---

name: metaskill-packaging description: Package skills, agents, commands, and hooks as Claude Code plugins. Use when creating plugins, packaging skills for distribution, setting up plugin structure, dogfooding plugins, or when user mentions "plugin structure", "plugin.json", "package plugin", "distribute plugin", "marketplace", "dogfood", "install plugin", "plugin placement", "--plugin-dir".

Plugin Building and Packaging

Package your skills, agents, commands, and hooks as distributable plugins.

Plugin Structure

CRITICAL RULE: Only plugin.json goes inside .claude-plugin/. All components go at the plugin ROOT:

Copymy-plugin/                      <- Plugin name = neutral noun
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json             # ONLY this file here!
├── commands/                   # Slash commands (*.md) - imperative verbs
├── agents/                     # Agent definitions (*.md) - role nouns
├── skills/                     # Skills (*/SKILL.md) - ending in -ing
├── hooks/                      # Event handlers (hooks.json)
├── .mcp.json                   # MCP servers (optional)
├── .lsp.json                   # LSP servers (optional)
└── README.md

Copy# ❌ WRONG - components inside .claude-plugin/
.claude-plugin/
├── plugin.json
├── commands/         ← NO!
└── skills/           ← NO!

# ✅ CORRECT - components at plugin root
.claude-plugin/
└── plugin.json
commands/             ← YES!
skills/               ← YES!

plugin.json Manifest

Required fields:

Copy{
  "name": "my-plugin",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "What this plugin does"
}

With recommended metadata:

Copy{
  "name": "my-plugin",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "What this plugin does",
  "author": {
    "name": "Your Name",
    "email": "you@example.com"
  },
  "license": "MIT",
  "keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2"],
  "repository": "https://github.com/user/repo",
  "homepage": "https://github.com/user/repo#readme"
}

See references/plugin-json-schema.md for the complete field reference.

Naming Conventions

See /metaskill-naming for the full naming convention.

Quick reference:

Plugin name = Common prefix of all atoms

Copy# ✅ GOOD - neutral noun prefix, correct suffixes
metaskill/
├── skills/
│   ├── metaskill-authoring/     # -ing
│   └── metaskill-triggering/    # -ing
├── agents/
│   └── metaskill-trigger-tester.md  # role noun
└── commands/
    └── quick-start.md           # imperative

# ❌ BAD - verb-form prefix
skill-authoring/
├── skills/
│   └── skill-authoring-trigger/  # prefix already -ing!

No type postfixes:

Copy# ❌ BAD - redundant type postfix
skills/code-review-skill/
agents/tester-agent.md
commands/lint-command.md

# ✅ GOOD - no type postfix
skills/code-reviewing/
agents/tester.md
commands/lint.md

Dogfooding Approaches

Quick Iteration (Active Development)

Copyclaude --plugin-dir ./my-plugin

• Loads plugin immediately
• Restart Claude Code to pick up changes
• Best for rapid iteration

Marketplace Testing (Pre-Release)

Copy# Add your repo as a local marketplace (once)
/plugin marketplace add /path/to/your/repo

# Install the plugin
/plugin install your-repo@my-plugin

# After changes, reinstall to test
/plugin uninstall your-repo@my-plugin
/plugin install your-repo@my-plugin

• Tests the full installation flow
• Verifies the user experience
• Use before releasing

Plugin Placement in Repos

Single Plugin at Repo Root

For a repo that IS the plugin:

Copymy-plugin-repo/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json
├── skills/
│   └── my-plugin-authoring/
├── agents/
└── README.md

Plugin Inside a Project (Dogfooding)

For internal tooling within a larger project:

Copymy-project/
├── src/
├── tests/
├── .claude/                  # Project's Claude config
│   └── settings.json
└── plugins/
    └── my-internal-plugin/
        ├── .claude-plugin/
        │   └── plugin.json
        └── skills/

Load with: claude --plugin-dir ./plugins/my-internal-plugin

Multiple Plugins in One Repo

Use marketplace.json to reference multiple plugins:

Copymy-repo/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── marketplace.json      # References plugins below
├── plugins/
│   ├── plugin-a/
│   │   ├── .claude-plugin/
│   │   │   └── plugin.json
│   │   └── skills/
│   └── plugin-b/
│       ├── .claude-plugin/
│       │   └── plugin.json
│       └── agents/
└── README.md

marketplace.json (required fields):

Copy{
  "name": "my-marketplace",
  "owner": {
    "name": "Your Name"
  },
  "plugins": [
    { "name": "plugin-a", "source": "./plugins/plugin-a" },
    { "name": "plugin-b", "source": "./plugins/plugin-b" }
  ]
}

With full metadata:

Copy{
  "name": "my-marketplace",
  "owner": {
    "name": "Your Name",
    "email": "you@example.com"
  },
  "metadata": {
    "description": "Description of your marketplace",
    "version": "1.0.0"
  },
  "plugins": [
    {
      "name": "plugin-a",
      "source": "./plugins/plugin-a",
      "description": "What plugin-a does",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "author": { "name": "Your Name", "email": "you@example.com" },
      "license": "MIT",
      "keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2"],
      "category": "development"
    }
  ]
}

See references/marketplace-json-schema.md for the complete field reference.

Users can then:

Copy/plugin marketplace add /path/to/my-repo
/plugin install my-marketplace@plugin-a

Internal vs External Plugins

Internal (Dogfooding within Repo)

Place in a plugins/ or tools/ directory:

Copymy-project/
├── plugins/
│   └── internal-tooling/     # For this project only
│       ├── .claude-plugin/
│       │   └── plugin.json
│       └── skills/

• Not meant for distribution
• Project-specific utilities
• Load with --plugin-dir

External (Open Source / Distribution)

Option A: Dedicated plugin repo

Copymy-plugin/                    # Repo IS the plugin
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json
└── skills/

Option B: Plugin marketplace repo

Copymy-plugins/                   # Repo contains multiple plugins
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── marketplace.json
└── plugins/
    ├── plugin-a/
    └── plugin-b/

Plugin Components Reference

Common Mistakes

Components in Wrong Location

Copy# ❌ WRONG
.claude-plugin/
├── plugin.json
└── skills/          # NO! Skills outside .claude-plugin/

# ✅ CORRECT
.claude-plugin/
└── plugin.json
skills/              # YES! At plugin root

Missing plugin.json

Copy# ❌ WRONG - no manifest
my-plugin/
└── skills/

# ✅ CORRECT - has manifest
my-plugin/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json
└── skills/

Verb-Form Prefix

Copy# ❌ WRONG - prefix is already -ing
skill-authoring/
├── skills/
│   └── skill-authoring-triggering/  # Double verb!

# ✅ CORRECT - neutral noun prefix
metaskill/
├── skills/
│   └── metaskill-triggering/        # Noun + -ing

Related Skills

• For naming conventions, see /metaskill-naming
• For skill structure and writing, see /metaskill-authoring
• For skill group patterns, see /metaskill-grouping
• For trigger optimization, see /metaskill-triggering
• To test if triggers work, use the metaskill-trigger-tester agent