Automate plugin version bumps with publish-plugins

Where this fits

You maintain a monorepo of Claude plugins—say, a set of skills and voice tools. You edit a file under skills/ or plugins/ to fix a bug or add a feature. Now you must bump the plugin's version in its .claude-plugin/plugin.json, verify the root marketplace.json still describes the on-disk layout, and run validation. Doing this manually across multiple plugins is tedious and error-prone. The publish-plugins skill steps in to handle the release prep automatically.

Why agents benefit

• Automatically detects which plugins changed by scanning skills/ and plugins/ directories, so you don't have to remember which version to bump.
• Bumps the version field in each changed plugin's manifest according to a consistent rule, reducing human error.
• Validates each plugin's manifest against the actual files on disk, catching mismatches before you commit.
• Runs git commands to check what's staged and ensures the repo is clean before release.
• Provides a repeatable, scriptable workflow that fits into CI or pre-commit hooks.

Practical scenarios

Adding a new tool to a skill

You extend a skill with a new tool definition. The skill's plugin.json needs a version bump. The skill detects the change, bumps the version, and validates that the new file is referenced correctly in the marketplace manifest.

Fixing a bug in a voice plugin

You patch a bug in hal-voice. The skill identifies that plugins/hal-voice was touched, increments its version, and runs claude plugin validate to ensure the manifest still points to existing files.

Renaming a file inside a plugin

You rename a helper module within a plugin. Without the skill, the manifest might break silently. The skill checks that all paths in the manifest exist and warns you if anything is missing.

Add it to your agent workflow

Install the skill with:

npx skills add vinta/hal-9000 --skill publish-plugins

Then, when working on any file under skills/ or plugins/, invoke the skill in your agent. It will automatically detect the changed plugin, bump the version, and validate the manifests. You can also run it manually via the user-invocable interface.

Example invocation:

@skills publish-plugins

After the skill runs, you get a summary of changes and can commit with confidence.

Compare before adopting

Before adopting this skill, compare it with your current release process. Check the repo's maintenance freshness (last commit, open issues), the quality of the code (tests, clear logic), and whether it fits your workflow—some teams prefer a single script, others need a full release pipeline. Also consider alternatives like custom bash scripts or using npx skills directly. The skill's narrow scope and internal-only metadata suggest it's designed for a specific repo, but it can be adapted to any plugin monorepo.

Why it is worth tracking

The skill has 127 stars and is actively maintained by vinta, a known contributor in the Claude ecosystem. Its focus on automation for a repetitive task is a strong quality signal—it solves a real pain point. As the plugin ecosystem grows, having a reliable versioning helper becomes increasingly valuable. Keep an eye on its evolution; when you find yourself manually bumping versions across multiple plugins, this skill is worth evaluating. For more details, see the skill page.