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Plugin Settings Pattern

A skill documenting the `.claude/plugin-name.local.md` convention for storing and reading per-project Claude Code plugin configuration.

Dev & CodingIntermediate★ 559⑂ 50AI score 9/10Last updated: Sep 16, 2026

What it does

  • Explains the .claude/plugin-name.local.md convention (YAML frontmatter + markdown body) for per-project plugin config and state.
  • Gives copy-paste snippets for reading settings from bash hooks, slash commands, and agents.
  • Includes parsing recipes with sed/awk/grep, default-value handling, value validation, and the quick-exit pattern when the file is missing.
  • Covers safety rules: .gitignore entries, path-traversal checks, escaping user input, chmod 600, and the fact that setting changes require a Claude Code restart.

Who it's for

  • Developers building Claude Code plugins, hooks, or sub-agents.
  • Anyone who wants toggles, modes, or limits that differ per project.
  • Teams tracking multi-agent state (task number, coordinator session) in files.

Examples

  1. Add an enabled: true/false flag to a security-scan hook so it can be toggled without editing hooks.json.
  2. Read validation_level: strict|standard|lenient to apply different validation strictness per repository.
  3. Store iteration, max_iterations, and completion_promise, then feed the markdown body back as the next prompt in a ralph-style loop.

· · · Install guide · · ·

Try it now, no install

Paste this into Claude to use the skill without installing anything.

Read the instructions in this file and follow them to help me:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tzachbon/smart-ralph/HEAD/.agents/skills/Plugin Settings/SKILL.md

What I want: (describe your task here)

If Claude can't open the link, open it yourself and paste the contents instead.

↓ If it works for you, download the ZIP below and install it. Then it runs on its own — no pasting each time.

Install in the Claude app (no terminal)
  1. Download the ZIP with the button below.
  2. In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
  3. Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the ZIP.
↓ Download ZIP
Install in Claude Code

Let Claude do it — paste this into Claude Code

Install the skill I found on Claude Skill Mart.
Copy the .agents/skills/Plugin Settings folder from the GitHub repo tzachbon/smart-ralph into my ~/.claude/skills/plugin-settings/.
When it's done, tell me in one line what this skill can do.

Install with a command instead

git clone https://github.com/tzachbon/smart-ralph.git /tmp/smart-ralph && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/plugin-settings && cp -r "/tmp/smart-ralph/.agents/skills/Plugin Settings/." ~/.claude/skills/plugin-settings/

⚠ This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.

  1. Open a terminal and clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/tzachbon/smart-ralph.git /tmp/smart-ralph
  2. Create the skill folder: mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/plugin-settings
  3. Copy the files: cp -r "/tmp/smart-ralph/.agents/skills/Plugin Settings/." ~/.claude/skills/plugin-settings/
  4. Verify with ls ~/.claude/skills/plugin-settings — you should see SKILL.md plus examples/, references/, and scripts/.
  5. Restart Claude Code, then ask something like "explain the plugin settings pattern" or "write a hook that reads my .local.md settings".
  6. When you create real settings files, add .claude/*.local.md to your project's .gitignore.
View source on GitHub ↗License: MIT