create-plugin

Scaffolding a Claude Code plugin creates a directory structure with a required plugin.json manifest file and optional component folders. Use the create-plugin tool to generate the skeleton, which sets up standardized paths and populates the manifest with required fields, readying your plugin for development.

The plugin.json manifest contains required metadata defining your plugin's identity, entry points, and capabilities. The scaffolding tool populates this file with required fields and structure, and you can extend it with optional sections for commands, agents, skills, hooks, and scripts to integrate your plugin into Claude Code.

Yes. The plugin scaffold includes optional component directories for commands, agents, skills, hooks, and scripts. After initial scaffolding, you populate these directories with your plugin's logic, and the plugin.json manifest references them for Claude Code to load and execute.

A valid plugin requires a .claude-plugin directory containing plugin.json at its root. The scaffold creates this standard structure along with optional subdirectories for components like commands, agents, and skills, ensuring your plugin meets Claude Code's integration requirements.

Plugin-level integration with Claude Code can include salt and MCP (Model Context Protocol) configurations for advanced functionality. The scaffolding tool provides guidance on these optional settings, which you configure in plugin.json or related files depending on your plugin's integration scope.

Use the create-plugin scaffolding tool to bootstrap your plugin structure immediately. It generates the .claude-plugin directory, plugin.json manifest with required fields, and component directories in one step, eliminating manual setup so you focus on plugin logic.