claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix [DOCS] `claude plugin init <name>` command missing from plugin documentation

Documentation Type

Missing documentation (feature not documented)

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins

Section/Topic

"Create your first plugin" section and "CLI commands reference" section on https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins-reference

Current Documentation

The "Create your first plugin" quickstart at https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins uses only manual steps:

1. Create the plugin directory:

mkdir my-first-plugin

1. Create the plugin manifest:

mkdir my-first-plugin/.claude-plugin

Then create my-first-plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json by hand with the JSON content.

The "CLI commands reference" at https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins-reference lists these claude plugin subcommands: install, uninstall, prune, enable, disable, update, list, details, tag. There is no init subcommand documented.

What's Wrong or Missing?

The claude plugin init <name> command, added in v2.1.157, scaffolds a new plugin skeleton directly into .claude/skills/. This command is not documented anywhere in the plugin documentation.

Users who want to create a new plugin must follow the manual mkdir/file-creation steps in the quickstart, without knowing a single claude plugin init command would do the same work automatically.

Suggested Improvement

Document claude plugin init <name> in two places:

Option A: Update the quickstart

Add claude plugin init <name> as the recommended first step in the "Create your first plugin" section at https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins:

claude plugin init my-first-plugin

This would replace the manual mkdir and plugin.json creation steps, or be offered as the simpler alternative.

Option B: Add to CLI commands reference

Add an init entry to the "CLI commands reference" table at https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins-reference alongside the other claude plugin subcommands, documenting the argument, options, and behavior (scaffolds into .claude/skills/ by default, or a specified target directory).

Impact

Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand (users manually scaffold when a one-command init exists)

Additional Context

• Version: v2.1.157 changelog entry: "Added claude plugin init <name> to scaffold a new plugin in .claude/skills"
• The command scaffolds directly into .claude/skills/, which differs from the quickstart pattern that creates standalone plugin directories loaded with --plugin-dir.