claude-code/plugins/plugin-dev/skills/plugin-structure/references/manifest-reference.md

Plugin Manifest Reference

Complete reference for plugin.json configuration.

File Location

Required path: .claude-plugin/plugin.json

The manifest MUST be in the .claude-plugin/ directory at the plugin root. Claude Code will not recognize plugins without this file in the correct location.

Complete Field Reference

Core Fields

name (required)

Type: String Format: kebab-case Example: "test-automation-suite"

The unique identifier for the plugin. Used for:

• Plugin identification in Claude Code
• Conflict detection with other plugins
• Command namespacing (optional)

Requirements:

• Must be unique across all installed plugins
• Use only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
• No spaces or special characters
• Start with a letter
• End with a letter or number

Validation:

/^[a-z][a-z0-9]*(-[a-z0-9]+)*$/

Examples:

• ✅ Good: api-tester, code-review, git-workflow-automation
• ❌ Bad: API Tester, code_review, -git-workflow, test-

version

Type: String Format: Semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH) Example: "2.1.0" Default: "0.1.0" if not specified

Semantic versioning guidelines:

• MAJOR: Incompatible API changes, breaking changes
• MINOR: New functionality, backward-compatible
• PATCH: Bug fixes, backward-compatible

Pre-release versions:

• "1.0.0-alpha.1" - Alpha release
• "1.0.0-beta.2" - Beta release
• "1.0.0-rc.1" - Release candidate

Examples:

• "0.1.0" - Initial development
• "1.0.0" - First stable release
• "1.2.3" - Patch update to 1.2
• "2.0.0" - Major version with breaking changes

description

Type: String Length: 50-200 characters recommended Example: "Automates code review workflows with style checks and automated feedback"

Brief explanation of plugin purpose and functionality.

Best practices:

• Focus on what the plugin does, not how
• Use active voice
• Mention key features or benefits
• Keep under 200 characters for marketplace display

Examples:

• ✅ "Generates comprehensive test suites from code analysis and coverage reports"
• ✅ "Integrates with Jira for automatic issue tracking and sprint management"
• ❌ "A plugin that helps you do testing stuff"
• ❌ "This is a very long description that goes on and on about every single feature..."

Metadata Fields

author

Type: Object Fields: name (required), email (optional), url (optional)

{
  "author": {
    "name": "Jane Developer",
    "email": "jane@example.com",
    "url": "https://janedeveloper.com"
  }
}

Alternative format (string only):

{
  "author": "Jane Developer <jane@example.com> (https://janedeveloper.com)"
}

Use cases:

• Credit and attribution
• Contact for support or questions
• Marketplace display
• Community recognition

homepage

Type: String (URL) Example: "https://docs.example.com/plugins/my-plugin"

Link to plugin documentation or landing page.

Should point to:

• Plugin documentation site
• Project homepage
• Detailed usage guide
• Installation instructions

Not for:

• Source code (use repository field)
• Issue tracker (include in documentation)
• Personal websites (use author.url)

repository

Type: String (URL) or Object Example: "https://github.com/user/plugin-name"

Source code repository location.

String format:

{
  "repository": "https://github.com/user/plugin-name"
}

Object format (detailed):

{
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "https://github.com/user/plugin-name.git",
    "directory": "packages/plugin-name"
  }
}

Use cases:

• Source code access
• Issue reporting
• Community contributions
• Transparency and trust

license

Type: String Format: SPDX identifier Example: "MIT"

Software license identifier.

Common licenses:

• "MIT" - Permissive, popular choice
• "Apache-2.0" - Permissive with patent grant
• "GPL-3.0" - Copyleft
• "BSD-3-Clause" - Permissive
• "ISC" - Permissive, similar to MIT
• "UNLICENSED" - Proprietary, not open source

Full list: https://spdx.org/licenses/

Multiple licenses:

{
  "license": "(MIT OR Apache-2.0)"
}

keywords

Type: Array of strings Example: ["testing", "automation", "ci-cd", "quality-assurance"]

Tags for plugin discovery and categorization.

Best practices:

• Use 5-10 keywords
• Include functionality categories
• Add technology names
• Use common search terms
• Avoid duplicating plugin name

Categories to consider:

• Functionality: testing, debugging, documentation, deployment
• Technologies: typescript, python, docker, aws
• Workflows: ci-cd, code-review, git-workflow
• Domains: web-development, data-science, devops

Component Path Fields

commands

Type: String or Array of strings Default: ["./commands"] Example: "./cli-commands"

Additional directories or files containing command definitions.

Single path:

{
  "commands": "./custom-commands"
}

Multiple paths:

{
  "commands": [
    "./commands",
    "./admin-commands",
    "./experimental-commands"
  ]
}

Behavior: Supplements default commands/ directory (does not replace)

Use cases:

• Organizing commands by category
• Separating stable from experimental commands
• Loading commands from shared locations

agents

Type: String or Array of strings Default: ["./agents"] Example: "./specialized-agents"

Additional directories or files containing agent definitions.

Format: Same as commands field

Use cases:

• Grouping agents by specialization
• Separating general-purpose from task-specific agents
• Loading agents from plugin dependencies

hooks

Type: String (path to JSON file) or Object (inline configuration) Default: "./hooks/hooks.json"

Hook configuration location or inline definition.

File path:

{
  "hooks": "./config/hooks.json"
}

Inline configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Write",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/validate.sh",
            "timeout": 30
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Use cases:

• Simple plugins: Inline configuration (< 50 lines)
• Complex plugins: External JSON file
• Multiple hook sets: Separate files for different contexts

mcpServers

Type: String (path to JSON file) or Object (inline configuration) Default: ./.mcp.json

MCP server configuration location or inline definition.

File path:

{
  "mcpServers": "./.mcp.json"
}

Inline configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/servers/github-mcp.js"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Use cases:

• Simple plugins: Single inline server (< 20 lines)
• Complex plugins: External .mcp.json file
• Multiple servers: Always use external file

Path Resolution

Relative Path Rules

All paths in component fields must follow these rules:

1. Must be relative: No absolute paths
2. Must start with ./: Indicates relative to plugin root
3. Cannot use ../: No parent directory navigation
4. Forward slashes only: Even on Windows

Examples:

• ✅ "./commands"
• ✅ "./src/commands"
• ✅ "./configs/hooks.json"
• ❌ "/Users/name/plugin/commands"
• ❌ "commands" (missing ./)
• ❌ "../shared/commands"
• ❌ ".\\commands" (backslash)

Resolution Order

When Claude Code loads components:

1. Default directories: Scans standard locations first

   • ./commands/
   • ./agents/
   • ./skills/
   • ./hooks/hooks.json
   • ./.mcp.json

2. Custom paths: Scans paths specified in manifest

   • Paths from commands field
   • Paths from agents field
   • Files from hooks and mcpServers fields

3. Merge behavior: Components from all locations load

   • No overwriting
   • All discovered components register
   • Name conflicts cause errors

Validation

Manifest Validation

Claude Code validates the manifest on plugin load:

Syntax validation:

• Valid JSON format
• No syntax errors
• Correct field types

Field validation:

• name field present and valid format
• version follows semantic versioning (if present)
• Paths are relative with ./ prefix
• URLs are valid (if present)

Component validation:

• Referenced paths exist
• Hook and MCP configurations are valid
• No circular dependencies

Common Validation Errors

Invalid name format:

{
  "name": "My Plugin"  // ❌ Contains spaces
}

Fix: Use kebab-case

{
  "name": "my-plugin"  // ✅
}

Absolute path:

{
  "commands": "/Users/name/commands"  // ❌ Absolute path
}

Fix: Use relative path

{
  "commands": "./commands"  // ✅
}

Missing ./ prefix:

{
  "hooks": "hooks/hooks.json"  // ❌ No ./
}

Fix: Add ./ prefix

{
  "hooks": "./hooks/hooks.json"  // ✅
}

Invalid version:

{
  "version": "1.0"  // ❌ Not semantic versioning
}

Fix: Use MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

{
  "version": "1.0.0"  // ✅
}

Minimal vs. Complete Examples

Minimal Plugin

Bare minimum for a working plugin:

{
  "name": "hello-world"
}

Relies entirely on default directory discovery.

Recommended Plugin

Good metadata for distribution:

{
  "name": "code-review-assistant",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Automates code review with style checks and suggestions",
  "author": {
    "name": "Jane Developer",
    "email": "jane@example.com"
  },
  "homepage": "https://docs.example.com/code-review",
  "repository": "https://github.com/janedev/code-review-assistant",
  "license": "MIT",
  "keywords": ["code-review", "automation", "quality", "ci-cd"]
}

Complete Plugin

Full configuration with all features:

{
  "name": "enterprise-devops",
  "version": "2.3.1",
  "description": "Comprehensive DevOps automation for enterprise CI/CD pipelines",
  "author": {
    "name": "DevOps Team",
    "email": "devops@company.com",
    "url": "https://company.com/devops"
  },
  "homepage": "https://docs.company.com/plugins/devops",
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "https://github.com/company/devops-plugin.git"
  },
  "license": "Apache-2.0",
  "keywords": [
    "devops",
    "ci-cd",
    "automation",
    "kubernetes",
    "docker",
    "deployment"
  ],
  "commands": [
    "./commands",
    "./admin-commands"
  ],
  "agents": "./specialized-agents",
  "hooks": "./config/hooks.json",
  "mcpServers": "./.mcp.json"
}

Best Practices

Metadata

1. Always include version: Track changes and updates
2. Write clear descriptions: Help users understand plugin purpose
3. Provide contact information: Enable user support
4. Link to documentation: Reduce support burden
5. Choose appropriate license: Match project goals

Paths

1. Use defaults when possible: Minimize configuration
2. Organize logically: Group related components
3. Document custom paths: Explain why non-standard layout used
4. Test path resolution: Verify on multiple systems

Maintenance

1. Bump version on changes: Follow semantic versioning
2. Update keywords: Reflect new functionality
3. Keep description current: Match actual capabilities
4. Maintain changelog: Track version history
5. Update repository links: Keep URLs current

Distribution

1. Complete metadata before publishing: All fields filled
2. Test on clean install: Verify plugin works without dev environment
3. Validate manifest: Use validation tools
4. Include README: Document installation and usage
5. Specify license file: Include LICENSE file in plugin root