debug-plugins

Claude plugins fail to load due to agent scope issues, incorrect launch command flags, extraction problems, manifest errors, or invalid SKILL.md frontmatter. Diagnosing the load path involves inspecting container files and logs to verify configuration and extraction integrity.

To troubleshoot a missing Claude skill, inspect the running session's container to verify plugin zips and skill directories arrived correctly. Then confirm the launch configuration included the right account mount flags and check the SKILL.md frontmatter for validation errors.

Claude Code verifies plugin extraction and manifest integrity by inspecting container files and session logs. This process checks whether the extracted plugin package contents and the SKILL.md frontmatter are structurally valid and securely loaded without executing untrusted data.

Configuration changes fail to take effect when the launch command lacks the correct plugin directory and account mount flags. Verifying the agent scope and container contents ensures the newly installed plugin package is properly extracted and recognized by the loader.

Yes, debugging plugin loads requires inspecting package contents and logs while treating them as untrusted data. Security-aware debugging examines the extracted files and manifest configuration to identify errors without executing any potentially malicious code found during inspection.

The best way to distinguish a missing plugin from a manifest error is tracing the load path from the launch flags to the container. This inspection reveals whether the plugin zip failed to mount, did not extract, or arrived with invalid SKILL.md frontmatter.