What Information Does marketplace.json Contain for Each Claude Code Plugin?

The marketplace.json file in the anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository defines exactly four metadata fields for every plugin: the required name, description, and url, plus an optional homepage, while deliberately omitting license, author, and tags fields.

The marketplace.json manifest serves as the central registry for the Claude Code plugin ecosystem. Located at .claude-plugin/marketplace.json in the anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository, this JSON file catalogs every available extension with a concise schema that enables the marketplace to display, search, and install plugins. Understanding the exact structure of this file is essential for developers publishing plugins or integrating with the Claude Code marketplace.

Required Plugin Metadata Fields

name

The name field provides the unique identifier for the plugin. In .claude-plugin/marketplace.json, this appears as a JSON string value assigned to the key "name", such as the entry at line 428 defining "agentPowers". This string becomes the handle used when installing plugins via the /plugin install command and must be unique across the entire marketplace.

description

The description field contains a concise, human-readable summary of the plugin's purpose and major capabilities. This text populates the marketplace listing interface and helps users understand functionality before installation, typically appearing directly beneath the name key in the JSON object.

url

The url field specifies the canonical GitHub repository location using the owner/repo format. This path directs the marketplace to the exact source location for cloning and validation, serving as the single source of truth for the plugin's codebase.

Optional Plugin Metadata

homepage

The homepage field is optional and provides a user-friendly URL to external documentation, project pages, or demonstration sites. Unlike the url field which points to the raw repository, this link typically leads to marketing sites, detailed READMEs, or interactive demos that enhance discoverability.

Fields Absent from the Manifest

Source code analysis of .claude-plugin/marketplace.json reveals that the manifest intentionally excludes several common package registry fields. Searches for license, author, and tags return no matches within the file, confirming the Claude Code marketplace does not track licensing information, individual author attribution, or categorical tags at the metadata level. Plugin publishers must convey this information through the source repository itself or the description field instead.

Example Plugin Entry Structure

A complete entry in marketplace.json follows this structure:

{
  "name": "agentPowers",
  "description": "AgentPowers is a marketplace plugin that lets you search, browse, purchase, install, and manage premium AI skills and agents directly inside Claude Code...",
  "url": "barnburner121/claude-plugin-marketplace",
  "homepage": "https://github.com/barnburner121/claude-plugin-marketplace"
}

Summary

• The marketplace.json file contains exactly four fields per plugin: name, description, url, and optionally homepage.
• Three required fields (name, description, url) provide the minimum metadata needed for installation and display.
• No license, author, or tags are stored in the manifest; these must be handled within the source repository.
• The file path is .claude-plugin/marketplace.json at the root of the anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does marketplace.json include license information?

No, the file contains no license metadata. According to source code analysis of the anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository, searches for the license pattern in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json return zero matches. Consumers must check the source repository specified in the url field directly for licensing terms.

Are tags supported in the Claude Code plugin manifest?

No, tags are not supported. The manifest schema excludes categorical tagging, as confirmed by zero matches for "tags" in the source file. Discovery and categorization rely entirely on the name and description fields instead.

What is the difference between the url and homepage fields?

The url field specifies the GitHub repository in owner/repo format and is used by the marketplace to clone the source code. The homepage field is optional and points to a user-friendly documentation or marketing site separate from the repository interface.

Is author metadata required for Claude Code plugins?

No, author attribution is not stored in marketplace.json. The file lacks an author field entirely, so attribution is inferred from the repository owner specified in the mandatory url field.

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