workflow.ts, steps.ts, types.ts, prompts, scenarios, traces, cost data — no scattering across folders. Describe what you want in plain English, and Claude Code writes correct, idiomatic Output code. The plugin gives it deep knowledge of the framework’s conventions, patterns, and common mistakes.
Installing the Plugin
When you create a new project withnpx @outputai/cli init, the plugin is installed automatically. You’re ready to go.
To update it alongside your CLI:
What the Plugin Gives Claude Code
The Output plugin isn’t a wrapper around a few CLI commands. It’s a comprehensive system with 3 slash commands, 5 specialized agents, and 32 skills that give Claude Code expert-level knowledge of the Output framework. When you start a Claude Code session in an Output project, the plugin loads automatically. It injects the full framework context — every convention, every pattern, every rule — so Claude Code understands Output from the first message.Slash Commands
In practice, you rarely need to type these directly — Claude Code picks the right skill or command based on what you ask in plain English. But it’s useful to know what’s available so you understand what’s happening under the hood.| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
/outputai:plan_workflow | Produces a detailed implementation plan before writing code. Covers workflow structure, step boundaries, prompt design, error handling, and testing strategy. Saves to .outputai/plans/. | A workflow that researches a company and produces a sales brief |
/outputai:build_workflow | Takes a plan and generates working code — workflow.ts, steps.ts, types.ts, prompts, evaluators, and test scenarios. Every file follows Output conventions. | .outputai/plans/2026_03_19_company_research/PLAN.md |
/outputai:debug_workflow | Checks infrastructure, pulls execution traces, identifies the failure, and suggests a fix. Systematic — no guessing. | The company_research workflow is timing out on the scrape step |
Specialized Agents
The plugin includes 5 expert agents that Claude Code delegates to automatically based on what you’re asking.| Agent | Expertise |
|---|---|
| Workflow Planner | Designs workflow architecture, step boundaries, orchestration patterns |
| Workflow Quality | Reviews code for framework compliance, catches common mistakes |
| Workflow Debugger | Diagnoses execution failures using traces and error patterns |
| Prompt Writer | Creates and reviews .prompt files — Liquid.js templates, YAML frontmatter, provider config |
| Context Fetcher | Retrieves existing patterns from your project to ensure consistency |
Skills
Skills are the building blocks that power the commands and agents — 32 in total across five categories:- Development — Creates every file type in an Output project with correct patterns, imports, and conventions
- Workflow operations — Run, start, check status, retrieve results, list workflows
- Monitoring and debugging — Analyze traces, check service health, identify failure patterns
- Error diagnosis — Six skills for the most common mistakes: wrong
zodimports, non-determinism in workflows, try-catch swallowing retries, missing schemas, direct I/O in workflow functions, usingaxios/fetchinstead of@outputai/http - Credentials — Initialize encrypted stores, edit secrets, wire to environment variables
What Gets Enforced
The plugin enforces Output’s conventions so you don’t accidentally create patterns that break in production:- Import
zfrom@outputai/core, never fromzoddirectly - All I/O goes in steps, never in workflow functions
- Use
@outputai/httpfor HTTP calls, notaxiosorfetch - Use
@outputai/llmfor LLM calls, not provider libraries directly - ES module imports always use
.jsextensions - Every step and workflow has input and output schemas
- Prompt templates use Liquid.js syntax, not Handlebars
- Don’t wrap step calls in try-catch (it swallows the retry logic)
Want to dive deeper?
You can see all skills, agents, commands, and hooks here in our repo.What’s Next
Learning Path
A structured guide through the rest of the documentation.
Workflows
Deep dive into workflow structure, patterns, and orchestration.