plugin-structure

Claude Code plugin auto-discovery relies on a standard directory layout where components like commands, agents, skills, and hooks are organized predictably to ensure the system loads them automatically without manual configuration.

The plugin.json manifest is a configuration file located in the .claude-plugin directory that drives predictable loading and maintainability by defining essential metadata and settings for Claude Code plugins.

You use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} in your path references to create safe, portable links within your plugin, allowing it to dynamically resolve directory paths regardless of where the plugin is actually installed.

Naming conventions for Claude Code plugin components follow maintainability best practices that ensure commands, agents, skills, and hooks are labeled predictably to avoid loading conflicts and ensure predictable auto-discovery.

Yes, you can refactor an existing Claude Code plugin to use a manifest-driven structure by reorganizing components into the standard directory layout and centralizing configuration settings within the .claude-plugin/plugin.json file.

If your Claude Code plugin component fails to load during auto-discovery, check that its placement matches the standard directory layout, verify the plugin.json manifest fields are correctly configured, and ensure your naming conventions prevent conflicts.