# How to Test Claude Plugins Locally Before Submitting to the Marketplace > Learn how to test Claude plugins locally before submitting to the marketplace. Run `claude plugin validate` and execute three essential validation scripts for a smooth submission process. - Repository: [Anthropic/claude-plugins-community](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-09-13 --- **You can test Claude plugins locally by running `claude plugin validate` against your manifest and executing the three validation scripts ([`20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh), [`30-validate-cli-external.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/30-validate-cli-external.sh), and [`40-validate-cli-local.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/40-validate-cli-local.sh)) that mirror the CI pipeline.** Before submitting a pull request to the `anthropics/claude-plugins-community` repository, you must verify that your plugin passes the same schema checks and marketplace validations run by GitHub Actions. Running these checks locally prevents rejected submissions by catching missing required fields, schema violations, and file path errors before you ever open a PR. ## Install the Claude CLI The validation workflow depends on the **Claude CLI** providing the `claude plugin validate` command. Install it globally via npm: ```bash npm install -g @anthropic/claude-cli claude --version ``` Once installed, the CLI can validate individual plugin manifests, the aggregate marketplace file, and external plugin references. ## Understand the Validation Pipeline The repository uses three sequential bash scripts located in `.github/actions/validate-plugins/scripts/` to replicate the CI environment locally. Each script targets a specific validation layer: - **Marketplace validation** – verifies the root [`marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/marketplace.json) aggregate file - **External validation** – clones and checks plugins hosted in external repositories - **Local validation** – discovers and tests in-repo plugins that have changed Running all three ensures your changes will pass the [`.github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml) workflow that executes on every PR. ## Validate the Marketplace Configuration Run the marketplace validation script from the repository root to check that [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) is syntactically correct and internally consistent: ```bash bash .github/actions/validate-plugins/scripts/20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh ``` This script executes `claude plugin validate marketplace.json`. If you added a new plugin, ensure the marketplace file includes an entry with the correct `path` field pointing to your plugin's manifest directory. Failures here indicate the aggregate marketplace is out-of-date or contains broken references. ## Validate External Plugin References If your PR adds or modifies entries for plugins hosted outside this repository, run the external validation script: ```bash bash .github/actions/validate-plugins/scripts/30-validate-cli-external.sh ``` The script clones each external repository at the pinned SHA specified in the marketplace configuration, then runs `claude plugin validate` against the cloned [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json). This ensures that third-party plugins remain valid at the exact commit referenced by the community marketplace. ## Validate Local Plugins The most common validation step for contributors checks plugins stored directly in this repository: ```bash bash .github/actions/validate-plugins/scripts/40-validate-cli-local.sh ``` This script identifies every folder containing a [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json) file that changed in your branch, then executes: ```bash claude plugin validate /.claude-plugin/plugin.json ``` The CLI returns **PASS**, **WARN**, or **FAIL** with line-specific details about schema violations or missing auxiliary files like `icon.svg` or `.version`. ## Run Direct CLI Validation for Quick Checks For rapid iteration on a single plugin without running the full script suite, invoke the CLI directly: ```bash claude plugin validate quickdesign/.claude-plugin/plugin.json ``` Replace `quickdesign` with your plugin's directory name. This command validates the manifest schema, checks for required assets, and verifies field types immediately. ## Fix Common Validation Errors When the scripts report failures, address these specific issues before resubmitting: - **Schema violations** – Edit [`plugin.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/plugin.json) to include all required fields (name, version, skills/agents definitions) and correct data types - **Missing auxiliary files** – Ensure `icon.svg` and `.version` files exist in the `.claude-plugin` directory if your plugin type requires them - **Marketplace inconsistencies** – Update [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) to include new plugin entries with accurate relative paths Re-run the validation scripts iteratively until all steps exit with "OK" or "PASS". ## Summary - Install the `@anthropic/claude-cli` package globally to access the `claude plugin validate` command - Execute [`20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh) to verify the aggregate marketplace file at [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) - Run [`30-validate-cli-external.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/30-validate-cli-external.sh) to validate third-party plugins at pinned SHAs - Use [`40-validate-cli-local.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/40-validate-cli-local.sh) to test in-repository plugins that have changed in your branch - Fix schema errors and missing file warnings before opening a PR to ensure the [`.github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml) CI passes immediately ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What files does the Claude CLI check during validation? The CLI validates the [`plugin.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/plugin.json) manifest structure against the official schema, verifying required fields like `name`, `version`, and skill definitions. It also checks for auxiliary assets such as `icon.svg` and `.version` files when specified by the plugin type. According to the `anthropics/claude-plugins-community` source code, these checks mirror the schema enforcement performed by GitHub Actions in [`.github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml). ### Can I validate a plugin that is not yet added to the marketplace? Yes. Run `claude plugin validate /.claude-plugin/plugin.json` directly against the manifest file. This works independently of the marketplace aggregator, allowing you to perfect the plugin configuration before updating [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) and running the full [`20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh) script. ### Why does the external validation script clone repositories at specific SHAs? The [`30-validate-cli-external.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/30-validate-cli-external.sh) script clones external repositories at the exact commit SHA pinned in [`marketplace.json`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/marketplace.json) to guarantee reproducible builds. This prevents validation failures caused by upstream changes in third-party plugins after the marketplace entry was created, ensuring the community marketplace only references verified, immutable plugin states. ### Do I need to run all three validation scripts for every change? No. If you are only modifying a local in-repo plugin, running [`40-validate-cli-local.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/40-validate-cli-local.sh) is sufficient. Run [`20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh) only when you add new plugins or modify marketplace metadata, and execute [`30-validate-cli-external.sh`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/30-validate-cli-external.sh) exclusively when updating external plugin references. However, running the complete suite before submission guarantees your PR passes the CI workflow without additional iterations.