Use Plugins
Claude Code plugins are custom collections of extension points that can be installed with a single command. They allow you to bundle and share development workflows, tools, and best practices.
💡 Plugins work across both terminal and VS Code environments, making them a portable way to customize your Claude Code experience.
What are Plugins?​
Plugins can include five main types of customizations:
- Slash commands - Custom shortcuts for frequently-used operations
- Subagents - Purpose-built agents for specialized development tasks
- Skills - Model-invoked capabilities that Claude autonomously triggers based on context
- MCP servers - Connections to tools and data sources through the Model Context Protocol
- Hooks - Customizations to Claude Code's behavior at key workflow points
Installing Plugins​
Use the /plugin command to install a plugin:
/plugin install <plugin-name-or-url>
Plugins can be toggled on and off as needed, helping reduce system prompt complexity when not in use.
Benefits​
- Share development setups - Distribute your workflows across projects
- Standardize team practices - Ensure consistent approaches across your team
- Quick tool integration - Connect tools and data sources easily
- Enforce standards - Maintain engineering best practices automatically
- Bundle customizations - Group related configurations together
Examples​
| Plugin Type | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Official Plugins | Maintained by the Claude Code team with best practices and common patterns for building your own plugins | anthropics/claude-code/plugins |
| Handbook Plugins | Practical examples implementing the principles described in this handbook | Claude Code Handbook Plugins |
Learn More​
For detailed information about creating and using plugins, see the official announcement.
Related Topics​
- Use Agent Skills - Learn about model-invoked Skills that extend Claude's capabilities