparkles" href="/docs/skills/overview">

79 Learn how skills work as a core plugin component.

80 </Card>

61* **Installed by default**: the plugin is already in your list under **Customize > Plugins** without you adding it, and you can turn it off

62* **Required**: the plugin is installed and always on. It's marked **This plugin is required by your organization**, and you can't turn it off or remove it

8163

82 <Card title="Connectors overview" icon="plug" href="/docs/connectors/overview">

83 Understand MCP connectors that plugins can bundle.

84 </Card>

85</Columns>

64[Manage plugins for your organization](/docs/plugins/admin) covers those controls.

66## Use a plugin

68After you add a plugin, you use its skills and commands from the message box. To see the skills, commands, connectors, and agents a plugin contains, open it from **Customize > Plugins**, where its page lists each kind on its own tab.

70You can run a plugin's skill or command in chat, Cowork, and Claude Code:

72* **Chat in claude.ai or the desktop app**: describe the task, and Claude loads the plugin's skill when the task matches it. To pick one yourself:

74 1. Type `/` in the message box. The menu lists your skills with the name of the plugin each one came from.

75 2. Type the plugin's name, or `plugin-name:skill-name`, to narrow the list.

76 3. Select the skill.

78 A plugin's commands appear in the same menu as skills.

79* **Cowork**: type `/plugin-name:command` to run a command, or describe the task and let Claude load the matching skill. Cowork also runs the plugin's agents

80* **Claude Code**: type `/plugin-name:skill-name`. [Install and manage plugins](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins/install) in the Claude Code docs covers the command line

82If a skill or command uses one of the plugin's connectors, connect it first, as [Bundled connectors](#bundled-connectors) describes.

84After you add a plugin, try it on a real task. If it doesn't help, turn it off with its **Disable plugin** toggle or select **Remove** from its menu, as [Manage installed plugins](#manage-installed-plugins) describes.

86## Compare what each plugin component adds

88A plugin can contain skills, commands, MCP connectors, and agents. Chat, Cowork, and Claude Code each load the components they support and skip the others, so one plugin can do more in Cowork than in a chat conversation.

90| Component | What it adds for you | Where it works |

91| :------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------ |

92| Skills | Instructions Claude follows when a task matches, such as your team's process for a weekly report. They're listed in **Customize > Skills** alongside your own skills. | Chat, Cowork, Claude Code |

93| Commands | Named actions. In Cowork and Claude Code you run one by typing `/plugin-name:command`. In chat a command loads as a skill. | Chat, Cowork, Claude Code |

94| MCP connectors | Access to an external tool or data source. You add or connect each one from the plugin's **Connectors** tab. | Chat, Cowork, Claude Code |

95| Agents | Specialists Claude can delegate part of a task to | Cowork, Claude Code |

97[Plugin feature support across platforms](/docs/plugins/platform-support) lists every component by app.

99## Manage installed plugins

100

101After you install a plugin, you can turn it off, remove it, disconnect its connectors, or update it from **Customize > Plugins**. Plugins that other people share with you are listed there too.

102

103* **Turn off a plugin**: open the plugin and turn off its toggle, which is labeled **Disable plugin**. Turn the toggle on again to enable the plugin

104* **Remove a plugin**: remove it from your account from its menu:

105 1. Open the plugin.

106 2. Open its menu.

107 3. Select **Remove**.

108* **Disconnect a bundled connector**: open the plugin's **Connectors** tab, or **Customize > Connectors**, and disconnect it. The plugin stays installed

109* **Use a plugin someone shared with you**: a plugin that another member of your organization shares with you appears under **Shared with you** on the **Your plugins** tab, turned off. Open it and turn on its toggle to use it. It stays in your list for as long as that person shares it. To share one of your own, see [Share a plugin with specific people](/docs/plugins/share#share-a-plugin-with-specific-people)

110* **Get updates**: plugins from a marketplace or the directory update from their source. After a new version syncs from the source, you get it on your account automatically, with nothing to accept. Claude Code's own marketplaces have a separate auto-update setting. To pull the latest from a marketplace you added, select **Check for updates**. For a marketplace you added yourself from github.com, you can also turn on **Sync automatically**. Marketplaces your organization syncs have their own setting, which [Sync your organization's plugins from a repository](/docs/plugins/org-sync) covers

111

112If a plugin you added doesn't appear where you expect it, [Install plugins in Cowork](/docs/cowork/guide/plugins) covers how the desktop app loads and updates plugins, and [Synced plugins](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins/loading#synced-plugins) covers Claude Code.

113

114## Track plugin usage in your organization

115

116On Team and Enterprise plans, a plugin's page in **Customize > Plugins** shows how much your organization uses it:

117

118* **Adoption**: the number of people in your organization who used the plugin in the last 30 days. The count updates daily, and usage from older versions of Claude Code and the desktop app may not be counted

119* **Activity**: the number of runs in the last 30 days

120* **You**: the number of runs by you in the last 90 days. This one appears when you open the plugin from your own list

121

122The plugin's **Skills** tab shows runs in the last 30 days for each skill. A skill's page in **Customize > Skills** shows the same three figures for that skill.

123

124A plugin you made or that someone shared with you shows the organization figures only when a published copy of it is live in your organization. [Publish a plugin to your organization](/docs/plugins/share#publish-a-plugin-to-your-organization) covers publishing.

125

126## Create your own plugin

127

128You can make a plugin of your own from **Customize > Plugins > Add**.

129

130* **Create with Claude**: start a conversation where Claude builds the plugin with you

131* **Create a plugin**: open an editor and write its files directly

132

133[Create a plugin with Claude](/docs/plugins/create-with-claude) covers both, and [Plugin structure and testing](/docs/plugins/build) covers building one as a folder for other people to install. On Team and Enterprise plans, you can then [share the plugin with specific people](/docs/plugins/share#share-a-plugin-with-specific-people) or [publish it to your organization](/docs/plugins/share#publish-a-plugin-to-your-organization).

134

135You can also submit a plugin you build to Anthropic's directory, where, once it passes review, people on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans can find and add it. [Build your first plugin](/docs/plugins/quickstart) builds and tests an example plugin, and [Publish to the directory](/docs/directory/publish) covers who can submit and what review involves.

136

137## Next steps

138

139* [Plugin feature support across platforms](/docs/plugins/platform-support): check which of a plugin's components work in chat, Cowork, the desktop app, and Claude Code

140* [Manage plugins for your organization](/docs/plugins/admin): make plugins available, installed by default, or required for members

141* [Install plugins](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins/install) in the Claude Code docs: install and manage plugins from the command line, including the ones synced from your account

142* [Publish to the directory](/docs/directory/publish): submit a plugin to the directory, where Anthropic reviews it before it's listed

86143