Claude Code marketplace not found: how to fix it

The confusing part of a "marketplace not found" failure in Claude Code is that the CLI rarely says those words. The errors point at the plugin instead. These are the real messages from Claude Code v2.1.296 (October 2026) and the checks that resolve each, fastest first.

Check 1: is the marketplace name right?

Install with a typo'd marketplace name and you get:

Plugin "finance" not found in marketplace "no-such-marketplace". Your local copy may be out of date - try claude plugin marketplace update no-such-marketplace.

The plugin exists; the marketplace does not. The message blames the plugin and suggests updating a marketplace that was never added. Before updating anything, list what is actually configured:

claude plugin marketplace list

Compare the name in your command against the list character by character. knowledge-work-plugins and knowledge-work-plugin are different marketplaces, and the error will not tell you that.

Check 2: is the plugin name right?

A real marketplace with a typo'd plugin name gives the cleaner message:

Plugin "nonexistent-plugin" not found in marketplace "knowledge-work-plugins"

Fix: browse the marketplace's repository for the exact directory name. For Anthropic's official marketplace the plugin names are the top-level folders in the repo (finance, sales, marketing, productivity, and so on).

Check 3: can the CLI reach the source at all?

Adding a marketplace from a repo that does not exist (or one you cannot access) fails earlier, at the add step, with git's own wording:

Please make sure you have the correct access rights and the repository exists.

That message means the clone failed: wrong owner/repo, a private repository without access, or a network problem. The add syntax accepts a GitHub owner/repo, a full git or https URL, or a local path - if one form fails, try the full URL to separate a naming problem from an access problem.

Check 4: is the local copy stale?

The update hint in the first error is legitimate in one case: the marketplace IS configured, but its cached copy predates the plugin you want. Then the fix really is:

claude plugin marketplace update knowledge-work-plugins

Run it when marketplace list shows the marketplace and the plugin's repo page shows the plugin exists. If the list does not show the marketplace, update cannot help - go back to check 1.

The order that wastes the least time

1. claude plugin marketplace list - confirm the marketplace name.
2. Check the plugin name against the marketplace repository.
3. Try the full git URL if owner/repo fails to add.
4. marketplace update only when the marketplace is listed but the plugin is missing.

The full install walkthrough, with scope choices and verification, is in install a Code plugin from a marketplace.

Sources

• Plugins reference - Claude Code Docs
• Error messages: Claude Code v2.1.296, reproduced October 10, 2026