# How the Claude‑Plugins‑Community Repository Is Synced: Nightly Automation Explained > Discover how the claude-plugins-community repository syncs nightly. Learn about the automation that mirrors approved plugins from Anthropic's internal pipeline for an exact copy. - Repository: [Anthropic/claude-plugins-community](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community) - Tags: internals - Published: 2026-08-28 --- **The claude‑plugins‑community repository is synchronized through a nightly automation job that pulls the latest approved plugins from Anthropic’s internal review pipeline and overwrites the public mirror’s files to maintain an exact copy.** The claude‑plugins‑community repository serves as the public gateway to Anthropic’s official community plugin marketplace. Understanding how this repository stays current is essential for developers who rely on the latest plugin versions or wish to integrate community tools into their Claude Code workflows. Unlike typical open‑source projects, this repository operates as a **read‑only mirror**, with all changes flowing unidirectionally from an internal source. ## The Nightly Synchronization Pipeline A dedicated internal CI job executes every night to refresh the repository’s contents. This automation pulls the definitive list of approved community plugins from Anthropic’s internal review pipeline and regenerates the necessary configuration files. According to the source code in [`README.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/README.md) (line 7), the [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) file is completely regenerated during this process, ensuring it always reflects the current state of the internal marketplace. The job overwrites existing files without manual intervention, guaranteeing the public mirror remains in lock‑step with the internal source of truth. ## Why the Repository Is Read‑Only External contributors cannot directly modify files in this repository. As documented in [`README.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/README.md) (line 26), any pull request opened directly against the claude‑plugins‑community repository is automatically closed because the synchronization process is strictly one‑directional. This restriction ensures data integrity; since the nightly automation overwrites the entire repository, manual changes would be destroyed in the next sync cycle. All community contributions must instead flow through Anthropic’s internal review pipeline, which then propagates to the public mirror during the next scheduled update. ## The marketplace.json Source File The file [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) acts as the single source of truth for the community plugin catalog. Located in the `.claude-plugin/` directory, this JSON file contains the full list of available plugins, their metadata, and installation directives. When the nightly CI job runs, it replaces this file entirely with a fresh export from the internal pipeline. Claude Code relies on this specific file to resolve plugin names and versions when users execute installation commands. ## Installing Plugins from the Synced Marketplace Because the repository syncs nightly, users always access the most recently approved plugins by referencing the claude‑plugins‑community marketplace. The following commands demonstrate how to interact with this synchronized catalog: ```bash # Install the community marketplace in Claude Code claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community ``` ```bash # Install a specific plugin from the synced marketplace claude plugin install @claude-community ``` These commands query the nightly‑synced [`marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/marketplace.json) to locate and resolve the requested plugin assets. ## Summary - The claude‑plugins‑community repository is a **read‑only mirror** maintained by an internal Anthropic CI pipeline. - A **nightly automation job** regenerates the entire repository, specifically overwriting [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) with the latest approved plugin list. - Direct contributions via pull requests are **automatically closed**; all changes must originate from the internal review pipeline. - Users reference the synchronized [`marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/marketplace.json) file when installing plugins via `claude plugin install`. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How often is the claude‑plugins‑community repository updated? The repository synchronizes **once per day** through an automated nightly job. This schedule ensures the public mirror reflects the internal review pipeline’s state from the previous day without requiring manual intervention. ### Can I submit a pull request to add my plugin to the repository? No. The repository is **read‑only** to external contributors, and any pull request opened directly against it will be automatically closed. To add a plugin, you must submit it through Anthropic’s internal community plugin review pipeline, which will then propagate to the public mirror during the next nightly sync. ### What file contains the list of available community plugins? The definitive list resides in [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json). This file is completely regenerated each night by the synchronization automation and serves as the source of truth that Claude Code queries when resolving plugin installations from the claude‑plugins‑community marketplace. ### What happens if the nightly synchronization fails? While the source analysis does not specify failure handling procedures, the design implies that the repository would retain its last successfully synced state until the next successful automation run. Users would continue to access the most recent valid [`marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/marketplace.json) from the previous successful synchronization.