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Finding and installing skill collections

⏱ 15 min5 steps

Other people publish skills too, packaged as plugins, in collections called marketplaces. A is a with a list in it. You add it once, then the plugins you want.

Anthropic's own marketplace, claude-plugins-official, is already added the first time you start . Others I use include jeffallan/claude-skills, a large set of developer skills.

Thousands of plugins and no idea which one? Everyone starts there. Pick one that matches a job you already do.

marketplace A place that lists things from many makers, so you can pick what you want. Etsy is one for shoppers, and takes a cut of each sale. In Claude Code, a marketplace is a list of plugins, usually kept on GitHub, that you add once and install from. All wordsGitHub A website that keeps a copy of your git project, with every version saved. Your backup, and where changes get reviewed. All wordsrepository One project on GitHub, with all its files and every saved version. People say repo for short. All wordsinstall Put a new program on your computer so you can use it. All wordsClaude Code Claude, working inside Terminal. It can make files and run things on your Mac, with a safety checker watching what it does. All words

Before this, you'll want:

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  1. Start Claude Code in your my-idea folder

    1. Open (Cmd+SpaceWindows key, type Terminal, press Enter).

    2. Go to your my-idea . Type this and press Enter:

      cd ~/Backyard/my-idea

      cd ~\Backyard\my-idea

    3. Check the says my-idea.

    4. Start Claude Code. Type this and press Enter:

      claude
    Terminal An app on your Mac where you type instructions instead of clicking on things. Claude Code works inside it. All wordsfolder A place on your computer that holds files and other folders, like a drawer in a filing cabinet. All wordsprompt line The line in Terminal that ends with a % sign. The word right before the % is the folder you're in. All words

    You should see:

    Claude Code's name and version at the top, a line starting with ❯ where you type, and ⏵⏵ on in the bar at the bottom.

    auto mode Claude works without asking, and a separate safety checker blocks anything risky. All words
    That's not what I see
    It says "cd: no such file or directoryCannot find path … because it does not exist".
    The my-idea folder isn't there. It comes from Check the idea first, so do that piece first, then come back.
    It says "zsh: command not found: claudeThe term 'claude' is not recognized".
    This Terminal window doesn't know about Claude Code. Close the window with Cmd+WCtrl+Shift+W, open a new one and try again. If it still says that, go back to Install Claude Code and .sign in Tell Claude Code which Claude account is yours, so it knows you've paid for it. All words

  2. Browse what's in the official collection

    1. Type this and press Enter:

      /plugin

    2. Look through Discover. Type a word, like review, to search.

    3. Press Esc to close the panel when you're done.

    You should see:

    A Plugins panel with tabs along the top: Discover, Installed, Marketplaces, Errors and Stats. Discover lists plugins, with a search box above them.

    That's not what I see
    The Discover tab is empty.
    Press Tab until you reach Marketplaces and check claude-plugins-official is listed. If it isn't, press Esc, type /plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official and press Enter.

  3. Add another marketplace, if you want one

    Skip this step if the official collection has what you need.

    1. Type /plugin marketplace add, a space, then the marketplace's GitHub name. For the one I use, type this and press Enter:

      /plugin marketplace add jeffallan/claude-skills

    2. Open /plugin again. Its plugins are in Discover now.

    You should see:

    A line saying the marketplace was added, with its name. For jeffallan/claude-skills, the name is fullstack-dev-skills.

    That's not what I see
    It says it can't find the marketplace.
    Check the spelling: the GitHub name, a slash, then the repository, with no spaces. Then try again.

  4. Read a plugin's skills before you install it

    Read before you install. A is instructions Claude will follow, and it can include programs that run on your computer with your permissions. Claude Code's own guide says to make sure you trust a plugin before installing, updating or using it. Only install from people and repositories you trust.

    This asks Claude to read the plugin and tell you what it does, without installing it. The plugin goes at the end.

    1. Pick one plugin that matches a job you actually do.
    2. Copy the prompt below.
    Before I install the plugin I name at the end, find its files and read them. Tell me in plain words what each skill in it does, and anything in it that runs commands, connects to other services or touches files outside the project. Don't install anything. The plugin, as name@marketplace:
    1. Paste it into Claude Code with Cmd+VCtrl+V.
    2. Type a space, then the plugin, an @ and its marketplace, like commit-commands@claude-plugins-official.
    3. Press Enter, and read the answer.
    plugin A package of skills and other add-ons for Claude Code that you install in one go. All wordsprompt What you type to Claude. A good one says what you want, how to work and what never to do. All words

    You should see:

    Claude reads the plugin's files and tells you what each does, and what runs commands or connects to other services. Nothing is installed.

    skill A saved set of instructions for one kind of job. Claude uses it when the job comes up, or when you type its name. All words
    That's not what I see
    Claude can't find the plugin's files.
    Ask it to look up the marketplace's GitHub repository and read them there. If you can't see what's in it, don't install it.

  5. Install one plugin

    1. Type /plugin install, a space, then the plugin, an @ and its marketplace. For the example, type this and press Enter:

      /plugin install commit-commands@claude-plugins-official

    2. Read the details. Then choose where it applies, with the arrow keys and Enter.

    3. Type / and the plugin's name to see its skills, and try one.

    Install few, and remove what you don't use. Claude reads every skill's description at the start of each , and too many make it slower to pick the right one. To remove a plugin, open /plugin, press Tab to reach Installed, pick it and choose Uninstall.

    Later, once you've written a few skills of your own, you can package them as your own plugin in a GitHub repository, the way I do. Then every project, and anyone you share it with, gets the same skills.

    session One conversation with Claude Code, from when you start it until you leave. All words

    You should see:

    The plugin's details, then a choice of where to install it. After you choose, Claude Code installs it and shows a short summary.

    That's not what I see
    It asks which scope to install it in.
    Install for you puts it in every project. Install for you, in this repo only keeps it to this one. When you're not sure, pick in this repo only. Skip the choice for all collaborators.
    I installed it but the new skills don't show up.
    Type /reload-plugins and press Enter, or exit and start claude again.
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Your challenge

Install one plugin you'll use this week. Read its skills first. If you haven't used it in a month, uninstall it.

Last checked 2026-10-20

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