1.4 Plugins

Info
⏱ Duration: ~25 min · 🎯 Goal: install a plugin, understand what it bundles, where each piece runs, and how it’s distributed org-wide.

A skill standardizes one task. A plugin packages several: verbatim, each plugin bundles skills, connectors, and sub-agents into a single package. It’s the unit you use to bring your way of working to your whole team.

Step 1 — Understand where each piece runs

Not everything works on every surface:

  • A plugin’s skills work in web chat, the Chat tab in Desktop, and Cowork.
  • Hooks and sub-agents run ONLY in Cowork — in chat they appear grayed out.
  • Live artifacts and plugins with local MCP servers work through the Desktop only.

Step 2 — Install a plugin

  1. Open Customize in the sidebar (brings plugins, skills, and connectors together). In Cowork, open the “Cowork” tab first, then Customize.
  2. Go to the Plugins tab → “Browse plugins” → “Install”.
  3. You can also upload a custom plugin file (on Desktop/Cowork it’s saved locally).

Step 3 — Explore marketplaces

Anthropic ships a growing library (sales, finance, legal, marketing, HR, engineering, design, ops, data analysis). The Knowledge Work marketplace is added by default.

To add more: Plugins tab → Personal plugins → “+” → “Add marketplace” → “Browse Anthropic sources” (Knowledge Work, Life Sciences, Financial Services, Legal) or “Add from a repository” (git/GitHub URL). Anthropic’s full collection is on GitHub: anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins.

Step 4 — Use, customize, and build

  • Use a plugin’s skills by typing "/" or with "+" (chat and Cowork).
  • Customize a plugin (Cowork only): while viewing it installed → “Customize” (upper right) → opens a task that adjusts its skills and connectors.
  • Build your own with the “Plugin Create” plugin, starting from an Anthropic template.
Warning
Security (verbatim): “Only install plugins from sources you trust.” Plugins may include local MCP servers that run with the same permissions as any program you run. Install only from sources you trust.

Step 5 — Distribute to your organization

To bring your skill to the whole team there are two routes:

  • Provision org-wide: the Owner (Team/Enterprise) publishes it in Organization settings > Skills; it appears in everyone’s list with a team indicator.
  • Plugin assigned to a group: to give a skill only to some people, bundle it into a plugin and assign that plugin to the group.

Org-managed plugins are not editable by users; some may be auto-installed (uninstallable) or required.

✅ Checkpoint

You have at least one plugin installed from the Knowledge Work marketplace, understand what it bundles (skills + connectors + sub-agents), where each piece runs, and can describe the two routes to distribute a skill to your team.

Got it? — 2 questions

1. What does a plugin bundle, and which pieces run only in Cowork? It bundles skills, connectors, and sub-agents. Hooks and sub-agents run only in Cowork (grayed out in chat); local MCP servers, Desktop only.

2. How do you give a skill to only some people on the team, not the whole org? You bundle it into a plugin and assign that plugin to a group, instead of provisioning it org-wide in Organization settings > Skills.

Workshop Claude Avanzado · Grupo Salinas · v1.0 · 2026