Plugin Publisher#

Create, package, and publish Claude plugins that work across Claude Code, Cowork desktop, and OpenClaw — with correct Anthropic marketplace structure and GitHub integration.

Why This Matters#

Plugins that don't follow the exact Anthropic marketplace directory convention won't install correctly in Cowork. The marketplace system expects a specific layout — this skill encodes that layout so you never have to guess. It also generates OpenClaw compatibility automatically, so every plugin you create works in both ecosystems.

Quick Reference: What Goes Where#

text

marketplace-repo/                      ← GitHub repo (one per marketplace)
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── marketplace.json               ← Catalog listing all plugins in this marketplace
├── my-plugin/                         ← Plugin dir AT REPO ROOT (not nested!)
│   ├── .claude-plugin/
│   │   └── plugin.json                ← Plugin manifest
│   ├── skills/
│   │   └── skill-name/SKILL.md        ← Skills (triggered automatically)
│   ├── commands/
│   │   └── command-name.md            ← Slash commands (invoked explicitly)
│   ├── agents/
│   │   └── agent-name.md              ← Subagent definitions
│   ├── .mcp.json                      ← MCP server connections (optional)
│   ├── CONNECTORS.md                  ← Tool-agnostic placeholders (optional)
│   └── README.md
├── another-plugin/                    ← Additional plugins in same marketplace
│   └── ...
├── openclaw-install.sh                ← Generated OpenClaw deployer
└── README.md                          ← Marketplace-level documentation

Critical rule: Each plugin directory lives at the REPO ROOT, not nested under plugins/. The marketplace.json source path is "./my-plugin", never "./plugins/my-plugin". This matches how Anthropic's own knowledge-work-plugins marketplace works.

Read references/marketplace-structure.md for the complete format specification before creating any files.

Workflow#

Phase 1: Understand What We're Building#

Determine the scope through conversation:

1. What does this plugin do? — Get a clear description of the plugin's purpose.
2. What components does it need? — Skills, commands, agents, hooks, MCP servers?
3. Is this a new marketplace or adding to an existing one? — Check if the user already has a marketplace repo on GitHub.
4. Who's the audience? — Internal use only, or shared publicly? This affects whether to use ~~placeholder connectors.

If the user already has skills, agents, or workflows in this session or in files, offer to convert them directly rather than starting from scratch.

Phase 2: Scaffold the Plugin#

Create all files in a working directory, following this exact order:

2a. Plugin manifest

Write .claude-plugin/plugin.json:

json

{
  "name": "plugin-name",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "What it does in one sentence",
  "author": {
    "name": "Author Name",
    "url": "https://example.com"
  },
  "homepage": "https://github.com/owner/repo",
  "license": "MIT",
  "keywords": ["relevant", "keywords"]
}

Name rules: kebab-case, lowercase, hyphens only, no spaces.

2b. Skills

Each skill is a directory with a SKILL.md file. Skills trigger automatically when Claude detects a matching user request.

yaml

---
name: skill-name
description: >
  Third-person description with trigger phrases.
  "When the user asks to X, Y, or Z, use this skill."
---

Body: imperative instructions, under 3,000 words. Use references/ for detailed content.

2c. Commands

Each command is a .md file with optional YAML frontmatter. Commands are invoked explicitly by the user (e.g., /plugin-name:command).

yaml

---
description: Short description (under 60 chars)
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash, WebSearch
argument-hint: [concept-description]
---

Body: directives FOR Claude to follow. Use $ARGUMENTS for user input.

2d. Agents

Each agent is a .md file with YAML frontmatter. Agents are subagent definitions that run in isolated context windows.

yaml

---
name: agent-name
description: When to use this agent, with <example> blocks
model: sonnet
allowed-tools: Read Write WebSearch WebFetch
---

Body: system prompt for the subagent.

2e. MCP Servers (if needed)

Write .mcp.json at plugin root. Use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} for local paths. Use ${ENV_VAR} for secrets. Document required env vars in README.

2f. CONNECTORS.md (if sharing externally)

Only create this if the plugin references external tools by category ( ~~chat, ~~project tracker).

2g. README.md

Write a plugin-level README covering: overview, components, setup, usage.

Phase 3: Create the Marketplace Wrapper#

Wrap the plugin in a marketplace structure. Read references/marketplace-structure.md for the exact marketplace.json format.

Write .claude-plugin/marketplace.json at the repo root:

json

{
  "name": "marketplace-name",
  "owner": { "name": "Owner Name", "email": "email@example.com" },
  "metadata": { "description": "What this marketplace offers", "version": "1.0.0" },
  "plugins": [
    {
      "name": "plugin-name",
      "source": "./plugin-name",
      "description": "Plugin description",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "author": { "name": "Author Name" },
      "homepage": "https://github.com/owner/repo",
      "license": "MIT",
      "keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2"],
      "category": "category-name",
      "tags": ["tag1", "tag2"]
    }
  ]
}

Write a marketplace-level README.md covering:

• What plugins are available
• Install instructions for Cowork, Claude Code, and OpenClaw
• Repo structure diagram
• How the plugin works (architecture overview)

Phase 4: Generate OpenClaw Compatibility#

Every plugin gets an openclaw-install.sh at the repo root. Read references/openclaw-template.md for the template and adaptation rules.

The script translates the Claude plugin structure into an OpenClaw agent workspace:

• Skills → skills/ directory
• Agents → agent prompts inside skills/[methodology]/agents/
• Commands → incorporated into AGENTS.md operating instructions
• SOUL.md → personality, boundaries, tone (derived from plugin description)
• AGENTS.md → operating instructions, pipeline logic
• MEMORY.md → continuity structure

Key adaptation: OpenClaw runs everything in a single context window. Agent prompts that assume independent subagent execution need a "mental isolation" discipline section.

Phase 5: Push to GitHub#

Check if a repo already exists or create a new one:

If the user has gh CLI available (Claude Code / local terminal):

bash

# Create new repo
gh repo create owner/repo-name --public --description "Description" --clone
cd repo-name

# ... copy all files ...

git add -A
git commit -m "Initial release: plugin-name marketplace v1.0.0"
git push origin main

If in Cowork (no git access):

Prepare all files in the outputs directory and generate a PowerShell script the user can run locally. The script should:

1. Clone or create the repo
2. Copy/restructure files
3. Commit with a descriptive message
4. Stop before pushing (let user review)
5. Print the git push command to run

Always detect the user's OS (check for Windows paths, PowerShell indicators) and generate the appropriate script format ( .ps1 for Windows, .sh for Mac/Linux).

If adding to an existing marketplace repo:

1. Clone the existing repo
2. Add the new plugin directory at root level
3. Update marketplace.json to add the new plugin entry
4. Update the marketplace README
5. Commit and push

Phase 6: Package as .plugin File#

Create a .plugin file (a zip) for direct Cowork installation:

bash

cd /path/to/plugin-dir
zip -r /tmp/plugin-name.plugin . -x "*.DS_Store"
cp /tmp/plugin-name.plugin /path/to/outputs/

Always create the zip in /tmp/ first, then copy to outputs. The .plugin file renders as an interactive card in Cowork where the user can browse files and install with one click.

Phase 7: Present Everything#

Deliver to the user:

1. The .plugin file for immediate Cowork installation
2. The push script (if in Cowork) or confirmation that the repo is pushed (if in Claude Code)
3. Install instructions for all three platforms:
   • Cowork: drag the .plugin file, or /plugin marketplace add owner/repo
   • Claude Code: /plugin marketplace add owner/repo then /plugin install name@marketplace
   • OpenClaw: git clone + bash openclaw-install.sh

Adding a Plugin to an Existing Marketplace#

When the user already has a marketplace repo and wants to add a new plugin:

1. Clone the existing repo
2. Create the new plugin directory at root level
3. Add the plugin entry to the existing marketplace.json plugins array
4. Generate/update the OpenClaw install script to handle the new plugin
5. Update the marketplace README with the new plugin
6. Commit, push, and package

Converting Existing Work to a Plugin#

When the user says "turn this into a plugin" or has skills/agents/workflows already built:

1. Identify all components in the current session or provided files
2. Map them to plugin component types (skills → skills/, agents → agents/, etc.)
3. Ensure frontmatter follows the correct schema (read references/marketplace-structure.md)
4. Wrap in marketplace structure
5. Proceed with Phase 5-7

Updating an Existing Plugin#

When the user wants to update a published plugin:

1. Clone the marketplace repo
2. Make the changes to the plugin files
3. Bump the version in both plugin.json and marketplace.json
4. Commit with a descriptive message noting the changes
5. Push and re-package the .plugin file

Validation Checklist#

Before declaring done, verify:

• plugin.json has name field (kebab-case)
• marketplace.json has correct source path ( "./plugin-name", not nested)
• Plugin directory is at repo root, not under plugins/
• All skills have name and description in frontmatter
• All agents have name, description, and model in frontmatter
• All commands have description in frontmatter
• README exists at both marketplace and plugin level
• OpenClaw install script references correct paths
• .plugin file contains all expected files
• No hardcoded absolute paths (use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} for intra-plugin refs)