Installation Modes: Plugin vs Template

SkillStore supports two installation modes for every package: plugin and template. This guide explains the differences, when to use each, and how to migrate between them.

Plugin Mode

Install with --as-plugin (this is the default).

skillstore install devflow-agile --as-plugin

What gets installed

Only the skills/ and commands/ directories are copied into your project:

your-project/
  .claude/
    skills/         <-- installed
    commands/       <-- installed

Advantages

• Quick setup -- typically under 2 minutes from install to first use.
• Non-invasive -- does not add agents or workflows to your project.
• Works immediately -- skills and slash commands are available as soon as you open Claude Code.
• Low maintenance -- fewer files to manage, easy to update.

Limitations

• No agent definitions (cannot customize agent behavior or personas).
• No workflow definitions (cannot define multi-step automated pipelines).
• Limited customization -- skills and commands run with their default configuration.

Template Mode

Install with --as-template.

skillstore install devflow-agile --as-template

What gets installed

The full package structure is copied, including agents/, skills/, commands/, and workflows/:

your-project/
  .claude/
    agents/         <-- installed
    skills/         <-- installed
    commands/       <-- installed
    workflows/      <-- installed

Advantages

• Full customization -- edit agent definitions, modify workflows, tune skill behavior.
• Team-specific agents -- create agents tailored to your team's roles and processes.
• Custom workflows -- define multi-step pipelines (e.g., sprint planning, code review, deployment).
• Complete control -- everything is in your project and can be version-controlled.

Trade-offs

• More initial setup time -- you may need to configure agents and workflows for your team.
• Requires team alignment on how agents and workflows are used.
• Updates may require manual merging if you have customized the installed files.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Migration Path: Plugin to Template

If you started with plugin mode and want to upgrade to template mode, run the install command again with --as-template:

skillstore install devflow-agile --as-template

This will:

1. Keep your existing skills/ and commands/ (overwriting with the latest versions).
2. Add the agents/ and workflows/ directories that were not present in plugin mode.
3. Update the install record in your local config to reflect template mode.

Your project structure changes from:

.claude/
  skills/
  commands/

To:

.claude/
  agents/        <-- newly added
  skills/        <-- updated
  commands/      <-- updated
  workflows/     <-- newly added

No data is lost during this migration. If you had custom modifications to skill or command files, back them up before upgrading.

When to Use Which

Choose Plugin Mode when:

• You are a solo developer working on personal or small projects.
• You want to evaluate a package quickly before committing to full setup.
• Your project does not need custom agents or automated workflows.
• You prefer a minimal footprint in your project directory.

Choose Template Mode when:

• You are working on a team and need shared agent definitions and workflows.
• You want to customize agent behavior (e.g., adjust the scrum-master agent for your sprint cadence).
• Your project uses multi-step workflows (e.g., automated sprint planning, review pipelines).
• You are in an enterprise environment that requires standardized processes across projects.
• You want to version-control your team's agent and workflow configurations alongside the codebase.

Available Packages

All packages support both plugin and template modes: