Claude Plugins — Automate Your Business Processes

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1.4 Anatomy of a Plugin -- What Is Inside

Anatomy of a Plugin

Lesson 1.4 — What you find inside a plugin folder

A Claude plugin is a structured folder on your file system. There is no magic — just well-organized files that give Claude the context it needs. Let us walk through the key files and their purpose.

The Plugin Folder Structure

Plugin Directory Layout

my-plugin/
  plugin.json        # Manifest with metadata
  skills/
    my-skill/
      SKILL.md        # Workflow instructions
      references/     # Technical docs, examples
  commands/
    my-command.md     # Slash command definition
  mcp-servers/        # Optional external tool configs

Key Files Explained

plugin.json

The manifest file. Contains the plugin name, version, description, and lists all skills, commands, and MCP servers. Think of it as the table of contents.

SKILL.md

The heart of the plugin. A markdown file with sections for overview, workflow steps, rules, constraints, and examples. This is what Claude reads to learn your process.

references/

A folder for supporting documents — API documentation, code samples, schema definitions. The skill references these when it needs technical details.

commands/

Markdown files that define slash commands. Each command specifies its name, description, parameters, and which skill it activates.

Start Simple

Your first plugin needs just two files: plugin.json and one SKILL.md. You can add commands, references, and MCP servers later as your automation grows.

Key Takeaway

A plugin is a structured folder — not an application. It contains markdown instructions, a manifest, and optional references. If you can organize files in folders and write clear instructions, you can build a plugin.