claude-plugin-json-required

Plugin must have .claude-plugin/plugin.json

Formerly known as plugin-json-required. The legacy name still works in configs, --rule/--skip-rule, suppression comments, and baselines.

Severity	error (auto)
Autofix	-
Since	v0.1.0
Repo Types	marketplace, single-plugin
Category	Claude Code

Why

A Claude plugin must have a .claude-plugin/plugin.json manifest so the host application can discover its metadata, commands, and capabilities. Without this file the plugin directory is just a collection of unregistered files. The requirement is scoped to directories with Claude provenance.

Examples

Bad:

my-plugin/
  .claude-plugin/
    commands/
      deploy.md

Good:

my-plugin/
  .claude-plugin/
    plugin.json
    commands/
      deploy.md

How to fix

Create a .claude-plugin/plugin.json file with the required fields (name, description, version). Put commands, agents, skills, and other plugin content beside the .claude-plugin/ directory.

Configuration

rules:
  claude-plugin-json-required:
    enabled: auto  # true | false | auto
    severity: error

Run skillsaw explain claude-plugin-json-required to see this documentation and the rule's effective configuration in your terminal.