Plugin Manifest

Every plugin requires a manifest.json file that describes the plugin and its modules.

Basic structure

{
  "id": "my-plugin",
  "name": "My Plugin",
  "modules": [
    {
      "id": "my-panel",
      "name": "My Panel",
      "main": "index.html",
      "type": "panel"
    }
  ]
}

Top-level fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	string	Yes	Unique plugin identifier. Use lowercase with hyphens.
name	string	Yes	Human-readable name displayed in the UI.
modules	array	Yes	Array of module definitions.

Module fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	string	Yes	Unique module identifier within the plugin.
name	string	Yes	Human-readable name for the module.
main	string	Yes	Entry point file (usually index.html).
type	string	Yes	Module type: panel, editor, service, or blank.
permissions	array	No	List of permissions the module requires.
order	number	No	Sort order for panels (lower = higher in sidebar).
fileAssociations	array	No	File extensions this editor handles (for editor type).

Module types

Panel

Displays in the left sidebar. Use for navigation, file explorers, or tool interfaces.

{
  "id": "file-browser",
  "name": "Files",
  "main": "index.html",
  "type": "panel",
  "order": 0
}

Editor

Opens files of specific types. Appears in the main content area.

{
  "id": "markdown-editor",
  "name": "Markdown Editor",
  "main": "index.html",
  "type": "editor",
  "fileAssociations": [".md", ".markdown"]
}

Service

Runs in the background without UI. Use for background processing or maintaining state.

{
  "id": "sync-service",
  "name": "Sync Service",
  "main": "service.html",
  "type": "service"
}

Blank

Minimal module that loads but has no designated UI slot. Useful for registering LLM tools without needing a visible panel.

{
  "id": "tools-only",
  "name": "AI Tools",
  "main": "index.html",
  "type": "blank"
}

Permissions

Declare permissions your plugin needs:

{
  "id": "my-panel",
  "name": "My Panel",
  "main": "index.html",
  "type": "panel",
  "permissions": ["fs.watch", "ui:read"]
}

Available permissions

Permission	Description
fs.watch	Subscribe to file system change events
ui:read	Read UI state (open tabs, etc.)

note

Most SDK methods work without explicit permissions. Permissions are only required for specific features like file watching.

Multiple modules

A single plugin can contain multiple modules:

{
  "id": "my-plugin",
  "name": "My Plugin",
  "modules": [
    {
      "id": "sidebar-panel",
      "name": "My Panel",
      "main": "panel.html",
      "type": "panel"
    },
    {
      "id": "md-editor",
      "name": "Markdown Editor",
      "main": "editor.html",
      "type": "editor",
      "fileAssociations": [".md"]
    },
    {
      "id": "background",
      "name": "Background Service",
      "main": "service.html",
      "type": "service"
    }
  ]
}

File associations

For editor modules, specify which file extensions to handle:

{
  "id": "image-viewer",
  "name": "Image Viewer",
  "main": "index.html",
  "type": "editor",
  "fileAssociations": [".png", ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".gif", ".webp"]
}

When a user opens a file with a matching extension, your editor will be used.