Overview
A marketplace is a Git repository that hosts amarketplace.json descriptor — the catalogue Claude Code reads to discover and install plugins. When you publish a package to a marketplace, Packmind:
- Renders the package’s skills and commands into a plugin.
- Opens (or amends) a single Packmind sync pull request on the marketplace repository.
- Adds the plugin to the marketplace catalogue once you merge that pull request.
- Publish a package as a plugin your whole organization can install.
- Track every publish attempt and its status.
- Monitor the marketplace’s health and who has adopted each plugin.
- Retire plugins that are no longer needed.
Marketplace plugins target Claude Code. To distribute standards, commands,
and skills as instruction files across other AI assistants (Cursor, Copilot,
and more), use the standard distribution flow
instead.
Before you start
- Connect a Git provider. The marketplace repository must be reachable through a connected Git provider — the GitHub App (recommended) or a personal access token. Providers created automatically by the CLI can’t be used, because they hold no credentials. See Git Repository Connection.
- Prepare the marketplace repository. It must contain a
marketplace.jsondescriptor at its root. - Be an organization administrator. Only admins can link or unlink a marketplace. Any organization member can publish packages to a linked marketplace.
Link a marketplace
Only organization administrators can link a marketplace.
- Navigate to Marketplaces in your organization.
- Click Link a marketplace.
- Choose a Git connection from your connected providers.
- Pick the repository that hosts the marketplace. Use the search box to filter a long list.
- Click Link marketplace.
marketplace.json. Once linked, the marketplace appears in the list with its contents and health at a glance.
Publish a package as a plugin
You publish from the same Distribute menu you use for repositories.- Navigate to the Packages section.
- Select the package (or packages) you want to publish.
- Click Distribute and choose To marketplaces.
- In the Publish to a marketplace dialog, pick the target marketplace.
- Click Publish.
Track distributions
Open a marketplace to see its plugins and every publish attempt. Each publish creates a distribution record you can follow through its lifecycle:| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| In progress | Packmind is preparing the plugin files. |
| Pending PR review | The Packmind sync pull request is open and waiting to be merged. |
| Published | The pull request was merged and the plugin is live in the marketplace. |
| Removal pending | You requested removal; the deletion is being prepared. |
| To be removed | The deletion pull request is open, waiting to be merged. |
| Removed | The plugin has been removed from the marketplace. |
| Failed | The publish couldn’t complete. See the reason on the row and try again. |
Monitor marketplace health
Each marketplace shows a health indicator so you can spot problems early:| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Healthy | The marketplace matches what Packmind expects. |
| Drift | A plugin Packmind considers published is missing, or the catalogue changed outside Packmind. Review the listed plugin slugs. |
| Unreachable | Packmind couldn’t reach the repository — for example an authentication or network error. |
Monitor adoption
Open a plugin and switch to the Adoption tab to see who is using it. You can view adoption two ways:- By repo — which repositories have installed the plugin.
- By person — which people have installed it.
Adoption data appears after someone starts a Claude Code session with the
plugin enabled. A newly published plugin shows no consumers until it’s
installed and used.
Retire a plugin
When a plugin is no longer needed, retire it through the guided, pull-request-governed flow — the same rolling Packmind sync pull request used to publish. See Retire a plugin from a marketplace for the complete process, including cancelling a pending removal and handling drift.Unlink a marketplace
Only organization administrators can unlink a marketplace.
- Navigate to Marketplaces.
- Find the marketplace in the list.
- Use its row action to Unlink and confirm.
Troubleshooting
-
Problem: The To marketplaces option is greyed out.
- Solution: Your selection contains only standards. Add at least one skill or command to the package, or select a package that already has one.
-
Problem: Linking fails with a descriptor error.
- Solution: Confirm the repository has a valid
marketplace.jsonat its root and that the connected Git provider can access it.
- Solution: Confirm the repository has a valid
-
Problem: A publish stays at Pending PR review.
- Solution: The Packmind sync pull request hasn’t been merged yet. Open it on the marketplace repository, review, and merge. Use Sync now to refresh the status afterwards.
-
Problem: The marketplace shows Unreachable.
- Solution: Check that the Git provider is still connected and authorized, then use Sync now to retry.
-
Problem: A publish fails with a name conflict.
- Solution: A plugin with the same name already exists in the marketplace and isn’t managed by Packmind. Rename or remove the conflicting entry, then publish again.
Related Documentation
- Distribute artifacts — distribute packages to Git repositories and via the CLI
- Retire a plugin from a marketplace — remove a published plugin through the governed flow
- Git repository connection — connect the marketplace repository to Packmind
- Packages Management — group standards, commands, and skills into packages