Where Is the marketplace.json File in the Claude Plugins Community Repository?

The marketplace.json file that powers the community plugin marketplace lives in the hidden .claude-plugin directory at the root of the repository.

The marketplace.json file serves as the canonical source of truth for all community-published Claude plugins in the anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository. This JSON catalog is assembled nightly from individual plugin entries scattered across the repository, providing a centralized registry that the Claude CLI queries when users install community extensions.

Location of the marketplace.json File

The master marketplace.json file resides at a specific hidden path in the repository root:

• Path: .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
• Repository: anthropics/claude-plugins-community
• GitHub URL: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json

This file is maintained automatically and should not be manually edited directly. Instead, individual plugin directories contain their own metadata entries that the CI pipeline aggregates into this central file.

How the Marketplace Is Assembled

Rather than requiring direct edits to the central registry, the marketplace.json file is assembled nightly from individual plugin entries scattered across the repository. Each community plugin can provide its own JSON entry within its directory structure (for example, see the tres-finance-plugin directory).

The aggregation process combines these distributed entries into the canonical catalog at .claude-plugin/marketplace.json, ensuring the marketplace stays synchronized with the latest plugin contributions.

CI Validation and Schema Enforcement

The repository uses GitHub Actions to validate the marketplace configuration. The workflow defined in .github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml handles the assembly and verification process.

Key validation details include:

• The workflow accepts a marketplace-path input parameter that defaults to .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
• The validation script at .github/actions/validate-plugins/scripts/20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh enforces schema invariants
• Checks run automatically on contributions to ensure JSON validity and required fields

To run the validation manually from the repository root:

./.github/actions/validate-plugins/scripts/20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh .claude-plugin/marketplace.json

Accessing and Using the Marketplace Locally

You can inspect the marketplace.json file to view available plugins or verify entries during development.

View the catalog locally:

# Print the total number of plugins in the marketplace

cat .claude-plugin/marketplace.json | jq '.plugins | length'

# View formatted plugin entries

cat .claude-plugin/marketplace.json | jq '.'

Install a plugin via the Claude CLI:

# Install using the community repository reference

claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community

The CLI reads from the marketplace.json manifest to resolve plugin metadata, download URLs, and installation instructions.

Related Files

Several files work together to maintain the marketplace:

File	Role
.claude-plugin/marketplace.json	Master JSON catalog (auto-generated)
.github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml	CI workflow that assembles and validates the marketplace
.github/actions/validate-plugins/action.yml	Composite GitHub Action for validation logic
tres-finance-plugin/README.md	Example plugin showing local metadata structure

Summary

• The marketplace.json file is located at .claude-plugin/marketplace.json in the repository root.
• It serves as the canonical catalog for all community Claude plugins, assembled nightly from individual plugin entries.
• The CI workflow in .github/workflows/validate-plugins.yml validates the file using a default path parameter of .claude-plugin/marketplace.json.
• Use cat .claude-plugin/marketplace.json with jq to inspect plugin entries locally, or install plugins via claude plugin marketplace add.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of marketplace.json?

The marketplace.json file acts as the central registry for the Claude Plugins Community repository. It contains metadata for all published community plugins, enabling the Claude CLI to discover, validate, and install extensions automatically according to the schema defined in the source code.

Can I edit marketplace.json directly?

No. The file at .claude-plugin/marketplace.json is auto-generated and should not be modified manually. Individual plugins provide their own metadata entries in their respective directories, which the CI pipeline aggregates nightly into the central catalog.

How does the Claude CLI use marketplace.json?

When you run claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community, the CLI fetches and parses the marketplace.json file to resolve plugin names, versions, and installation sources. The JSON schema ensures consistent metadata across all community plugins.

What happens if marketplace.json fails validation?

If the validation script 20-validate-cli-marketplace.sh detects schema violations or missing required fields, the CI workflow blocks the pull request. This ensures that only properly formatted plugin metadata reaches the main branch and becomes available to users.

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