Install Claude Code Plugins

Overview

Claude Code is Anthropic’s agentic coding assistant that runs in your terminal. Out of the box, it reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and reasons about complex engineering problems. Plugins extend Claude Code with specialized skills, slash commands, and autonomous agents that cover domains from DevOps to security auditing to SaaS integrations.

This guide walks you through every step required to go from a bare terminal to a fully equipped Claude Code environment with access to the Tons of Skills marketplace — 418 plugins and 2,834 agent skills you can install in seconds.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, confirm that the following are in place.

Node.js 18 or later

Claude Code and its plugin tooling require Node.js 18+. Check your version:

node --version
# Expected output: v18.x.x or higher (v20+ recommended)

If you need to install or upgrade Node.js, use nvm (macOS / Linux) or download the LTS installer from nodejs.org.

# Using nvm (recommended)
nvm install 20
nvm use 20

npm 9 or later

npm ships with Node.js, but confirm you have a recent version:

npm --version
# Expected output: 9.x.x or higher

Claude Code CLI

Install the Claude Code CLI globally:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Verify the installation:

claude --version

If the command is not found, make sure your npm global bin directory is on your PATH. On most systems this is ~/.npm-global/bin or the path shown by npm config get prefix.

Anthropic API key or subscription

Claude Code requires authentication. You can use either:

Anthropic API key — set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in your environment or pass it during first launch.
Claude Pro, Team, or Enterprise subscription — authenticate through the interactive login flow when you first run claude.

Refer to the Claude Code getting-started guide for detailed authentication instructions.

Step 1: Install the ccpi CLI

The ccpi CLI (@intentsolutionsio/ccpi) is the companion command-line tool for managing Claude Code plugins outside of a Claude session. It handles marketplace connections, plugin discovery, validation, upgrades, and diagnostics.

npm install -g @intentsolutionsio/ccpi

Confirm the installation:

ccpi --version

You should see a version string such as 1.x.x. If you prefer not to install globally, you can run it on demand with npx:

npx @intentsolutionsio/ccpi --version

What ccpi provides

Capability	Command	Description
Install plugins	`ccpi install <name>`	Guided install of a marketplace plugin
List plugins	`ccpi list`	Show installed plugins
Search	`ccpi search <query>`	Find plugins by keyword
Upgrade	`ccpi upgrade --check`	Check for available updates
Validate	`ccpi validate`	Lint plugin structure and frontmatter
Diagnostics	`ccpi doctor`	Full system health check

See the ccpi CLI Quick Reference for the complete command catalogue.

Step 2: Add the Tons of Skills marketplace

The marketplace is the central catalog that maps plugin names to their source repository. Adding it gives Claude Code access to every plugin published on tonsofskills.com.

Option A: From inside Claude Code (recommended)

Launch Claude Code in any project directory and run the built-in slash command:

# Start Claude Code
claude

# Inside the Claude Code session:
/plugin marketplace add jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins

Claude Code downloads the marketplace catalog and indexes all available plugins. This is a one-time operation — the catalog persists across sessions and projects.

Option B: Using the ccpi CLI

If you prefer to set things up from your regular terminal first:

ccpi marketplace-add

This writes the same catalog files that the /plugin marketplace add command creates, so the result is identical.

Verify the marketplace connection

ccpi marketplace --verify

A successful response confirms the marketplace slug (claude-code-plugins-plus), the catalog location on disk, and the number of available plugins.

Step 3: Verify your installation

Run the built-in diagnostics to make sure everything is wired up:

ccpi doctor

The doctor command checks:

System environment — Node.js version, npm version, OS compatibility.
Claude Code installation — config directory, plugins directory, authentication status.
Marketplace catalog — catalog file exists and is parseable, plugin count matches expectations.
Installed plugins — structural validity of every installed plugin.

If any check reports a warning or failure, the output includes remediation steps. You can also run with the --fix flag to automatically resolve safe issues such as missing directories or stale catalog caches:

ccpi doctor --fix

Quick smoke test

List all available plugins to confirm the catalog loaded:

ccpi list --all

You should see 418 plugins grouped by category. If the list is empty, re-run ccpi marketplace-add and try again.

Step 4: Install your first plugin

With the marketplace connected, install any plugin by name. For example, to install the code-reviewer plugin:

ccpi install code-reviewer

The CLI confirms the plugin exists in the catalog, checks whether it is already installed, and prints the exact /plugin install command to run inside Claude Code:

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

Paste that command into your Claude Code session. The plugin’s skills, commands, and agents are available immediately — no restart required.

For a detailed walkthrough of browsing, installing, and using your first plugin, see Install Your First Plugin.

Installation scope: global vs. project

Every plugin install has a scope:

Scope	Flag	Effect
Project	`--project`	Plugin is available only in the current project directory
Global	`--global`	Plugin is available in every project you open with Claude Code

Project scope is the default and is recommended for most use cases. It keeps your plugin surface area small and avoids loading irrelevant skills in unrelated projects. Use global scope for plugins you want everywhere, such as a general-purpose code reviewer or debugger.

Bulk installation options

Install a curated pack

Packs are curated collections of related plugins. Install an entire pack in one step:

ccpi install --pack devops

Available packs include devops, security, api, ai-ml, frontend, backend, database, and testing. Each pack installs between 3 and 10 plugins.

Install by category

Install every plugin in a marketplace category:

ccpi install --category security

Install everything

Install all 418 plugins at once:

ccpi install --all

This outputs a full list of /plugin install commands grouped by category. It is primarily useful for evaluation environments or teams that want to expose the entire catalog to developers.

Troubleshooting

`ccpi` command not found

Your npm global bin directory is not on your PATH. Find it with:

npm config get prefix

Add the bin subdirectory of that path to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or equivalent):

export PATH="$(npm config get prefix)/bin:$PATH"

Marketplace catalog is empty

Re-add the marketplace:

ccpi marketplace-add

Or from inside Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins

Doctor reports authentication failure

Claude Code is not authenticated. Launch claude in your terminal and follow the interactive login flow, or set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in your environment:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

Plugin install command does nothing

Make sure you are running the /plugin install command inside an active Claude Code session, not in your regular terminal. The /plugin prefix is a Claude Code slash command, not a shell command.

Keeping plugins up to date

After initial setup, check for updates periodically:

ccpi upgrade --check

If updates are available, apply them all at once:

ccpi upgrade --all

The upgrade flow uninstalls the old version and reinstalls the latest from the catalog. Plugin configuration is preserved across upgrades.

Next steps

Install Your First Plugin — a hands-on walkthrough of browsing, installing, and using a plugin.
ccpi CLI Quick Reference — every command, flag, and workflow in one page.
Browse the Marketplace — search and filter all 418 plugins and 2,834 skills.