Why Direct Pull Requests Are Auto-Closed and How to Submit Plugins Correctly to Claude Plugins Community

Direct pull requests to the anthropics/claude-plugins-community repository are auto-closed because it is a read-only mirror synchronized nightly from Anthropic's internal review pipeline; contributors must use the official submission portal at clau.de/plugin-directory-submission instead.

The claude-plugins-community GitHub repository serves as the public-facing distribution point for Claude's plugin marketplace, but its architecture intentionally prevents direct external contributions. Understanding this design helps developers avoid having their work automatically rejected and ensures their plugins reach the marketplace through the proper channel.

How the Auto-Close Mechanism Works

A GitHub Actions workflow named Close External PRs enforces the read-only policy at .github/workflows/close-external-prs.yml. The workflow runs on every pull_request_target event for opened and reopened PRs, implementing a three-stage permission gate:

1. Bot exemption – PRs authored by github-actions[bot] are preserved (this allows the nightly synchronization PRs)
2. Permission verification – The workflow queries the author's repository permission level via GitHub's API
3. Closure action – Any author without admin or write permission triggers automatic closure with an explanatory comment

The closure message directs contributors to the correct submission channel. Lines 52-55 of the workflow file define this comment, which states:

"Thanks for the PR! This repo is a read-only mirror … To submit a plugin to the community marketplace, use clau.de/plugin-directory-submission."

The Correct Way to Submit a Claude Plugin

External contributors must route submissions through Anthropic's internal review pipeline rather than GitHub. The process follows three stages:

Prepare Your Plugin

• Build your plugin according to the Claude plugin specification
• Package your manifest, assets, and source code according to the requirements

Submit Via the Official Portal

• Navigate to clau.de/plugin-directory-submission
• Complete the web form with your plugin's metadata
• Provide source code as a tarball or Git URL
• The system runs automated security scans as part of intake

Await Approval and Sync

• Anthropic's internal review pipeline evaluates your submission
• Approved plugins are added to the marketplace
• The read-only mirror repository updates automatically during nightly synchronization

Installing Plugins from the Community Marketplace

Once a plugin is approved and synchronized, users can install it through Claude's CLI. The repository's README documents these commands at lines 19-22:

# Add the community marketplace to the CLI's list of sources

claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community

# Install a specific plugin (replace <plugin-name> with the actual name)

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

The marketplace index that powers discovery lives at .claude-plugin/marketplace.json. Both the Claude CLI and UI consume this file to display available plugins.

Key Files in the Repository

File	Purpose
README.md (lines 24-27)	Documents the read-only mirror status and official submission link
.github/workflows/close-external-prs.yml	Implements the auto-close logic and redirection messaging
.claude-plugin/marketplace.json	Generated marketplace index consumed by Claude clients

Summary

• The claude-plugins-community repository is a read-only mirror, not an open contribution target
• Pull requests from external contributors are auto-closed by the Close External PRs workflow
• Permission checks enforce this policy: only admins, writers, and the internal automation bot can open PRs
• The correct submission channel is clau.de/plugin-directory-submission, which feeds Anthropic's internal review pipeline
• Approved plugins appear automatically after nightly synchronization to the mirror

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was my pull request immediately closed without review?

Your pull request was closed by the Close External PRs GitHub Actions workflow because you do not have write or admin permissions on the repository. This is intentional behavior designed to enforce that all plugins flow through Anthropic's internal review pipeline. The repository at anthropics/claude-plugins-community is a read-only mirror synchronized nightly from internal sources, not a direct contribution endpoint.

Can I get write access to submit plugins directly?

No. The permission restrictions are architectural, not administrative. Anthropic does not grant external contributors write access to this repository because the marketplace requires centralized security scanning, review, and versioning. The clau.de/plugin-directory-submission portal exists specifically to provide a submission pathway without requiring repository access.

How long does the official plugin submission process take?

The source code does not specify exact timelines. The analysis indicates that submissions pass through automated security scans and internal review before approval. Once approved, plugins are added to the marketplace and appear in the read-only mirror during the next nightly synchronization cycle.

Where can I see all available community plugins?

Browse the generated marketplace index at .claude-plugin/marketplace.json, or add the marketplace to your Claude CLI and list available plugins using claude plugin list after running claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community.

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