Create Plugins

Plugins let you extend Claude Code with custom slash commands, agents, Skills, Hooks, and MCP servers.

When to Use Plugins vs Standalone

Quickstart: Create Your First Plugin

Step 1: Create Plugin Directory

mkdir my-first-plugin
mkdir my-first-plugin/.claude-plugin

Step 2: Create Plugin Manifest

Create my-first-plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json:

{
  "name": "my-first-plugin",
  "description": "A greeting plugin to learn basics",
  "version": "1.0.0"
}

Step 3: Add a Slash Command

mkdir my-first-plugin/commands

Create my-first-plugin/commands/hello.md:

---
description: Greet the user with a friendly message
---

# Hello Command

Greet the user warmly and ask how you can help today.

Step 4: Test Your Plugin

claude --plugin-dir ./my-first-plugin

> /my-first-plugin:hello

Plugin Structure

Adding Components

Agents

Create Markdown files in agents/ directory.

Skills

Create subdirectories in skills/, each with SKILL.md.

Hooks

Create hooks/hooks.json:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [{
      "matcher": "Write|Edit",
      "hooks": [{
        "type": "command",
        "command": "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/format.sh"
      }]
    }]
  }
}

MCP Servers

Create .mcp.json at plugin root.

Debugging

claude --debug

Next Steps