Anthropic has opened a developer portal for submitting Claude plugins and Model Context Protocol connectors to the Claude directory, according to its September 25, 2026 announcement.
According to Anthropic, plugins are now the main way third-party developers build extensions for Claude. A plugin can package MCP connectors, Agent Skills, or both. For Claude Code, Anthropic says plugins can also include LSPs, commands, hooks and agents.
Anthropic says the portal is open to developers on paid Claude plans. Its publishing documentation names Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise as eligible plan types, with role requirements for Team and Enterprise accounts.
The company’s publishing documentation also says the earlier Claude Console form for plugin submissions is no longer supported. Existing submissions made before the developer portal can remain as they are, but moving them into the portal adds status tracking, usage figures and version handling.
Why this is more than a submission form
The useful part for developers is the workflow around the listing. Anthropic says submissions are auto-validated and safety-scanned after submission. The portal also shows review status, scan results and requested changes. Approved developers can decide when to publish their plugin in Claude.
Once live, a plugin listing can show installs by product surface and version, listing views and search terms that led people to the listing. Anthropic’s docs also describe a Usage tab with installs, active accounts, component usage, load errors, tool calls, error rate and latency, with exportable data for periods up to 90 days. Connector listings get their own dashboard for server health and usage by tool.
The directory is becoming Claude’s distribution layer
The portal arrived two days after Anthropic introduced Claude Marketplace, which brings plugins, connectors, agents, products and service partners into one place. In that announcement, Anthropic said customers could choose from more than 2,000 plugins and connectors available at launch, including listings from Atlassian, Google, Microsoft, Notion and Salesforce.
Marketplace and directory submissions are related, but they are not the same thing. Anthropic’s publishing docs say there is no separate Claude Marketplace submission for plugins and connectors; builders submit to the directory instead.
Taken together, the marketplace launch and the new submission portal suggest Anthropic is building a two-sided ecosystem around Claude. Customers get a place to find tools and services. Developers get a route for submitting, maintaining and measuring those tools. That does not make every listing equivalent. Anthropic’s verification docs separate directory connectors into labels such as Community, Verified and Custom, and those labels describe review level rather than capability.
What developers can submit
| Submission type | What it is | How it is listed |
|---|---|---|
| Plugin bundle | A plugin folder that can include skills, commands, agents, hooks and MCP server references. | Submitted from a GitHub repository, which Anthropic says must be public before the listing goes live. |
| MCP connector | One remote MCP server that lets Claude reach an app, service or data source. | Submitted with a server URL and listed as a connector people can connect to from the directory. |
Anthropic’s publishing docs add a wrinkle for teams building both pieces. If a plugin points at a remote MCP server, the server should also be submitted as an MCP connector. That gives the organization a connector listing, a connector dashboard and the option to pair the connector with the plugin.
Review and security remain part of the gate
Anthropic says every submission is checked before it appears in the directory, but the level of review varies. Plugin bundles receive automated validation and a security scan, and a person reviews a new listing before it goes live. New plugin versions are scanned again. MCP connector submissions are scanned for policy compliance and are listed as Community connectors by default, with some listings escalated to Verified review.
A Verified connector means Anthropic tested the connector’s tools for quality and compatibility at the time of review. It is not a security audit or a guarantee of future performance, and the developer still operates the connector. Community connectors are screened before listing but have not received the same in-depth review. Anthropic’s safety guidance tells users to connect only to third-party servers from developers they trust and to review permission scopes during authentication.
The company’s Software Directory Policy also puts compliance obligations on developers. It says software must not bypass Claude’s safety guardrails, collect unnecessary conversation data, hide or encode behavioral instructions, or transfer money or other financial assets on behalf of users unless Anthropic expressly allows it in writing. For MCP servers, the policy calls for secure OAuth 2.0 where authentication is needed, meaningful error handling and tool annotations such as read-only and destructive-action hints.
What this changes for Claude users
For Claude users, the practical change is easier discovery and clearer trust signals rather than a new way for every connector to operate. Anthropic’s docs say directory listings and custom connectors use the same technology. A connector can still be added by URL if it is not listed, but a directory listing makes it discoverable and gives it a review label.
The portal also supports Anthropic’s broader move to make Claude act less like a standalone chat app and more like a connected work surface. Since launching remote MCP integrations and the connectors directory in 2025, Anthropic has positioned MCP as the way Claude reaches external tools and data sources.
What to watch next
The biggest open question is how quickly new submissions move through review. Anthropic’s docs say review time is not fixed, and the portal’s status pages distinguish between steps that require developer action and steps that require Anthropic action.
Another issue is measurement. The new dashboards give developers visibility into usage, errors and discovery, but Anthropic says connector metrics are in beta, can lag by up to 24 hours and omit low-volume rows. For builders, that means Claude’s portal can show how a listing performs inside Claude, but it should not replace server-side logging and product analytics.
I can suggest related Tech Help Canada articles based on the topic you’re reading now.
Tech Help Canada Staff researches, writes, and reviews practical content for business owners and professionals. Our coverage spans business, marketing, SEO, technology, and the tools and systems people use to grow and operate online. We focus on clear, useful information backed by research, hands-on experience, and editorial review. Learn more about our team and editorial standards. Need help with something? Contact Us
