Claude Cowork plugin requirements: the checklist
Which Claude plans include plugins, which devices Cowork needs, and the access checks to run before you install anything.
Plugins for Claude Cowork are available on paid Claude plans, but access, local capabilities and component behavior depend on your plan, your surface and your organization's settings. This checklist is based on Anthropic's current documentation, linked at the end. Plan and UI facts change quickly, so treat anything version-sensitive as a snapshot from October 2026 and confirm in your own account.
Which plan do I need?
Cowork and plugins are available on paid plans: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Where you can use Cowork varies by surface:
- Claude Desktop for macOS or Windows: all paid plans.
- Web at claude.ai: Pro, Max and Team; on Enterprise, where an admin has enabled it.
- Claude mobile (iOS and Android): Pro, Max and Team, in the latest app version; on Enterprise, where an admin has enabled it.
- Claude in the Chrome side panel: Max and Team, rolling out to Pro; on Enterprise, where an admin has enabled it.
On Team and Enterprise, an administrator can also manage catalog visibility and component permissions. Being on a paid plan proves membership, not that every option is switched on for you. If something below is missing in your account, your plan or your admin's settings are the first place to check.
Why is there no Cowork tab?
Anthropic is merging Chat and Cowork into one Claude experience, rolling out gradually to Pro and Max plans, with more plans to follow. In the new experience the message box no longer shows "Chat" and "Cowork" choices; you describe the task and Claude decides whether it is a quick answer or a working session.
So a missing Cowork tab can be the rollout, not missing access. Older guides that show a Cowork tab describe the previous interface.
Do I need the desktop app?
Not for every task. Cowork sessions run in the cloud (in beta on Team and Enterprise plans), and your sessions and files stay with your Claude account across desktop, web and mobile.
You do need the Claude Desktop app, open and connected, when a task touches your computer:
- reading from or writing to your local files,
- using your browser,
- computer use.
Those capabilities reach things on your machine, so they need the desktop app for macOS or Windows even though the session itself runs in the cloud. Anthropic's desktop install article also lists a Linux beta, but the Cowork local-capability requirements still name macOS and Windows, so do not read full Linux Cowork support into the existence of an installer.
Do plugins work in chat and in Claude Code?
Yes, with per-component limits. Anthropic's current Help Center says plugins you add are saved to your account and work in chat on the web, the Chat tab in Claude Desktop, and in Cowork. The skills and commands bundled in a plugin work in all three. Hooks and sub-agents run in Cowork and Claude Code, not in chat, so they appear grayed out there.
In Claude Code, a plugin runs in full on your computer, including skills, sub-agents, hooks and local MCP servers. The sync from your Claude account is one-way: Code reads your installed plugins and never changes anything in the account. The Help Center names Claude Code v2.1.273 or later and notes that plugins do not sync when Code is signed in with an API key or runs on a cloud provider such as Amazon Bedrock.
Older articles saying plugins are Cowork-only describe a previous state; the current docs agree across surfaces. If your account behaves differently, trust what you see and treat the article as stale.
Does a plugin need a connector?
Only if the workflow needs that service and the package supplies or expects it. Many tasks work from text you supply. A first test with pasted notes is a legitimate way to judge a plugin before you connect anything live.
If a plugin does use connectors, check where they run. In Cowork, custom connectors must be reachable from Anthropic's infrastructure over the public internet; a private-network service will not work through that path. Plugins can also bundle local MCP server components, which run on your computer through the desktop app. Review the permissions a connector asks for before enabling it, and connect only what the task needs.
What should I check before installing?
- Publisher and source. Who made it, and where it came from. Community packages are not reviewed the way official ones are.
- Component inventory. Skills, commands, sub-agents, hooks, connectors, local MCP servers. Each has its own host support.
- Plan and admin rules. Paid plan, plus anything your organization restricts on Team or Enterprise.
- Install path. Marketplace, Customize menu, or a manual package.
- Data and access needs. Which connectors or local capabilities the workflow expects.
Then run a first task on synthetic notes, and save the version, input and output so you can compare after updates. Our getting started guide walks through a first install, the install-a-plugin how-to covers the mechanics, and the plugin directory shows publisher and component details per package. For the difference between Anthropic-made and community packages, see official vs community plugins.