Can I use custom paths for my plugin components?

Yes, you can specify custom paths in the plugin.json manifest, which will supplement the default auto-discovery directories.

How does Claude Code discover plugin components?

Claude Code automatically scans specific root-level directories like commands/, agents/, and skills/ for markdown and configuration files.

Where should the plugin manifest be located?

The plugin.json manifest must be located within the .claude-plugin/ directory at the root of your plugin.

What is the purpose of ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}?

It is an environment variable used for portable path references, ensuring your plugin works regardless of where the user installs it or which OS they use.

What is the required format for commands and agents?

Commands and agents should be formatted as Markdown files (.md) containing YAML frontmatter that defines their name and description.

Plugin Structure Guide

Name: Plugin Structure Guide
Author: mbarnes-code

bymbarnes-code

0•

Developer Tools

Provides standardized directory layouts and manifest configurations for building and organizing Claude Code plugins.

This skill serves as a comprehensive blueprint for developers building Claude Code extensions, ensuring every plugin adheres to standardized directory structures for automatic component discovery. It provides deep technical guidance on manifest-driven configuration via plugin.json, component-based organization for commands and agents, and the critical use of portable path references using the ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} environment variable. By following these patterns, developers can create modular, maintainable, and portable plugins that integrate seamlessly with Claude Code's native capabilities.

Key Features

010 GitHub stars

02Standardized directory layout for automatic component discovery

03Portable path resolution using ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}

04Best practices for file naming and manifest metadata

05Component organization for commands, agents, and skills

06Manifest-driven configuration patterns for plugin.json

Use Cases

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

02Configuring hooks and MCP servers within a standardized manifest

03Organizing complex plugins into commands, agents, and auto-activating skills

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add mbarnes-code/multi-agent-vllm plugin-structure

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill