How to Install Plugins for Claude Cowork and Claude Code: The Complete Guide

You can install plugins for Claude Cowork and Claude Code by adding the anthropics/claude-plugins-community marketplace and selecting your desired plugin via the UI or CLI.

The anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository hosts the official community-maintained plugin marketplace for both Claude Cowork and Claude Code. This centralized marketplace, defined in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json, contains curated plugins that extend Claude's capabilities with additional skills and MCP (Model Context Protocol) integrations.

Installing Plugins in Claude Cowork

Claude Cowork provides a graphical interface for managing plugins through the settings panel. The UI interacts with the marketplace manifest to fetch plugin metadata and handle asset downloads.

Step-by-Step UI Installation

1. Open the Plugins settings page in Claude Cowork.
2. Click Add Marketplace and enter the identifier anthropics/claude-plugins-community.
3. Search for the desired plugin by name.
4. Click Install to download and activate the plugin.

When you install via the UI, Claude Cowork downloads the plugin's assets—including skill files and MCP definitions—and stores them under ~/.claude/skills/<plugin-name>/. The system reads the source block from the marketplace manifest to locate the correct GitHub repository and commit SHA.

Installing Plugins in Claude Code

Claude Code exposes a command-line interface that allows you to manage plugins programmatically. The CLI provides granular control over marketplace registration and plugin installation.

Adding the Community Marketplace

Before installing individual plugins, you must register the community marketplace with the Claude Code CLI:

claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community

This command registers the manifest URL in the client configuration, allowing the CLI to resolve plugin locations from .claude-plugin/marketplace.json.

Installing Specific Plugins

Once the marketplace is added, install any listed plugin using the following syntax:

claude plugin install <plugin-name>@claude-community

For example, to install the "quickdesign" plugin:

claude plugin install quickdesign@claude-community

The CLI clones the exact commit (sha) specified in the manifest's source block and places the plugin files in ~/.claude/plugins/. It then registers any MCP hooks defined in the plugin configuration, enabling auto-activation in subsequent sessions.

Verifying Installation

Confirm successful installation by listing all active plugins:

claude plugin list

This command displays installed plugins along with their versions and activation status.

Plugin Architecture and File Locations

Understanding how the marketplace organizes plugins ensures you can troubleshoot installation issues and locate plugin assets.

The Marketplace Manifest

The central source of truth resides in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json. This JSON file lists every community plugin with fields for name, description, and a source object containing:

• The plugin's GitHub repository URL
• The specific commit SHA for version pinning
• Rename mappings if applicable

The manifest syncs nightly from Anthropic's internal review pipeline, ensuring only vetted plugins appear in the marketplace.

Installation Directory Structure

Both installation methods ultimately expose the same plugin assets to Claude, though they use different storage locations:

• Claude Cowork: ~/.claude/skills/<plugin-name>/
• Claude Code: ~/.claude/plugins/

Regardless of the entry point, the model can access the plugin's commands and skills during active sessions.

Summary

• Add the community marketplace using identifier anthropics/claude-plugins-community in either the Claude Cowork UI or via claude plugin marketplace add in the CLI.
• Install plugins via the Cowork settings panel or using claude plugin install <name>@claude-community.
• The marketplace manifest at .claude-plugin/marketplace.json defines available plugins, their descriptions, and source repositories with pinned commit SHAs.
• Cowork stores plugins in ~/.claude/skills/, while Claude Code uses ~/.claude/plugins/.
• Both methods register MCP hooks automatically, enabling immediate plugin activation in Claude sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exact marketplace identifier for the Claude community plugins?

The marketplace identifier is anthropics/claude-plugins-community. You must enter this exact string when adding the marketplace in Claude Cowork's UI or when running claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community in the CLI.

Where does Claude store installed plugin files?

Claude Cowork stores plugin assets in ~/.claude/skills/<plugin-name>/, while Claude Code places them in ~/.claude/plugins/. Both directories contain the skill files, MCP definitions, and configuration required for the plugin to function.

Can I use the same plugin in both Claude Cowork and Claude Code?

Yes. Both applications read from the same anthropics/claude-plugins-community marketplace defined in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json. While the installation paths differ—Cowork using the UI and Code using the CLI—the underlying plugin assets and version pinning (via commit SHA) remain identical.

How does the CLI know which version of a plugin to install?

The CLI references the source block within the marketplace manifest, which specifies the exact GitHub repository and commit SHA. When you run claude plugin install, the system clones that specific commit rather than the latest branch, ensuring reproducible installations across environments.

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