Published 6 Sept 2026

Claude Code plugin marketplaces

A plugin is a directory with skills, agents, hooks, and MCP/LSP configs. A marketplace is a git repository (or local path) with a .claude-plugin/marketplace.json that lists plugins and where to fetch them. You add a marketplace once, then install and update plugins from it.

Adding and installing

claude plugin marketplace add owner/repo          # GitHub shorthand
claude plugin marketplace add https://gitlab.com/team/plugins.git
claude plugin marketplace add ./local/marketplace  # for development
claude plugin install my-plugin@marketplace-name

The same works inside a session with /plugin marketplace add … and /plugin install …, or interactively through /plugin. Install at project scope (--scope project) to record it in .claude/settings.json so teammates are prompted to install it too.

marketplace.json

{
  "name": "anchorwatch",
  "owner": { "name": "Anchorwatch", "url": "https://anchorwatch.sh" },
  "metadata": { "pluginRoot": "./plugins" },
  "plugins": [
    { "name": "anchorwatch", "source": "./plugins/anchorwatch",
      "description": "Guardrails for Claude Code", "category": "security", "tags": ["hooks", "safety"] }
  ]
}

source can be a relative path inside the same repo, another GitHub repo ({"source":"github","repo":"owner/repo","ref":"v2.0.0"}), a git URL, a subdirectory of a repo, an npm package, a zip archive with a sha256, or even a command that prints the plugin path. Validate with claude plugin validate . before you push — it's the same check Anthropic's review pipeline runs.

Private repositories = paid or team-only plugins

Marketplaces clone with your normal git credentials. If you can git clone the repo, you can add it as a marketplace. That makes a private GitHub repository a complete distribution system for paid plugins: grant a buyer read access to the repo and they run claude plugin marketplace add org/private-marketplace. Revoke access and updates stop. No license server needed. (This is how Anchorwatch Pro is delivered; Polar grants the GitHub access automatically on purchase.)

Two gotchas: the GitHub owner/repo shorthand clones over SSH by default — set CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS=1 if you only have HTTPS credentials — and background auto-updates of private HTTPS marketplaces need a credential helper; gh auth setup-git fixes that once.

Versions and updates

• If plugin.json has a version, users only get an update when you bump it. Good for stability; remember to bump.
• If neither the plugin nor the marketplace entry pins a version, git sources update on every new commit.
• Claude Code refreshes marketplaces in the background once per session; /plugin marketplace update <name> forces it, then claude plugin update plugin@marketplace.
• For a stable/beta split, point two marketplace entries (or two marketplaces) at different refs.

Getting listed

Anthropic runs a community marketplace (anthropics/claude-plugins-community) that users add with /plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community. Submit through the Console form; passing claude plugin validate --strict is a prerequisite. The curated official marketplace is by invitation.

Checklist before publishing a marketplace

1. claude plugin validate . --strict and the same for each plugin directory.
2. A README with the two install commands at the top.
3. Hooks use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} for paths, never hard-coded ones.
4. Tests for hook scripts (feed JSON on stdin, assert the output) running in CI on macOS and Linux.
5. A version in each plugin.json and a CHANGELOG.