Plugin directory structure

Standard plugin layout

A complete plugin follows this structure:

enterprise-plugin/
├── .claude-plugin/           # Metadata directory (optional)
│   └── plugin.json             # plugin manifest
├── skills/                   # Skills
│   ├── code-reviewer/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   └── pdf-processor/
│       ├── SKILL.md
│       └── scripts/
├── commands/                 # Skills as flat .md files
│   ├── status.md
│   └── logs.md
├── agents/                   # Subagent definitions
│   ├── security-reviewer.md
│   ├── performance-tester.md
│   └── compliance-checker.md
├── workflows/                # Workflow scripts
│   └── release-audit.js
├── output-styles/            # Output style definitions
│   └── terse.md
├── themes/                   # Color theme definitions
│   └── dracula.json
├── monitors/                 # Background monitor configurations
│   └── monitors.json
├── hooks/                    # Hook configurations
│   ├── hooks.json           # Main hook config
│   └── security-hooks.json  # Additional hooks
├── bin/                      # Plugin executables added to PATH
│   └── my-tool               # Invokable as bare command in Bash tool
├── settings.json            # Default settings for the plugin
├── .mcp.json                # MCP server definitions
├── .lsp.json                # LSP server configurations
├── scripts/                 # Hook and utility scripts
│   ├── security-scan.sh
│   ├── format-code.py
│   └── deploy.js
├── LICENSE                  # License file
└── CHANGELOG.md             # Version history

The .claude-plugin/ directory contains the plugin.json file. All other directories (commands/, agents/, skills/, workflows/, output-styles/, themes/, monitors/, hooks/) must be at the plugin root, not inside .claude-plugin/.

A CLAUDE.md file at the plugin root is not loaded as project context. Plugins contribute context through skills, agents, and hooks rather than CLAUDE.md. To ship instructions that load into Claude's context, put them in a skill.

File locations reference

Component	Default Location	Purpose
Manifest	.claude-plugin/plugin.json	Plugin metadata and configuration (optional)
Skills	skills/	Skills with <name>/SKILL.md structure
Commands	commands/	Skills as flat Markdown files. Use skills/ for new plugins
Agents	agents/	Subagent Markdown files
Workflows	workflows/	Workflow script files
Output styles	output-styles/	Output style definitions
Themes	themes/	Color theme definitions
Hooks	hooks/hooks.json	Hook configuration
MCP servers	.mcp.json	MCP server definitions
LSP servers	.lsp.json	Language server configurations
Monitors	monitors/monitors.json	Background monitor configurations
Executables	bin/	Executables added to the Bash tool's PATH and invokable as bare commands while the plugin is enabled. You can't include this directory in a plugin you distribute through claude.ai organization settings
Settings	settings.json	Default configuration applied when the plugin is enabled. Only the agent and subagentStatusLine keys are supported

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