What is the required location for the plugin manifest?

The plugin.json manifest must be located within the .claude-plugin/ directory at the root of your plugin to be correctly recognized by Claude Code.

Can I use custom paths for plugin components?

Yes, you can specify custom relative paths for commands, agents, or hooks in the plugin.json manifest. These custom paths supplement the default auto-discovery directories rather than replacing them.

How does auto-discovery work in Claude Code plugins?

Claude Code automatically scans root-level directories like /commands, /agents, and /skills for markdown files or subdirectories, registering them as functional components without requiring manual path mapping.

Why is ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} important for plugin development?

This environment variable ensures your plugin is portable across different operating systems and installation paths by providing a dynamic, absolute reference to the plugin's root directory for scripts and assets.

Claude Code Plugin Architect

Name: Claude Code Plugin Architect
Author: jasonsie

byjasonsie

0•

Developer Tools

Guides developers through scaffolding and organizing standardized Claude Code plugins using architectural best practices for directory layouts and manifests.

This skill provides comprehensive guidance on the architecture and organization of Claude Code plugins to ensure seamless integration and portability. It assists developers in creating well-structured plugins by enforcing conventional directory layouts for the automatic discovery of commands, agents, skills, and hooks. By utilizing the ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} environment variable and standardized manifest configurations, this skill ensures that plugins remain maintainable, scalable, and compatible across various operating systems and installation methods.

Key Features

01Expert organization of commands, agents, and auto-activating skills

02Standardized manifest (plugin.json) configuration support

03Portable path management using ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}

040 GitHub stars

05Automated plugin scaffolding and directory layout guidance

06Implementation patterns for event hooks and MCP server integration

Use Cases

01Scaffolding a new Claude Code plugin from scratch with the correct directory hierarchy

02Configuring complex event hooks and MCP server integrations within the plugin manifest

03Restructuring an existing project into a compliant plugin format for automatic component discovery

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add jasonsie/prompt-dev plugin-structure

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill