What probably matters to youSection of the release
What
The reload_plugins request (used by the /reload-plugins command and by the SDK) now accepts an optional hold_on_cache_impact flag. When set, if reloading plugins would change the session's tool list in a way that invalidates the prompt cache (the cached record of the conversation-so-far that lets Claude skip reprocessing it), the reload is skipped instead of applied. The response then reports held: true along with a cache_impact breakdown of what would have changed: mcp_servers_added, mcp_servers_removed, or lsp_tool_change. The session keeps its current plugins in that case.
This mirrors a check the interactive /reload-plugins command already makes before it asks for --force. In the Agent SDK, the equivalent reloadPlugins() call now accepts a holdOnCacheImpact flag that gets sent as this same option.
Why
This lets SDK integrations and other callers opt into the same cache-safety check the interactive command already had, avoiding a silent, expensive cache invalidation when plugins change.
Read from
Names in the bundlehold_on_cache_impactreload_plugins/reload-plugins
Since it was published
The entry above is what we published on the day. These lines were added later, as Anthropic's own pages caught up, and they sit beside the original rather than replacing it.
Confirmed sinceAnthropic's documentation has since written up reload_plugins, on Agent SDK reference - TypeScript.* `local_command`: the name of the command the turn dispatched, on the success result of a turn that a command completed without entering the agent loop, such as `/compact`. The name is folded to lowercase letters and underscores, so `/rel…agent-sdk/typescriptsee the edit
Added sinceA small documentation edit on Week 32 · August 3–7, 2026 touched a line naming /reload-plugins after this was published.<div>Plugins you install from <a href="/docs/en/plugins/install#install-a-plugin"><code>/plugin</code></a> activate in the current session when it's safe to do so; the install summary reports <code>Plugin is now active.</code> or tells you…whats-new/2026-w32see the edit
Confirmed sinceAnthropic's documentation has since written up /reload-plugins, on Push events into a running session with channels.If the install summary reports `Run /reload-plugins to activate.`, you don't need to act on it here, because restarting in the next step picks up the plugin.channelssee the edit
How sure we are
Two sources agreeTwo things we can check say the same as this entry.
Anthropic's documentation agreesAnthropic's documentation has since written up /reload-plugins, on Push events into a running session with channels.
Anthropic's release notes agreeImproved /plugin: installing, enabling or disabling a plugin now takes effect when you close the menu; /reload-plugins is no longer needed…
