skill-creator-plugin

name	skill-creator-plugin
description	Guide for packaging Claude Code skills as distributable plugins. Use when creating a plugin, packaging skills for sharing, setting up a plugin marketplace, or when the user says "make a plugin", "package my skills", "distribute skills", or "create a marketplace".

Plugin Packaging Guide

A plugin bundles one or more skills into a distributable package. This guide covers how to structure, configure, and distribute plugins for Claude Code.

Plugin Structure

your-plugin/
  .claude-plugin/
    plugin.json          # Required — plugin metadata
  skills/
    skill-one/
      SKILL.md           # Required per skill
      references/        # Optional
      scripts/           # Optional
    skill-two/
      SKILL.md
      PITFALLS.md        # Optional supporting file
    skill-three/
      SKILL.md

plugin.json

The plugin metadata file lives at .claude-plugin/plugin.json:

{
  "name": "your-plugin-name",
  "description": "What the plugin provides — list all skills and capabilities",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": {
    "name": "Your Name"
  }
}

Fields:

• name: Plugin identifier (kebab-case recommended, no spaces)
• description: Complete description of what the plugin provides. Mention all included skills and their topics.
• version: Semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)
• author.name: Creator name

Skill Naming in Plugins

Plugin skills use a plugin-name:skill-name namespace. This means they cannot conflict with personal or project skills.

Convention for this marketplace: prefix skill names with the plugin name:

Plugin: xstate
Skills: xstate-machine-modeling, xstate-actions-and-effects, xstate-testing

This makes skills self-documenting and avoids collisions even without the namespace prefix.

Marketplace Structure

If distributing multiple plugins via a marketplace:

your-marketplace/
  .claude-plugin/
    marketplace.json     # Marketplace metadata
  plugins/
    plugin-a/
      .claude-plugin/
        plugin.json
      skills/
        ...
    plugin-b/
      .claude-plugin/
        plugin.json
      skills/
        ...

marketplace.json

{
  "name": "your-marketplace-name",
  "owner": {
    "name": "Your Name"
  },
  "metadata": {
    "description": "Description of your marketplace"
  },
  "plugins": [
    {
      "name": "plugin-a",
      "source": "./plugins/plugin-a",
      "description": "What plugin-a provides"
    },
    {
      "name": "plugin-b",
      "source": "./plugins/plugin-b",
      "description": "What plugin-b provides"
    }
  ]
}

Creating a New Plugin: Step by Step

Step 1: Plan Your Skills

Identify 3-15 skills that form a coherent set around one topic or technology.

Group by:

• Technology (e.g., all XState skills, all SolidJS skills)
• Workflow (e.g., all deployment skills, all code review skills)
• Domain (e.g., all financial analysis skills, all DevOps skills)

Step 2: Create Directory Structure

mkdir -p your-plugin/.claude-plugin
mkdir -p your-plugin/skills/skill-one
mkdir -p your-plugin/skills/skill-two

Step 3: Write plugin.json

Include a comprehensive description listing all skills and topics covered.

Step 4: Write Each Skill

For each skill:

1. Create the skill directory under skills/
2. Write SKILL.md with proper frontmatter
3. Add supporting files if needed (PITFALLS.md, references/, scripts/)

Step 5: Validate

For each skill:

• Run through the skill creation checklist
• Test triggering with relevant queries
• Test functional correctness

For the plugin:

• Verify plugin.json is valid JSON
• Verify all skill folders have SKILL.md
• Verify no README.md files inside skill folders
• Verify all skill names match their folder names

Step 6: Add to Marketplace (if applicable)

Update the marketplace's marketplace.json to include the new plugin:

{
  "name": "your-plugin",
  "source": "./plugins/your-plugin",
  "description": "Concise description of what the plugin provides"
}

Distribution Methods

As a Plugin (Claude Code)

Users add your plugin by referencing it in their Claude Code configuration. Place the plugin in a git repository and share the URL.

As Individual Skills (Claude.ai)

For Claude.ai users:

1. Zip individual skill folders
2. Upload via Settings > Capabilities > Skills

Via Git Repository

Host on GitHub with:

• A repo-level README (for humans) — this is separate from skill folders
• Clear installation instructions
• Example usage with screenshots

Organization-Wide (Managed Settings)

Admins can deploy skills workspace-wide through managed settings for centralized management and automatic updates.

Best Practices

Cohesion: All skills in a plugin should relate to the same topic. Don't mix unrelated skills in one plugin.

Completeness: Cover the full topic. A TypeScript plugin should cover types, generics, utility types, configuration, etc. — not just one aspect.

Consistency: Use the same style across all skills:

• Same frontmatter format
• Same section structure
• Same code example style
• Same naming convention for folders

Progressive disclosure: Keep each SKILL.md focused. Use supporting files for detailed references that aren't needed on every invocation.

Independence: Each skill should work on its own. Don't require users to read skill A before skill B can be useful.

Versioning: Update version in plugin.json when making changes. Follow semantic versioning:

• PATCH (0.0.x): fixes and minor improvements
• MINOR (0.x.0): new skills added
• MAJOR (x.0.0): breaking changes to existing skills