What Are Plugins?
Plugins are add-on packs that give Claude Code new abilities. One plugin can bundle skills, slash commands, helper agents, and connections to outside tools, all installed in one step.
Out of the box, Claude Code can read and write files, run commands, and search your projects. With plugins, you can teach it to work with GitHub, Notion, Stripe, Figma, your database, and hundreds of other tools.
Open the Plugin Menu
Inside any Claude Code session, type:
/pluginThis opens the plugin manager. From here you can browse available plugins, install them, turn them on or off, and remove them. Use the arrow keys to move around and Enter to choose.
Install a Plugin
Claude Code comes with Anthropic's official plugin marketplace already set up. A marketplace is just a catalog of plugins you can pick from. To install one by name, type:
/plugin install github@claude-plugins-officialThe part before the @ is the plugin name. The part after it is the marketplace it comes from. Restart Claude Code after installing so the new plugin loads.
You can do the same thing from your terminal, outside of a Claude session:
claude plugin install github@claude-plugins-officialPopular Plugins
Here are a few from the official marketplace to get you started:
- github. Create pull requests, manage issues, and review code directly from Claude.
- notion. Search, read, and update your Notion pages.
- playwright. Let Claude open a browser, click around, and test your website.
- frontend-design. Helps Claude build better looking websites and apps.
- skill-creator. Helps you build your own custom skills.
Managing Your Plugins
To see what you have installed:
claude plugin listTo turn a plugin off without removing it:
claude plugin disable plugin-nameTo remove a plugin completely:
claude plugin uninstall plugin-nameAdding More Marketplaces
Anyone can publish a marketplace on GitHub. To add one, give Claude Code the GitHub owner and repo name:
/plugin marketplace add owner/repo-nameIts plugins then show up in the /plugin menu next to the official ones. Only add marketplaces from people you trust, since plugins can run code on your computer.
Bonus: Connecting a Single Tool with MCP
Many plugins work by connecting Claude to an MCP server. MCP is the standard way AI tools talk to outside apps. If a tool gives you an MCP address but has no plugin, you can connect it directly:
claude mcp add --transport http sentry https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcpThen type /mcp inside Claude Code to check that it connected and to sign in if it asks you to. To see or remove these connections, use claude mcp list and claude mcp remove name.
Finding More Plugins
The easiest place to look is the /plugin menu itself. You can also browse the official catalog on GitHub at anthropics/claude-plugins-official.
What You Learned
Plugins are how you give Claude superpowers beyond its defaults. You know how to open the plugin menu, install a plugin, manage the ones you have, add new marketplaces, and connect a single tool with MCP. Start with one or two that match your work and add more as you need them.
