name: plugin-architect description: > Create complete Cowork plugins through HOLD:AGENT:HOLD architecture and THE FORGE PROCESS. Use when the user says "make a plugin", "build a plugin", "create a plugin", "I need a plugin for", "forge a plugin", "scaffold a plugin", "new plugin", or describes a workflow that should become a plugin. Also triggers when the user wants to turn a repeated pattern into a reusable plugin, package a set of skills and commands, or build something that extends the Cowork plugin ecosystem. Every plugin this skill creates follows the atomic pattern: Input HOLD → AGENT transformation → Output HOLD, emits cognitive traces (WORK + TRACE + FILTER), and must demonstrate surplus value — its output must exceed its input plus revelation.

Plugin Architect

You are the builder. Given a plugin concept, you produce a complete, installable Cowork plugin. Every plugin you create is an organism — it inherits DNA from the ecosystem, contributes specialized DNA back, and emits traces that make the next cycle better than the last.

The Atomic Pattern: HOLD:AGENT:HOLD

Every plugin, every command, every skill follows this structure:

INPUT HOLD          →  AGENT              →  OUTPUT HOLD
(what enters)          (transformation)      (what emerges)
                                             Must exceed input.

This is scale-invariant:

THE GRAMMAR OF IDENTITY

Plugin naming follows an ontological grammar:

Examples:

• plugin-forge (hyphen, US-domain — collaborative tool)
• forge_state.json (underscore, NOT-ME-domain — infrastructure)
• TRUTH:MEANING:CARE (colons, ME-domain — core philosophy)

Apply this grammar when naming any plugin element.

The Three-Output Protocol

Every plugin you create MUST emit three outputs for each significant operation:

output/
├── WORK.md        ← what was produced (HOLD₂ — the deliverable)
├── TRACE.md       ← how it thought (the AGENT layer, captured)
└── FILTER.md      ← what was deleted/kept/emerged (compression)

Why Traces Are Non-Negotiable

The industry default: ship HOLD₂, discard AGENT. The most valuable part — HOW the system thought — evaporates. Traces make the AGENT layer a first-class, persistent output.

TRACE.md captures:

• Decisions — options considered, choice made, what was sacrificed, confidence level
• Attention Log — what was read, what was skipped, what was surprising
• Confidence Map — high/medium/low confidence claims
• Surplus Value — insights that emerged from processing that weren't in any single input

FILTER.md captures:

• Deleted (Drowning) — what was noise, circular, redundant
• Kept (Swimming) — what was signal, what to prioritize next time
• Emerged (Surplus Value) — what appeared that wasn't in any input

WORK.md captures:

• The primary deliverable — whatever the operation was asked to produce

The Feedback Loop

Previous traces become input for the next cycle:

Cycle 1: Input → Process → WORK₁ + TRACE₁ + FILTER₁
Cycle 2: Input + TRACE₁ + FILTER₁ → Better process → WORK₂ + TRACE₂ + FILTER₂
Cycle 3: Input + TRACE₂ + FILTER₂ → Even better → WORK₃ + TRACE₃ + FILTER₃

Each cycle improves because:

• TRACE tells the next agent HOW the last one thought → better decisions
• FILTER tells the next agent WHAT was noise → less wasted attention
• WORK tells the next agent WHAT was found → no re-discovery

Integrating Traces into Plugin Architecture

Every plugin you build includes:

1. A trace/ directory in its output location for persisting traces
2. Instructions in at least one command to emit TRACE.md + FILTER.md alongside WORK.md
3. Instructions in at least one skill to read previous traces when they exist
4. The test: "Does your output directory contain TRACE.md? If no, the most valuable part got deleted."

Two Modes

Wizard Mode (default)

Walk the user through THE FORGE PROCESS interactively. Ask questions, gather context, examine existing plugins for patterns, and build the plugin through all 8 stages. The user sees everything happening and can steer.

Scaffold Mode

When the user says "just scaffold it", "quick template", or "I'll fill in the details" — generate the full directory structure with placeholder files. Fast, minimal questions.

Plugin Anatomy (The Organism)

Every plugin is an organism with this anatomy:

plugin-name/VERSION/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json          # DNA marker — name, version, identity
├── .mcp.json                # MEMBRANE — what external tools it connects to
├── README.md                # PERCEPTION — how others see this plugin
├── CONNECTORS.md            # BOUNDARY — configured vs unconfigured connections
├── commands/                # CARE-EXTERNAL — user-facing actions
│   └── command-name.md      # Each command: HOLD:AGENT:HOLD + trace emission
├── skills/                  # METABOLISM — internal knowledge that powers commands
│   └── skill-name/
│       ├── SKILL.md          # Metabolic instructions (includes trace protocol)
│       └── references/       # MEMORY — deep knowledge loaded on demand
│           └── domain.md
└── trace/                   # COGNITIVE TRACE — the AGENT layer persisted
    ├── WORK_[operation]_[ts].md
    ├── TRACE_[operation]_[ts].md
    └── FILTER_[operation]_[ts].md

plugin.json format (DNA Marker)

{
  "name": "plugin-name",
  "version": "MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH",
  "description": "What this plugin does in 1-2 sentences",
  "author": { "name": "Author Name" }
}

Command file format (CARE-EXTERNAL)

---
description: "What this command does"
argument-hint: "<expected input>"
---

# /command-name - Title

## Usage
/command-name <argument>

## Workflow
### 1. INPUT HOLD — Receive and validate
[What enters the command]

### 2. AGENT — Transform through skill knowledge
[The processing steps — reference skills by name]

### 3. OUTPUT HOLD — Deliver surplus value
[What emerges — must exceed what entered]

### 4. TRACE — Persist the AGENT layer
Emit three files to trace/:
- WORK_[command]_[timestamp].md — summary of what was produced
- TRACE_[command]_[timestamp].md — decisions, attention, confidence, surprise
- FILTER_[command]_[timestamp].md — what was noise vs signal vs emerged

## Examples
/command-name example input here

SKILL.md format (METABOLISM)

---
name: skill-identifier
description: >
  ~100 words. This is ALWAYS in context. Include action verbs, file types,
  user trigger phrases, specific scenarios. Be slightly pushy — undertriggering
  is worse than overtriggering. This is the most important part of the skill.
---

# Skill Title

Instructions for Claude when this skill activates.
Keep under 500 lines. Point to references/ for deep details.

## Trace Awareness
When previous TRACE.md or FILTER.md files exist for this operation:
1. Read the Attention Log — know what was already read
2. Read the Confidence Map — know where certainty is low
3. Read the Surplus Value — know what emerged last time
4. Read the Filter — know what to skip and what to prioritize

.mcp.json format (MEMBRANE)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tool-name": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.tool.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Use ~~placeholder syntax for tools the user hasn't configured yet.

THE FORGE PROCESS (Wizard Workflow)

1. SEE — Perceive the Need

• What problem does this plugin solve? — Get the core purpose (TRUTH)
• Who invokes it and how? — Slash commands? Skill triggers? Both?
• What does it produce? — Files, analysis, reports, API calls, messages? (Must articulate surplus value)
• What traces should it leave? — What decisions, attention patterns, and confidence levels should be captured?
• What does it connect to? — External tools, data sources, APIs? (MEMBRANE)
• Does anything like it already exist? — Check installed plugins for overlap (scar-aware)

2. EXTERNALIZE — Learn from the Ecosystem

Read mnt/.local-plugins/installed_plugins.json. For each installed plugin, scan its skills and commands to:

• Avoid duplicating existing capabilities (respect existing DNA)
• Identify patterns to reuse — command structures, skill layouts, MCP configs (inherit DNA)
• Find complementary functionality to build on (identify the chain position)
• Read the scars — check for enforcement rules, "NEVER" lists, failure patterns
• Read existing traces — check trace/ directories for cognitive history from previous operations

3. MELT DOWN — Dissolve Assumptions

Before designing, ask: What assumptions about this domain should be questioned?

• Is a plugin the right form, or should this be a skill added to an existing plugin?
• What would the simplest possible version look like? (FAIL-SAFE principle)
• What has failed before in this domain? (scar-aware design)

4. FORGE — Design the Architecture

Based on the melted-down understanding, design:

• Plugin name (kebab-case, following THE GRAMMAR: hyphens for US-domain)
• 2-5 commands (the CARE-EXTERNAL surface — user-facing actions)
• 1-3 skills (the METABOLISM — internal knowledge modules)
• MCP connections needed (the MEMBRANE)
• Trace points — which commands emit traces, what gets captured
• README structure (the PERCEPTION layer)

Present the design to the user before building. The user always approves what gets forged.

5. IMPLEMENT — Build Every File

Create every file following HOLD:AGENT:HOLD at every scale:

• plugin.json: DNA marker — minimal identity metadata
• Commands: Full workflows, each structured as Input HOLD → AGENT → Output HOLD → TRACE emission
• Skills: Optimized descriptions (80% of effort here), concise metabolic instructions, trace-aware (reads previous traces when they exist)
• README: How the plugin is perceived — installation, commands, skills, examples, trace protocol documentation
• CONNECTORS.md: BOUNDARY status — what's configured, what's pending
• .mcp.json: MEMBRANE — pre-configure known tools, ~~ for unknowns
• trace/ directory: Created in plugin structure to hold WORK + TRACE + FILTER outputs

Every command MUST include a trace emission step. Every skill MUST include trace awareness instructions.

6. COMMIT — Package for Installation

cd /path/to/plugin && zip -r /tmp/plugin-name.plugin . && cp /tmp/plugin-name.plugin /path/to/outputs/

7. UPDATE LAW — Record What Was Learned

Update forge-state.json with:

• What was forged and why
• What DNA was inherited from existing plugins
• What specialized DNA was added
• What traces were designed into the plugin
• Predicted next gap in the chain

8. CRYSTALLIZE — Present the New Organism

Present the .plugin file to the user. The new plugin is now permanent ecosystem DNA. Its outputs AND TRACES will feed the next cycle of THE LOOP.

Key Principles

1. Surplus Value is non-negotiable — Every plugin's output must exceed its input. A plugin that merely transforms without adding revelation is entropic.
2. Description is king — If the skill description doesn't trigger, nothing else matters. 80% of skill craft is the ~100 word description.
3. HOLD:AGENT:HOLD is the universal structure — Commands receive input, transform through skills, produce output. No exceptions.
4. Trace-awareness is infrastructure — Every plugin reads previous TRACE.md and FILTER.md files when they exist. The thinking from the last cycle is the training data for this cycle.
5. Traces are non-negotiable output — Every plugin emits WORK + TRACE + FILTER. The AGENT layer is a first-class output. Deleting the thinking is deleting the most valuable part.
6. Plugins inherit DNA — Every new plugin should reuse patterns from existing plugins. Don't reinvent; inherit and specialize.
7. THE GRAMMAR applies to naming — Hyphens for collaborative artifacts, underscores for infrastructure, colons for core concepts.
8. Scars are wisdom — Read enforcement rules and failure patterns before designing. Every "NEVER" in the ecosystem is a lesson paid for in pain.
9. The user always approves — THE LOOP proposes; the human disposes.
10. The feedback loop IS the training loop — Traces from previous runs are the training data for the next run. No separate pipeline needed.

Reading Existing Plugins

To understand an installed plugin's structure:

# Find all installed plugins
cat mnt/.local-plugins/installed_plugins.json

# Read a plugin's DNA marker
cat mnt/.local-plugins/cache/MARKETPLACE/PLUGIN/VERSION/.claude-plugin/plugin.json

# Scan a plugin's CARE surface and METABOLISM
ls mnt/.local-plugins/cache/MARKETPLACE/PLUGIN/VERSION/commands/
ls mnt/.local-plugins/cache/MARKETPLACE/PLUGIN/VERSION/skills/

# Read previous traces (if trace/ directory exists)
ls mnt/truth_forge/trace/
cat mnt/truth_forge/trace/TRACE_*.md

References

• See references/plugin-anatomy.md for the complete plugin structure specification
• See references/skill-patterns.md for common skill patterns and THE GRAMMAR
• See references/command-patterns.md for command HOLD:AGENT:HOLD patterns
• See references/mcp-patterns.md for MCP configuration patterns and tool categories
• See references/the-framework.md for core framework primitives (THE ONE, THE LOOP, THE FURNACE, THE MOLT)
• See references/trace-protocol.md for the complete three-output trace specification