Claude plugin not syncing to Cowork: documented causes

Your plugin works in Claude Code but never appears in Cowork. Anthropic's documentation gives a short list of real causes - work through them in this order before reinstalling anything (October 2026 docs; version-specific claims are labelled).

Cause 1: the sync only goes one way

Code can sync its installed plugins TO Cowork. There is no documented Cowork-to-Code direction. If you installed the plugin in Cowork and expected it in Code, that is the explanation - install it in Code instead.

Cause 2: your Claude Code is too old

Sync requires Claude Code v2.1.273 or later. Check your version in the terminal with claude --version and update if it is older. Sync behavior on older versions simply does not exist, so nothing will ever arrive.

Cause 3: how you sign in

The documented exclusion: sync does not apply to setups authenticated with an API key, or running through Amazon Bedrock. If your Code install uses either, plugins stay local to Code by design. The fix is a plan-level sign-in, not a reinstall.

Cause 4: the plugin loads, but not the part you wanted

Even after a successful sync, each surface loads its own subset of a plugin's components - hooks and sub-agents, for example, do not load in chat. If the plugin IS listed in Cowork but a feature is missing, that is the component matrix, covered in which features carry over.

The checks, in order

1. claude --version - below v2.1.273, update first.
2. claude plugin list - confirm the plugin is actually installed in Code, and note its scope (user scope follows you; project scope follows the repo - details in plugin scopes).
3. Confirm you sign in with a Claude plan account, not an API key or Bedrock.
4. Give Cowork a fresh session after syncing; account-level changes do not always appear in a session that was already open.

Sources

• Plugins reference - Claude Code Docs
• Plugin feature support across platforms - Claude Docs
• Version-gated claims as documented, October 2026