Claude Plugins — Automate Your Business Processes

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1.3 Building Blocks: Skills, Commands, and MCP

Building Blocks: Skills, Commands, and MCP

Lesson 1.3 — The three components of every plugin

Every Claude plugin is built from three types of building blocks. Understanding these components is the key to building effective automation. Each serves a distinct purpose in the plugin architecture.

The Three Building Blocks

Skills

A skill is the core expertise — a SKILL.md file that teaches Claude a specific workflow. It defines the steps, rules, and constraints for a task. Think of it as the brain of the plugin.

Commands

Commands are the triggers. They define slash commands (like /create-lead) that activate skills with specific parameters. They are the user interface of your plugin.

MCP Servers

MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers connect Claude to external tools — your CRM, databases, APIs, and file systems. They are the hands that let Claude interact with the real world.

How They Work Together

User Triggers a Command

You type a slash command like /prospect-website. The command defines what parameters are needed.

Skill Provides the Workflow

The SKILL.md file tells Claude the exact steps: analyze the website, extract contacts, score the lead, format the output.

MCP Connects to Tools

If the skill needs to read a webpage or write to your CRM, MCP servers provide that access securely.

Not All Plugins Need All Three

Simple plugins might only use a skill and a command. MCP servers are optional — only needed when Claude must interact with external systems.

Key Takeaway

Skills provide expertise, commands provide triggers, and MCP servers provide connectivity. Together they form a complete automation unit that can handle complex business workflows end-to-end.