How to Add the Claude Plugins Community Marketplace to Claude Code

To add the Claude plugins community marketplace to Claude Code, run claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community to register the catalog, then install individual plugins using claude plugin install <name>@claude-community.

The anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository hosts a read-only marketplace of community-contributed plugins verified by Anthropic. When you add the Claude plugins community marketplace to Claude Code, you gain access to a curated catalog of AI-driven tools that extend Claude's capabilities through slash commands.

Understanding the Community Marketplace Architecture

The marketplace definition lives in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json at the repository root. This JSON manifest contains a top-level object defining the marketplace name (claude-community), an optional owner field, a renames map for handling historic naming changes, and a plugins array that describes each available tool.

Because the marketplace is read-only, you cannot push changes directly to the repository. All updates flow through Anthropic's internal review pipeline, where each plugin undergoes automated security scans before being listed. This ensures that when you add the Claude plugins community marketplace to Claude Code, you only install vetted, secure extensions.

Step-by-Step: Adding the Marketplace to Claude Code

Step 1: Register the Community Marketplace

To expose the catalog in your local environment, use the Claude CLI to register the marketplace:

claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community

When you execute this command, the CLI downloads the manifest from https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json, validates the schema, and stores the metadata locally under ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/claude-community.

Step 2: Install a Community Plugin

Once registered, you can install any plugin from the catalog using its name and the @claude-community scope. For example, to install the QuickDesign skill:

claude plugin install quickdesign@claude-community

The CLI clones the plugin source from the URL specified in the manifest's url field at the specific sha commit, extracts the skill definitions (typically from a SKILL.md file), and registers the skill with Claude Code.

Step 3: Verify Your Installation

Confirm that the plugin is ready for use by listing your installed plugins:

claude plugin list

You can also search the community catalog for specific keywords before installing:

claude plugin marketplace search security

How Plugin Installation Works Under the Hood

When you run claude plugin install <name>@claude-community, the system performs several operations to integrate the tool into your Claude Code environment. First, it references the plugins array in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json to locate the plugin's source repository and commit hash. The CLI then clones the repository, navigates to the specified sha, and parses the skill definition files.

Each plugin entry in the manifest includes critical metadata: the plugin name, description, source url, homepage for documentation, and the exact sha for version pinning. This architecture ensures reproducible installations and prevents supply-chain attacks by locking to verified commits.

Summary

• The Claude Plugins Community is a read-only marketplace hosted in anthropics/claude-plugins-community and defined in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json.
• To add the Claude plugins community marketplace to Claude Code, run claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community.
• Install specific plugins using the @claude-community scope: claude plugin install <name>@claude-community.
• The system stores marketplace metadata in ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/claude-community and validates all plugins against Anthropic's security pipeline.
• Plugins are cloned from their source URLs at pinned commits (sha) and register as slash commands in Claude Code.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the community marketplace configuration stored?

The marketplace configuration lives in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json within the anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository. When you add the marketplace to Claude Code, the CLI downloads this file and caches it locally under ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/claude-community.

Can I submit my own plugins to the community marketplace?

No, the marketplace is read-only to end users. All submissions must go through Anthropic's internal review pipeline, which includes automated security scans. You cannot push plugins directly to the repository; Anthropic verifies and updates the plugins array in marketplace.json after review.

What happens when I install a plugin with the @claude-community scope?

The CLI looks up the plugin name in the local copy of marketplace.json, clones the repository from the url field at the specified sha commit, extracts the skill definitions (usually SKILL.md), and registers the commands with Claude Code. The plugin then becomes available as a slash command (e.g., /quickdesign) within your Claude Code sessions.

How do I find available plugins in the community marketplace?

Use the search command claude plugin marketplace search <keyword> to query the catalog, or examine the .claude-plugin/marketplace.json file directly in the GitHub repository to view the full plugins array and their descriptions.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}