# Marketplace Scaffold Plugin

> Scaffold a new plugin for any Claude Code plugin marketplace. TRIGGER WHEN: the user asks to create a new plugin, bootstrap plugin structure, or add a new entry to marketplace.json. DO NOT TRIGGER WHEN: adding a skill or agent to an existing plugin (use skills-creator).

- Skill: `acaprino/marketplace-scaffold-plugin` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add acaprino/marketplace-scaffold-plugin`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/acaprino/marketplace-scaffold-plugin/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: acaprino (https://skillmd.com/u/acaprino)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/acaprino/marketplace-scaffold-plugin

---


> Arguments: `<plugin-name> [--with-agent] [--with-skill] [--with-command] [--category <cat>] [--author <name>]`. Wherever `<arguments>` appears below, substitute the text the user typed after the skill name.

<!-- Generated by the Daodan compiler for codex. Edit the kernel, never this file. -->

# Scaffold New Plugin

Create a new plugin following the standard Claude Code plugin conventions (works against any marketplace with a `.claude-plugin/marketplace.json` registry).

## Procedure

### 1. Parse arguments

- `plugin-name`: required, kebab-case
- `--with-agent`: create an agent `.md` starter
- `--with-skill`: create a skill directory with `SKILL.md` starter
- `--with-command`: create a command `.md` starter
- `--category`: plugin category; if omitted, read existing `marketplace.json` to list current categories and ask the user to pick or propose a new one
- `--author`: plugin author; if omitted, read the first plugin's author from `marketplace.json` and use it (or ask the user if the marketplace is empty)
- If no `--with-*` flags are provided, ask the user what components they want

### 2. Create directory structure

```
plugins/<plugin-name>/
  agents/          (if --with-agent)
  skills/          (if --with-skill)
  commands/        (if --with-command)
```

Do NOT create empty subdirectories.

### 3. Create starter files

Starters are minimal and use real content. They show the required frontmatter shape and leave clearly labelled `{{PLACEHOLDER}}` fields for the user to fill. They are NOT registered until the user confirms the content.

**Agent starter** (`agents/<plugin-name>.md`):
```markdown
---
name: <plugin-name>
description: >
  {{ONE_SENTENCE_ROLE}}
  TRIGGER WHEN: {{concrete triggers, comma-separated}}
  DO NOT TRIGGER WHEN: {{sibling-conflict exclusions}}
model: inherit
color: {{red | blue | green | yellow | purple | orange | pink | cyan}}
---

# ROLE
{{Agent purpose in 1-3 sentences}}

# CAPABILITIES
{{Bulleted list of what this agent does}}

# CONVENTIONS
{{Any non-obvious conventions the agent must follow}}

# OUTPUT FORMAT
{{How findings/results should be structured}}
```

**Skill starter** (`skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md`):
```markdown
---
name: <skill-name>
description: >
  {{ONE_SENTENCE_ROLE}}
  TRIGGER WHEN: {{concrete triggers}}
  DO NOT TRIGGER WHEN: {{sibling-conflict exclusions}}
---

# {{Skill Title}}

{{Skill instructions -- teach what Claude does not already know}}
```

**Command starter** (`commands/<command-name>.md`):
```markdown
---
description: >
  {{ONE_SENTENCE_ROLE}}
  TRIGGER WHEN: {{concrete triggers}}
  DO NOT TRIGGER WHEN: {{sibling-conflict exclusions}}
argument-hint: "{{expected arguments}}"
---

# {{Command Title}}

{{Command procedure}}
```

### 4. Register in marketplace.json

Add entry to `plugins[]` array:
```json
{
  "name": "<plugin-name>",
  "source": "./plugins/<plugin-name>",
  "description": "{{one-sentence description}}",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": { "name": "<author-from-step-1>" },
  "license": "{{license from existing plugins, often MIT}}",
  "keywords": ["<plugin-name>"],
  "category": "<category-from-step-1>",
  "strict": false,
  "agents": [],
  "skills": [],
  "commands": []
}
```

Populate `agents` / `skills` / `commands` arrays with the relative paths of files just created. Omit empty arrays.

### 5. Bump metadata.version

Increment the marketplace `metadata.version` (typically minor for a new plugin).

### 6. Report

Show:
- Created files with paths
- Updated marketplace.json entry
- Next actions: fill placeholders in the starter files, add real keywords, then run `/marketplace-ops:marketplace-health` to validate

## Notes

- Marketplace-agnostic: respects whatever author, license, and category conventions already exist in the target marketplace.
- Never hardcodes an author -- reads from existing plugins or asks the user.
- Never hardcodes a license -- reads from existing plugins or asks.