medusa-plugins

name	medusa-plugins
description	Develop and publish Medusa v2 plugins — plugin structure, plugin vs module comparison, npm packaging, and reusable plugin template. Use when building distributable Medusa extensions.

Medusa v2 Plugin Development

Before writing code

Fetch live docs:

1. Fetch https://docs.medusajs.com/learn/fundamentals/plugins for plugin overview
2. Web-search site:docs.medusajs.com plugin vs module for comparison
3. Web-search site:docs.medusajs.com create medusa plugin for plugin scaffolding
4. Web-search site:docs.medusajs.com plugin options configuration for plugin options pattern
5. Web-search site:docs.medusajs.com publish plugin npm for packaging and distribution

Plugin vs Module

Aspect	Module	Plugin
Scope	Single concern (data + service)	Full feature (modules + routes + workflows + admin)
Location	src/modules/ in project	Separate npm package
Distribution	Not distributable	Published to npm
Configuration	Registered in modules array	Registered in plugins array
Contains	Models, service, loaders	Modules, API routes, workflows, subscribers, admin, links
Use case	Project-specific domain	Reusable across projects

A plugin is essentially a packaged Medusa project that can contain all the same src/ directories.

Plugin Directory Structure

Directory	Contents
src/modules/	Custom modules (models, services)
src/workflows/	Workflow definitions
src/api/store/, src/api/admin/	API routes + middlewares.ts
src/subscribers/	Event subscribers
src/admin/widgets/, src/admin/routes/	Admin UI extensions
src/links/	Module link definitions
Root	package.json, tsconfig.json, README.md

A plugin mirrors the standard Medusa src/ directory structure — all conventions apply.

Plugin Definition

The plugin's package.json must include specific fields:

package.json Key Fields

Field	Value	Purpose
name	medusa-plugin-my-feature	npm package name
main	./dist/index.js	Compiled entry point
types	./dist/index.d.ts	TypeScript declarations
files	["dist", "!dist/**/*.map"]	Included in npm package
keywords	["medusa-plugin"]	Discoverability
peerDependencies	@medusajs/framework	Medusa version compatibility

Plugin Entry Point

// src/index.ts
// Fetch live docs for plugin export shape
// Plugin entry exports nothing directly --
// Medusa discovers modules, routes, etc. by convention
export default {}

Plugin Options

Plugins receive configuration options from the consuming project:

Consuming a Plugin

// In consuming project's medusa-config.ts plugins array
// Fetch live docs for plugin registration options
{
  resolve: "medusa-plugin-my-feature",
  options: { apiKey: process.env.MY_FEATURE_API_KEY },
}

Accessing Options in Plugin Code

// In a plugin loader or service
// Fetch live docs for accessing plugin options from container
// Options are injected via the module/plugin options mechanism

Build and Compilation

Step	Command	Purpose
Build	tsc or tsup	Compile TypeScript to dist/
Watch	tsc --watch	Development rebuild on changes
Clean	rm -rf dist	Remove compiled output
Pack	npm pack	Create tarball for testing

Local Development with npm link

Step	Command	Context
1. Build plugin	npm run build	In plugin directory
2. Create link	npm link	In plugin directory
3. Link in project	npm link medusa-plugin-my-feature	In Medusa project
4. Register	Add to plugins in medusa-config.ts	In Medusa project
5. Migrate	npx medusa db:migrate	In Medusa project

Plugin Testing

Approach	Description
Unit tests	Test services, workflow steps in isolation
Integration tests	Use medusa-test-utils to spin up a test Medusa instance
Local linking	Link plugin into a real Medusa project and test manually
CI pipeline	Build + unit tests on every push

Publishing to npm

Pre-publish Checklist

Check	Why
Build succeeds	Consumers need compiled JS
files in package.json	Only ship dist/, not src/
peerDependencies set	Avoid version conflicts
README with install instructions	Developer experience
.npmignore or files field	Exclude tests, config, etc.
License field set	Legal clarity
Version follows semver	Compatibility signals

Publishing Commands

npm version patch   # or minor / major
npm publish --access public
# Fetch live docs for Medusa plugin registry conventions

Naming Conventions

Convention	Example
npm package name	medusa-plugin-my-feature
Module key inside plugin	my-feature
API route prefix	/store/my-feature, /admin/my-feature
Admin widget files	src/admin/widgets/my-feature-widget.tsx

Best Practices

• Follow the medusa-plugin-* naming convention for npm discoverability
• Keep peerDependencies on @medusajs/framework and @medusajs/medusa -- do not bundle them
• Ship only compiled output (dist/) -- never ship src/ or test files
• Include TypeScript declarations for consuming projects to get type safety
• Document all plugin options in your README with required vs optional markers
• Test with npm link against a real Medusa project before publishing
• Use semantic versioning -- breaking changes to options or models require a major bump

Fetch the Medusa plugin documentation for exact project structure, build configuration, and publishing requirements before implementing.