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Plugin Structure

A reference skill that teaches Claude Code plugin directory layout, plugin.json manifest fields, and component auto-discovery rules.

Dev & CodingIntermediate★ 533⑂ 49AI score 7/10Last updated: Sep 2, 2026

What it does

  • Enforces the canonical plugin layout: .claude-plugin/plugin.json, plus commands/, agents/, skills/, hooks/, .mcp.json, scripts/ at plugin root.
  • Documents required and recommended plugin.json fields, semantic versioning, and custom component path arrays that supplement (not replace) defaults.
  • Explains how Claude Code auto-discovers commands, agents, skills, hooks and MCP servers, including file format and frontmatter expectations.
  • Mandates ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} for every intra-plugin path and forbids absolute, relative-to-cwd, or ~/ paths.
  • Provides kebab-case naming conventions, minimal/full/skill-only plugin patterns, and a troubleshooting checklist for components that fail to load.

Who it's for

  • Developers building or publishing their first Claude Code plugin.
  • Maintainers cleaning up a plugin whose folders drifted out of convention.
  • Anyone who has hit broken paths in hook scripts or MCP server configs.

Example uses

  1. "Scaffold a code-review plugin" → generates the manifest plus only the component directories actually needed.
  2. "My hook can't find its script" → rewrites hooks.json around ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}.
  3. "I added a skill but Claude ignores it" → checks that the file is named SKILL.md, sits in a skills/<name>/ subdirectory, and has valid frontmatter.

· · · 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 Structure/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 Structure folder from the GitHub repo tzachbon/smart-ralph into my ~/.claude/skills/plugin-structure/.
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-structure && cp -r "/tmp/smart-ralph/.agents/skills/Plugin Structure/." ~/.claude/skills/plugin-structure/

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

  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Clone the repository into a temp folder: git clone https://github.com/tzachbon/smart-ralph.git /tmp/smart-ralph
  3. Create the target skill folder: mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/plugin-structure
  4. Copy the skill files: cp -r "/tmp/smart-ralph/.agents/skills/Plugin Structure/." ~/.claude/skills/plugin-structure/
  5. Confirm ~/.claude/skills/plugin-structure/SKILL.md exists.
  6. Restart Claude Code and ask something like "scaffold a plugin" or "set up plugin.json" to verify the skill triggers.
View source on GitHub ↗License: MIT