Why am I receiving an 'Invalid input' error for my plugin paths?

Claude Code requires paths to start with './', forbids absolute paths, and does not allow path traversal (../) for security and portability reasons.

How does auto-discovery work in Claude Code plugins?

Claude automatically loads files from standard folders like /commands, /agents, and /skills. If you use these defaults, you can omit those fields from your plugin.json.

Can I define MCP servers directly in the plugin manifest?

Yes, the 'mcpServers' field supports both a path to an external JSON file and an inline object containing the server command and arguments.

How can I validate my plugin manifest before publishing?

You can use the built-in command 'claude plugin validate /path/to/plugin' to check your structure and manifest for errors.

What is the minimal valid plugin.json for Claude Code?

A minimal valid manifest only requires the 'name', 'version', and 'description' fields if you are using standard directory structures for auto-discovery.

Claude Code Plugin Schema Reference

Name: Claude Code Plugin Schema Reference
Author: mikeparcewski

bymikeparcewski

•

Learning & Documentation

Provides a comprehensive reference and validation guide for creating and troubleshooting Claude Code plugin.json manifest files.

The Claude Code Plugin Schema Reference skill is an essential utility for developers building custom extensions for the Claude Code ecosystem. It offers a detailed breakdown of the plugin.json manifest structure, including required metadata, optional fields, and complex inline configurations for MCP and LSP servers. By providing clear rules on path formatting and auto-discovery behavior, this skill helps developers avoid common validation errors and streamline the plugin creation process from scaffolding to deployment.

Key Features

014 GitHub stars

02Templates for inline MCP, LSP, and hook configurations

03Troubleshooting support for common 'Invalid input' validation failures

04Complete field reference for required and optional manifest metadata

05Detailed guide to auto-discovery logic for standard directory structures

06Strict path validation rules to prevent configuration errors

Use Cases

01Scaffolding a new Claude Code plugin with a valid manifest file

02Configuring custom directory paths for non-standard plugin architectures

03Debugging manifest validation errors during the plugin development lifecycle

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add mikeparcewski/wicked-garden plugin-json-schema

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill