plugin-forge
Scannednpx machina-cli add skill softaworks/agent-toolkit/plugin-forge --openclawCC Plugin Forge
Purpose
Build and manage Claude Code plugins with correct structure, manifests, and marketplace integration. Includes workflows, automation scripts, and reference docs.
When to Use
- Creating new plugins for a marketplace
- Adding/modifying plugin components (commands, skills, agents, hooks)
- Updating plugin versions
- Working with plugin or marketplace manifests
- Setting up local plugin testing
- Publishing plugins
Getting Started
Create New Plugin
Use create_plugin.py to generate plugin structure:
python scripts/create_plugin.py plugin-name \
--marketplace-root /path/to/marketplace \
--author-name "Your Name" \
--author-email "your.email@example.com" \
--description "Plugin description" \
--keywords "keyword1,keyword2" \
--category "productivity"
This automatically:
- Creates plugin directory structure
- Generates
plugin.jsonmanifest - Creates README template
- Updates
marketplace.json
Bump Version
Use bump_version.py to update versions in both manifests:
python scripts/bump_version.py plugin-name major|minor|patch \
--marketplace-root /path/to/marketplace
Semantic versioning:
- major: Breaking changes (1.0.0 → 2.0.0)
- minor: New features, refactoring (1.0.0 → 1.1.0)
- patch: Bug fixes, docs (1.0.0 → 1.0.1)
Development Workflow
1. Create Structure
Manual approach (if not using script):
mkdir -p plugins/plugin-name/.claude-plugin
mkdir -p plugins/plugin-name/commands
mkdir -p plugins/plugin-name/skills
2. Plugin Manifest
File: plugins/plugin-name/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
{
"name": "plugin-name",
"version": "0.1.0",
"description": "Plugin description",
"author": {
"name": "Your Name",
"email": "your.email@example.com"
},
"keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2"]
}
3. Register in Marketplace
Update .claude-plugin/marketplace.json:
{
"name": "plugin-name",
"source": "./plugins/plugin-name",
"description": "Plugin description",
"version": "0.1.0",
"keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2"],
"category": "productivity"
}
4. Add Components
Create in respective directories:
| Component | Location | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Commands | commands/ | Markdown with frontmatter |
| Skills | skills/<name>/ | Directory with SKILL.md |
| Agents | agents/ | Markdown definitions |
| Hooks | hooks/hooks.json | Event handlers |
| MCP Servers | .mcp.json | External integrations |
5. Local Testing
# Add marketplace
/plugin marketplace add /path/to/marketplace-root
# Install plugin
/plugin install plugin-name@marketplace-name
# After changes: reinstall
/plugin uninstall plugin-name@marketplace-name
/plugin install plugin-name@marketplace-name
Plugin Patterns
Framework Plugin
For framework-specific guidance (React, Vue, etc.):
plugins/framework-name/
├── .claude-plugin/plugin.json
├── skills/
│ └── framework-name/
│ ├── SKILL.md
│ └── references/
├── commands/
│ └── prime/
│ ├── components.md
│ └── framework.md
└── README.md
Utility Plugin
For tools and commands:
plugins/utility-name/
├── .claude-plugin/plugin.json
├── commands/
│ ├── action1.md
│ └── action2.md
└── README.md
Domain Plugin
For domain-specific knowledge:
plugins/domain-name/
├── .claude-plugin/plugin.json
├── skills/
│ └── domain-name/
│ ├── SKILL.md
│ ├── references/
│ └── scripts/
└── README.md
Command Naming
Subdirectory-based namespacing with : separator:
commands/namespace/command.md→/namespace:commandcommands/simple.md→/simple
Examples:
commands/prime/vue.md→/prime:vuecommands/docs/generate.md→/docs:generate
Version Management
Important: Update version in BOTH locations:
plugins/<name>/.claude-plugin/plugin.json.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
Use bump_version.py to automate.
Git Commits
Use conventional commits:
git commit -m "feat: add new plugin"
git commit -m "fix: correct plugin manifest"
git commit -m "docs: update plugin README"
git commit -m "feat!: breaking change"
Reference Docs
Detailed documentation included:
| Reference | Content |
|---|---|
references/plugin-structure.md | Directory structure, manifest schema, components |
references/marketplace-schema.md | Marketplace format, plugin entries, distribution |
references/workflows.md | Step-by-step workflows, patterns, publishing |
Scripts
| Script | Purpose |
|---|---|
scripts/create_plugin.py | Scaffold new plugin |
scripts/bump_version.py | Update versions |
Source
git clone https://github.com/softaworks/agent-toolkit/blob/main/skills/plugin-forge/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
CC Plugin Forge provides tooling to build, structure, and publish Claude Code plugins with correct manifests and marketplace integration. It covers scaffolding, component wiring (commands, skills, agents, hooks), version bumps, and local testing.
How This Skill Works
Start with create_plugin.py to scaffold the plugin folder, manifest (plugin.json), and marketplace.json. Use bump_version.py to bump semantic versions across manifests (major, minor, patch). Then organize components under commands/, skills/, agents/, hooks/ and test locally before publishing.
When to Use It
- Creating new plugins for a marketplace
- Adding/modifying plugin components (commands, skills, agents, hooks)
- Updating plugin versions
- Working with plugin or marketplace manifests
- Setting up local plugin testing
Quick Start
- Step 1: Run the scaffold to create the plugin structure using the create_plugin.py script
- Step 2: Populate components (commands, skills, agents, hooks) and update plugin.json / marketplace.json
- Step 3: Bump the version with bump_version.py, test locally, then publish
Best Practices
- Define clear plugin.json metadata with accurate keywords
- Keep plugin.json and marketplace.json in sync
- Follow semantic versioning when bumping versions (major/minor/patch)
- Organize components in their respective directories and document usage
- Test locally with the marketplace tooling before publishing
Example Use Cases
- Creating a new marketplace plugin named notes-manager using the scaffold and publishing it
- Adding a new command under commands/ to perform a daily task
- Bumping version from 0.2.1 to 0.3.0 after a feature release
- Updating plugin.json and marketplace.json to reflect new keywords and description
- Testing locally by registering a marketplace and reinstalling after changes