ccpi CLI Quick Reference

Overview

The ccpi CLI (@intentsolutionsio/ccpi) is the command-line companion for managing Claude Code plugins. It runs in your regular terminal — outside of Claude Code sessions — and handles marketplace connections, plugin installation guidance, upgrade tracking, structural validation, and system diagnostics.

Install it globally via npm:

npm install -g @intentsolutionsio/ccpi

Or run on demand without installing:

npx @intentsolutionsio/ccpi <command>

Quick command table

Command details

ccpi install

The install command guides you through adding plugins to Claude Code. It does not install plugins directly — it validates the plugin name against the marketplace catalog and outputs the /plugin install slash command you run inside Claude Code.

ccpi install code-reviewer

Output:

Found: code-reviewer v1.2.0
  Automated code review with quality scoring and actionable feedback

Installation Command:

Open Claude Code and run:

   /plugin install code-reviewer@claude-code-plugins-plus --project

Flags:

Available packs:

Examples:

# Install a single plugin (project scope, default)
ccpi install debugger

# Install with global scope
ccpi install debugger --global

# Install the DevOps pack
ccpi install --pack devops

# Install all security plugins
ccpi install --category security

# Install every plugin in the marketplace
ccpi install --all

ccpi list

List plugins that are currently installed, or browse the full marketplace catalog.

# Installed plugins only
ccpi list

# All available plugins (grouped by category)
ccpi list --all

Flags:

The installed list includes plugin name, version, description, and install location (global or local). The --all view groups plugins by category and shows the full catalog count.

ccpi search

Search the marketplace catalog by keyword. Matches against plugin names, descriptions, and keywords.

ccpi search kubernetes

This command searches the locally cached marketplace catalog. If no results appear, ensure the marketplace is added with ccpi marketplace-add.

ccpi upgrade

Check for and apply plugin updates. The upgrade workflow uninstalls the current version and reinstalls the latest from the catalog.

# Show available updates with guidance
ccpi upgrade

# Check only (no upgrade guidance)
ccpi upgrade --check

# Guide upgrade of all outdated plugins
ccpi upgrade --all

# Guide upgrade of a specific plugin
ccpi upgrade --plugin terraform-specialist

Flags:

How upgrades work:

Claude Code does not have a native upgrade command yet. The ccpi upgrade flow generates a pair of commands for each update:

# Step 1: Uninstall current version
/plugin uninstall terraform-specialist@claude-code-plugins-plus

# Step 2: Install latest version
/plugin install terraform-specialist@claude-code-plugins-plus

Run these inside your Claude Code session. Plugin configuration is preserved across the uninstall/reinstall cycle.

ccpi validate

Validate the structure and frontmatter of plugins, skills, commands, and agents. Useful for plugin authors and for diagnosing issues with installed plugins.

# Validate everything in the current directory
ccpi validate

# Validate a specific path
ccpi validate plugins/devops/terraform-specialist/

# Validate a single SKILL.md file
ccpi validate skills/pr-review/SKILL.md

# Strict mode (fail on warnings, used in CI)
ccpi validate --strict

# JSON output for programmatic consumption
ccpi validate --json

Flags:

What it checks:

• Plugin structure — plugin.json exists with required fields (name, version, description, author).
• Skill frontmatter — SKILL.md files have valid YAML with required fields, allowed-tools syntax is correct, version follows semver.
• Command frontmatter — command markdown files have properly structured YAML metadata.
• Agent frontmatter — agent definitions include required fields (name, description).

For the authoritative, enterprise-grade validation with 100-point scoring, use the universal validator directly:

python3 scripts/validate-skills-schema.py --enterprise --verbose

The universal validator is the source of truth for the Tons of Skills marketplace. The ccpi validator covers structural basics and is optimized for speed.

ccpi doctor

Run comprehensive diagnostics on your Claude Code installation, plugin directory, and marketplace connection.

# Standard diagnostics
ccpi doctor

# Auto-fix safe issues
ccpi doctor --fix

# JSON output
ccpi doctor --json

Flags:

Diagnostic categories:

The doctor command is the first thing to run when something is not working. Its output includes specific remediation steps for every warning and failure.

ccpi marketplace

Manage the connection between ccpi and the Tons of Skills marketplace catalog.

# Show marketplace status
ccpi marketplace

# Verify marketplace installation
ccpi marketplace --verify

# Add the marketplace (first-time setup)
ccpi marketplace-add

# Remove the marketplace
ccpi marketplace-remove

The marketplace is identified by the slug claude-code-plugins-plus and the repository jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins. Adding the marketplace downloads the catalog JSON from GitHub and stores it in Claude Code’s config directory.

Common workflows

First-time setup

# 1. Install ccpi
npm install -g @intentsolutionsio/ccpi

# 2. Add the marketplace
ccpi marketplace-add

# 3. Verify everything works
ccpi doctor

# 4. Browse available plugins
ccpi list --all

# 5. Install your first plugin
ccpi install code-reviewer

Daily plugin management

# Check for updates
ccpi upgrade --check

# Upgrade everything
ccpi upgrade --all

# Search for a new plugin
ccpi search "database migration"

# Install it
ccpi install database-migration-manager

Plugin development

# Validate your plugin during development
ccpi validate .

# Strict validation before committing
ccpi validate --strict

# Check a single skill file
ccpi validate skills/my-skill/SKILL.md

# Run doctor to verify environment
ccpi doctor

CI/CD integration

Add ccpi validation to your CI pipeline to catch plugin issues before they ship:

# GitHub Actions example
- name: Validate plugins
  run: |
    npm install -g @intentsolutionsio/ccpi
    ccpi validate --strict --json > validation-results.json

The --strict flag causes ccpi to exit with a non-zero code if any warnings are found, which fails the CI step. The --json flag produces machine-readable output for further processing.

Configuration and cache

Cache location

The marketplace catalog is cached in Claude Code’s config directory. The exact path depends on your operating system:

Within the config directory:

claude-code/
  marketplaces/
    claude-code-plugins-plus/
      .claude-plugin/
        marketplace.json      # Cached catalog
  plugins/
    installed_plugins.json    # Installed plugin registry

Refreshing the cache

If the catalog seems stale (missing recently added plugins), refresh it:

ccpi marketplace-remove
ccpi marketplace-add

Or from inside Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins

Environment variables

Relationship to Claude Code slash commands

The ccpi CLI and Claude Code’s built-in /plugin slash commands serve complementary roles:

The ccpi CLI is a planning and management tool. It tells you what to do and validates that things are correct. The /plugin commands inside Claude Code are the execution layer that actually installs and removes plugins.

Troubleshooting

ccpi command not found after installation

Ensure the npm global bin directory is on your PATH:

# Find the directory
npm config get prefix

# Add to PATH (add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc for persistence)
export PATH="$(npm config get prefix)/bin:$PATH"

Catalog shows 0 plugins

The marketplace is not connected. Add it:

ccpi marketplace-add

Validation reports false positives

The ccpi validator checks structural basics. For authoritative validation with the 100-point enterprise rubric, use the universal validator:

python3 scripts/validate-skills-schema.py --enterprise --verbose

Doctor reports failures in fix mode

Some issues cannot be auto-fixed (e.g., missing authentication, incompatible Node.js version). Follow the remediation steps in the doctor output to resolve these manually.

Next steps

• Install Claude Code Plugins — full setup walkthrough if you have not installed yet.
• Install Your First Plugin — hands-on plugin installation guide.
• Your First Agent Skill — build a skill from scratch.
• Browse the Marketplace — discover plugins on the web.