setup-plugins

name

setup-plugins

description

Installs curated community and official Claude Code plugins user-scoped on the current machine via the `claude plugin` CLI. Use when asked to "install plugins", "set up plugins", "install the frontend/design/security/debugging plugins", "provision plugins on this machine", or when setting up Claude Code on a new computer. Do NOT use to install toolkit workflow skills, which load live via `--plugin-dir`. Assumes the `claude` CLI is on PATH.

Setup plugins

Automates plugin installs by reading the curated catalog, detecting what is already installed, and shelling out to the claude plugin CLI with --scope user so the plugins are available in every project on this machine.

Domain-knowledge plugins install once per machine. They are not copied into any project. Toolkit workflow skills are a separate concern and load live through --plugin-dir, so never install those here.

Guards

• If the claude CLI is not on PATH, stop: ❌ claude CLI not found. Install Claude Code first.

Read the catalog

Read the curated list from the skill folder. Use ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}, which expands to this skill's own directory, so the path resolves from any project. Never invent plugin names or install strings that are not in it.

• ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/plugin-catalog.md: verified plugins, marketplace sources, and the recommended default set

Detect what is installed

Run this to skip plugins already present. Do not reinstall an installed plugin.

claude plugin list 2>/dev/null || echo "NONE"

Select

When plugin names are passed as arguments, install exactly those and skip the prompt.

When invoked bare, present the catalog grouped by category with the recommended default marked, then ask which to install. Accept a bulk answer:

• recommended: the default set from the catalog
• all: every catalog row not already installed
• a specific list of plugin names

Preview

Before executing, output:

• Installed: plugins already present, skipped
• To install: each chosen plugin with its category and marketplace source
• Scope: user (every project on this machine)
• Commands: the exact shell commands to run

Execute

For each chosen plugin, add its marketplace source if it is not already added, then install the plugin user-scoped. Run each install independently so one failure does not abort the batch.

claude plugin marketplace add <source> 2>/dev/null || true
claude plugin install <name> --scope user

For a catalog entry listed under "Installs outside the claude plugin CLI", skip the marketplace step and run its installer command verbatim instead.

Claude Code's tool permission dialog is the confirmation gate. Do not pause for a separate confirmation.

Response

After execution, report:

• Plugins installed, each with its marketplace
• Plugins skipped as already installed
• Any install that failed, with the CLI error
• A reload note: installed plugins apply on the next session or after /reload-plugins
• A tuning note: if a plugin over-triggers, set skillOverrides in settings to name-only, user-invocable-only, or off rather than uninstalling