marketplace-manager

Marketplace Manager

Guidance for managing Claude Code plugin marketplaces - adding plugins, updating configurations, and maintaining documentation consistency.

Marketplace Structure

A Claude Code plugin marketplace has this structure:

marketplace-root/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── marketplace.json      # Registry of all plugins
├── plugins/
│   └── {plugin-name}/        # Individual plugins
│       ├── .claude-plugin/
│       │   └── plugin.json   # Plugin metadata
│       ├── README.md         # Plugin documentation
│       ├── agents/           # Agent definitions (.md files)
│       ├── commands/         # Slash commands (.md files)
│       └── skills/           # Skills (SKILL.md + resources)
├── README.md                 # Main marketplace README
└── docs/                     # Additional documentation

Adding a New Plugin

To add a new plugin to the marketplace, follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Scaffold the Plugin Directory

Run the initialization script:

python3 scripts/init_plugin.py <plugin-name> --path <marketplace>/plugins

This creates:

• .claude-plugin/plugin.json with metadata template
• README.md with documentation template
• Empty agents/, commands/, skills/ directories

Step 2: Configure plugin.json

Edit .claude-plugin/plugin.json with accurate metadata:

{
  "name": "plugin-name",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "description": "Clear description of what the plugin provides",
  "author": {
    "name": "Author Name",
    "email": "email@example.com",
    "url": "https://github.com/org/repo"
  },
  "repository": "https://github.com/org/repo",
  "keywords": ["relevant", "keywords", "for", "discovery"]
}

Guidelines:

• name: Lowercase, hyphen-separated (must match directory name)
• version: Semantic versioning (start with 0.1.0 for new plugins)
• description: 1-2 sentences explaining the plugin's purpose
• keywords: 5-10 relevant terms for discoverability

Step 3: Write the Plugin README

The plugin README should include:

1. Title and Overview - What the plugin does
2. Installation - /plugin install name@marketplace
3. Features - Key capabilities (bullet list)
4. Usage - Commands, agents, or skills provided
5. License - Usually MIT for open source

See references/plugin-readme-template.md for a complete template.

Step 4: Register in marketplace.json

Add the plugin to .claude-plugin/marketplace.json:

{
  "plugins": [
    // ... existing plugins ...
    {
      "name": "new-plugin",
      "source": "./plugins/new-plugin",
      "description": "Brief description for marketplace listing"
    }
  ]
}

Step 5: Version Bumps (Required)

When adding a new plugin, you must bump versions in both the plugin's plugin.json and the marketplace's marketplace.json.

Plugin Version Bump

After modifying plugin content, bump the version in plugins/{plugin-name}/.claude-plugin/plugin.json:

Determine the bump type:

Change Type	Bump	Example
Bug fix, documentation update, internal refactoring	PATCH (0.0.x)	0.2.0 -> 0.2.1
New skill, command, agent, or hook added	MINOR (0.x.0)	0.2.1 -> 0.3.0
Breaking change (renamed/removed public interface)	MAJOR (x.0.0)	0.3.0 -> 1.0.0

Default to PATCH unless the change adds new capabilities (MINOR) or breaks existing interfaces (MAJOR).

Edit the version field:

{
  "version": "0.2.1"  // <-- bump this
}

Verify the bump:

jq -r '.version' plugins/{plugin-name}/.claude-plugin/plugin.json

Marketplace Version Bump

After modifying marketplace.json, bump the marketplace version:

Determine the bump type:

Change Type	Bump	Example
Description update, metadata fix	PATCH (0.0.x)	0.2.0 -> 0.2.1
New plugin registered	MINOR (0.x.0)	0.2.1 -> 0.3.0
Breaking structural change	MAJOR (x.0.0)	0.3.0 -> 1.0.0

Default to PATCH unless a new plugin is being added (MINOR) or the marketplace structure changes (MAJOR).

Edit the version field in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json:

{
  "version": "0.2.1"  // <-- bump this
}

Verify the bump:

jq -r '.version' .claude-plugin/marketplace.json

Step 6: Update Main README

Update the marketplace's main README.md:

1. Add row to the "Available Plugins" table
2. Add a section describing the plugin's features
3. Update the repository structure diagram if needed

Updating Documentation

When modifying plugins, keep documentation in sync:

After Adding/Removing Components

When adding or removing agents, commands, or skills:

1. Update the plugin's README.md to reflect changes
2. If significant, update the main marketplace README.md
3. Bump the plugin version following the procedure in Step 5: Version Bumps - Plugin Version Bump
4. If marketplace.json was also modified, bump the marketplace version following Step 5: Version Bumps - Marketplace Version Bump

Version Bump Guidelines

For detailed semver tables and verification commands, see Step 5: Version Bumps in the "Adding a New Plugin" workflow. Quick reference:

• Patch (0.0.x): Bug fixes, documentation updates
• Minor (0.x.0): New features, new agents/commands/skills
• Major (x.0.0): Breaking changes, major restructuring

Validation Checklist

Before committing marketplace changes, verify:

• Plugin directory name matches name in plugin.json
• All paths in marketplace.json are valid
• Plugin README documents all agents, commands, skills
• Main README table includes the plugin
• Main README structure diagram is current
• No duplicate plugin names in marketplace.json
• Plugin version bumped per Step 5: Version Bumps - Plugin Version Bump (if plugin.json was modified)
• Marketplace version bumped per Step 5: Version Bumps - Marketplace Version Bump (if marketplace.json was modified)

Common Tasks

Rename a Plugin

1. Rename the plugin directory
2. Update name in plugin.json
3. Update source path in marketplace.json
4. Update all README references
5. Update any cross-references in other plugins
6. Bump the plugin version in plugin.json (PATCH or MAJOR per the semver table in Step 5: Version Bumps - Plugin Version Bump)

Remove a Plugin

1. Remove entry from marketplace.json
2. Remove row from main README table
3. Remove section from main README
4. Update structure diagram
5. Delete the plugin directory
6. Bump the marketplace version in marketplace.json (PATCH per the semver table in Step 5: Version Bumps - Marketplace Version Bump)

Move a Skill Between Plugins

1. Copy skill directory to new plugin
2. Update source plugin's README
3. Update destination plugin's README
4. Delete skill from source plugin
5. Bump the plugin version in both source and destination plugin.json files (MINOR for the destination, PATCH for the source, per the semver table in Step 5: Version Bumps - Plugin Version Bump)

Resources

scripts/

• init_plugin.py - Initialize new plugin directory structure

references/

• plugin-structure.md - Detailed plugin directory structure reference
• plugin-readme-template.md - Template for plugin README files