docs: Add comprehensive plugin/skill architecture and troubleshooting
- Add AGENTS.md: Complete architecture guide for Plugins, Skills, and Agents - Explain the relationship between plugins and skills - Document the GitHub-based marketplace mechanism - Detail installation flow and data flow - Clarify common misconceptions - Provide best practices for authors, maintainers, and users - Update CLAUDE.md: Add "Plugin and Skill Troubleshooting" section - Systematic debugging process with real-world examples - Common errors with root cause analysis and solutions - "Plugin not found" error (most common: forgot to push) - Stale marketplace cache issues - JSON syntax errors - Step-by-step debugging checklist - Debugging commands reference table - File locations reference - Common pitfalls with wrong/correct examples - Real-world case study: macos-cleaner installation issue - Advanced cache inspection techniques Key learnings from macos-cleaner deployment: - Claude Code marketplace is GitHub-based, not local-file-based - Local changes invisible until git push - Cache requires explicit update after GitHub changes - installed_plugins.json is source of truth for installations Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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# Claude Code Architecture: Plugins, Skills, and Agents
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This document explains the architecture of Claude Code's extension system and how different components work together.
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## Core Concepts
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### 1. Skills
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**What**: Functional units that extend Claude's capabilities with specialized knowledge and workflows.
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**Structure**:
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```
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skill-name/
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├── SKILL.md (required) # YAML frontmatter + Markdown instructions
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├── scripts/ (optional) # Executable code (Python/Bash)
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├── references/ (optional) # Documentation loaded as needed
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└── assets/ (optional) # Templates and resources
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```
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**Loading mechanism** (Progressive Disclosure):
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1. **Metadata** (~100 tokens): Always in context (name + description from YAML frontmatter)
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2. **SKILL.md body** (<5k tokens): Loaded when Claude determines the skill applies
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3. **Bundled resources**: Loaded only as needed by Claude
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**Location**:
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- **Personal**: `~/.claude/skills/` (user-specific, not shared)
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- **Project**: `.claude/skills/` (checked into git, shared with team)
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- **Plugin cache**: `~/.claude/plugins/cache/{marketplace}/{plugin}/{version}/{skill}/`
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**Example**: When you ask "analyze my disk space", Claude loads the `macos-cleaner` skill's SKILL.md, then reads `references/cleanup_targets.md` as needed.
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### 2. Plugins
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**What**: Distribution units that package one or more skills for installation via marketplaces.
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**Purpose**: Plugins enable:
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- One-command installation (`claude plugin install skill-name@marketplace-name`)
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- Version management
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- Dependency tracking
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- Marketplace distribution
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**Relationship to Skills**:
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```
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Plugin (marketplace.json entry)
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├── Skill 1 (./skill-name-1/)
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├── Skill 2 (./skill-name-2/)
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└── Skill 3 (./skill-name-3/)
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```
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**Configuration** (in `.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`):
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```json
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{
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"name": "my-plugin",
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"description": "Use when...",
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"version": "1.0.0",
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"category": "utilities",
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"keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2"],
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"skills": ["./skill-1", "./skill-2"]
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}
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```
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**Example**: The `skill-creator` plugin contains one skill (`./skill-creator`), while a hypothetical `developer-tools` plugin might contain multiple skills like `./git-helper`, `./code-reviewer`, `./test-runner`.
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### 3. Agents (Subagents)
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**What**: Specialized autonomous agents invoked via the `Task` tool for complex, multi-step operations.
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**Types**:
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- **Bash**: Command execution specialist
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- **general-purpose**: Research, search, multi-step tasks
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- **Explore**: Fast codebase exploration
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- **Plan**: Software architecture planning
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- **skill-creator**: Meta-agent for creating skills
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- **Custom**: Domain-specific agents (e.g., `test-runner`, `build-validator`)
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**When to use**:
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- Tasks requiring multiple rounds of tool calls
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- Open-ended exploration (finding files, searching code)
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- Planning before implementation
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- Autonomous execution without user intervention
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**Example**:
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```python
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# Instead of manually searching multiple times:
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Task(
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subagent_type="Explore",
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description="Find error handling code",
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prompt="Search the codebase for error handling patterns and list all files that handle HTTP errors"
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)
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```
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### 4. Commands
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**What**: Slash commands (e.g., `/commit`, `/review-pr`) that trigger skills.
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**Relationship**: Commands are shortcuts to invoke skills.
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- `/commit` → invokes `commit` skill
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- `/review-pr` → invokes `review-pr` skill
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**Configuration**: Defined in plugin's `commands/` directory or skill metadata.
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## Architecture Diagram
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```
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Marketplace (GitHub)
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↓ (git clone)
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~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/{marketplace-name}/
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↓ (plugin install)
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~/.claude/plugins/cache/{marketplace-name}/{plugin}/{version}/
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├── skill-1/
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│ ├── SKILL.md
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│ ├── scripts/
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│ └── references/
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└── skill-2/
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└── SKILL.md
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↓ (Claude loads)
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Claude Code Context
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├── Metadata (always loaded)
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├── SKILL.md (loaded when relevant)
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└── Resources (loaded as needed)
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```
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## Installation Flow
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### Step 1: User initiates installation
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```bash
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claude plugin install macos-cleaner@daymade-skills
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```
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### Step 2: CLI locates marketplace
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```bash
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# Check ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/daymade-skills/
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# If not exists, git clone from GitHub
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```
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### Step 3: Read marketplace.json
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```json
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{
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"plugins": [
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{
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"name": "macos-cleaner",
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"version": "1.0.0",
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"skills": ["./macos-cleaner"]
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}
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]
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}
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```
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### Step 4: Download to cache
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```bash
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# Clone entire marketplace repo to:
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~/.claude/plugins/cache/daymade-skills/macos-cleaner/1.0.0/
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# Extract skill to:
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~/.claude/plugins/cache/daymade-skills/macos-cleaner/1.0.0/macos-cleaner/
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```
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### Step 5: Record installation
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```json
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// ~/.claude/plugins/installed_plugins.json
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{
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"plugins": {
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"macos-cleaner@daymade-skills": [{
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"scope": "user",
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"installPath": "~/.claude/plugins/cache/daymade-skills/macos-cleaner/1.0.0",
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"version": "1.0.0",
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"installedAt": "2026-01-11T08:03:46.593Z"
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}]
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}
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}
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```
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### Step 6: Claude Code loads skill
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```
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When user asks: "My Mac is running out of space"
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↓
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Claude scans installed plugins metadata
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↓
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Finds "macos-cleaner" description matches
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↓
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Loads SKILL.md into context
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↓
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Executes workflow (analyze → report → confirm → cleanup)
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↓
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Loads references/scripts as needed
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```
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## Key Files and Locations
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### Configuration Files
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| File | Location | Purpose |
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|------|----------|---------|
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| `marketplace.json` | `~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/{name}/.claude-plugin/` | Defines available plugins |
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| `installed_plugins.json` | `~/.claude/plugins/` | Tracks installed plugins |
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| `known_marketplaces.json` | `~/.claude/plugins/` | Lists registered marketplaces |
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### Directory Structure
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```
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~/.claude/
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├── skills/ # Personal skills (not from marketplace)
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├── plugins/
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│ ├── marketplaces/ # Marketplace clones
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│ │ ├── daymade-skills/ # Marketplace name
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│ │ │ └── .claude-plugin/
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│ │ │ └── marketplace.json
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│ │ └── anthropic-agent-skills/
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│ ├── cache/ # Installed plugins
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│ │ └── daymade-skills/
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│ │ └── macos-cleaner/
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│ │ └── 1.0.0/ # Version
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│ │ └── macos-cleaner/ # Skill directory
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│ │ ├── SKILL.md
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│ │ ├── scripts/
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│ │ └── references/
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│ ├── installed_plugins.json # Installation registry
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│ └── known_marketplaces.json # Marketplace registry
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```
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## Data Flow
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### Skill Activation
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```
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User message
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↓
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Claude analyzes installed plugin metadata
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↓
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Matches description to user intent
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↓
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Loads SKILL.md (progressive disclosure)
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↓
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Executes instructions
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↓
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Loads bundled resources (scripts, references) as needed
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↓
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Generates response
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```
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### Plugin Update
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```
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Local changes to skill
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↓
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git add & commit
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↓
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git push to GitHub
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↓
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User runs: claude plugin marketplace update {marketplace-name}
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↓
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CLI pulls latest from GitHub
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↓
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Updates ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/{marketplace-name}/
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↓
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User runs: claude plugin update {plugin-name@marketplace}
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↓
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Re-downloads to cache with new version number
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↓
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Updates installed_plugins.json
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```
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## Common Misconceptions
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### ❌ Myth 1: "Updating local files immediately updates the plugin"
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**Reality**: Plugins are distributed via GitHub. Local changes require `git push` before users can install updates.
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### ❌ Myth 2: "Skills and plugins are the same thing"
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**Reality**: Skills are functional units (SKILL.md + resources). Plugins are distribution packages (can contain multiple skills).
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### ❌ Myth 3: "marketplace.json is just metadata"
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**Reality**: marketplace.json is the **source of truth** for plugin discovery. Without correct configuration here, `claude plugin install` will fail with "Plugin not found".
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### ❌ Myth 4: "Cache is just for performance"
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**Reality**: Cache (`~/.claude/plugins/cache/`) is where installed plugins actually live. Deleting cache uninstalls all plugins.
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### ❌ Myth 5: "Skills in ~/.claude/skills/ work the same as plugin skills"
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**Reality**:
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- `~/.claude/skills/` = Personal skills (manual management, no versioning)
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- Plugin cache = Managed by CLI (versioned, updateable, shareable)
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## Best Practices
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### For Skill Authors
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1. **Clear metadata**: Description should clearly state "Use when..." to help Claude match user intent
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2. **Progressive disclosure**: Keep SKILL.md lean, move details to `references/`
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3. **Test locally first**: Copy to `~/.claude/skills/` for testing before packaging
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4. **Version properly**: Use semver (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH) in marketplace.json
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5. **Document bundled resources**: All scripts and references should be mentioned in SKILL.md
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### For Marketplace Maintainers
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1. **Git workflow**: Always `git push` after updating marketplace.json
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2. **Validate JSON**: Run `python -m json.tool marketplace.json` before committing
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3. **Update cache**: Remind users to run `claude plugin marketplace update` after releases
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4. **Version consistency**: Marketplace version ≠ plugin versions (they track independently)
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### For Users
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1. **Update marketplaces**: Run `claude plugin marketplace update {name}` periodically
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2. **Check installed plugins**: Inspect `~/.claude/plugins/installed_plugins.json`
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3. **Clear cache on issues**: `rm -rf ~/.claude/plugins/cache/{marketplace-name}` then reinstall
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4. **Understand scopes**:
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- `--scope user`: Only you (default)
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- `--scope project`: Shared with team via `.claude/plugins/`
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- `--scope local`: Gitignored, local only
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## Troubleshooting Guide
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See [CLAUDE.md § Plugin and Skill Troubleshooting](#plugin-and-skill-troubleshooting) for detailed debugging steps.
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## References
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- [Official Skills Documentation](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills)
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- [Plugin Reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins-reference)
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- [Marketplace Discovery](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/discover-plugins)
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- [Anthropic Skills Best Practices](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/best-practices.md)
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