---
title: Plugin quickstart
description: Build, install, and reload a trusted local Paseo plugin with a workspace panel.
nav: Quickstart
order: 45
category: Plugins
---

# Plugin quickstart

> **Experimental:** Plugins are intended for personal, local use and are not designed for
> distribution yet. The plugin API is still evolving, so expect breaking changes and updates to
> your plugins as Paseo evolves.

See the [plugin roadmap](https://github.com/getpaseo/paseo/labels/plugins) for planned contribution
surfaces and their current status.

Paseo plugins add native workspace panels, Command Center items, global surfaces, daemon behavior, and composer attachment sources. They run on every Paseo client connected to the host, including mobile.

Plugins are trusted local code. Install only code you trust: backend code runs unsandboxed with access to the daemon machine, and client contributions run inside the Paseo app.

On the target host, open **Settings → Plugins** and turn on **Enable plugins**. This is the global switch for every configured plugin on that daemon.

You can also change the root `pluginsEnabled` field in the daemon's `config.json`, then apply it without restarting:

```bash
paseo reload --json
```

Enabling starts configured plugins; disabling tears them down. Automation must inspect the current value first and obtain your explicit permission before changing a disabled or omitted value to `true`.

## Create a plugin

Use an absolute path on the daemon machine:

```bash
paseo plugin init /absolute/path/to/workspace-plugin
cd /absolute/path/to/workspace-plugin
npm install
```

`init` creates a strict TypeScript project. It does not run the package manager. `index.ts` registers contributions; client UI lives in `*.client.tsx` files.

Plugins run on desktop, browser, iOS, and Android. Paseo ships several themes. Color every `Text` from `theme.colors.foreground` or `theme.colors.foregroundMuted`, and size layout from `layout.compact`. Hardcoded black text fails in dark themes.

Replace `main.client.tsx` with:

```tsx
import { type PluginWorkspacePanelProps, useWorkspace } from "@getpaseo/plugin";
import { useMemo } from "react";
import { Text, View } from "react-native";

export function WorkspaceOverview({ theme, layout, workspaceId }: PluginWorkspacePanelProps) {
  const workspace = useWorkspace(workspaceId, ({ name, directory }) => ({
    name,
    directory,
  }));
  const styles = useMemo(
    () => ({
      screen: {
        flex: 1,
        padding: layout.compact ? 16 : 24,
        gap: layout.compact ? 8 : 12,
        backgroundColor: theme.colors.surface0,
      },
      title: { color: theme.colors.foreground, fontSize: layout.compact ? 20 : 24 },
      label: { color: theme.colors.foregroundMuted },
      detail: { color: theme.colors.foreground },
    }),
    [theme, layout.compact],
  );

  return (
    <View style={styles.screen}>
      <Text style={styles.title}>{workspace?.name}</Text>
      <Text style={styles.label}>Directory</Text>
      <Text style={styles.detail}>{workspace?.directory}</Text>
    </View>
  );
}
```

Replace `index.ts` with:

```ts
import type { PluginContext } from "@getpaseo/plugin";
import { WorkspaceOverview } from "./main.client";

export default function contribute(plugin: PluginContext) {
  plugin.addWorkspacePanel({
    id: "overview",
    title: "Workspace overview",
    icon: "PanelsTopLeft",
    context: "workspace",
    Component: WorkspaceOverview,
  });
  plugin.addCommandCenterItem({
    id: "open-overview",
    title: "Open workspace overview",
    icon: "PanelsTopLeft",
    context: "workspace",
    onSelect({ openPanel }) {
      openPanel("overview");
    },
  });
  return () => {};
}
```

The icon is a [Lucide](https://lucide.dev/icons/) icon name. `*.client.tsx` files can use React Native runtime APIs; Paseo excludes them from the daemon bundle. Panel props contain stable IDs; `useWorkspace` selects the cached fields the component needs without fetching through RPC or re-rendering for unrelated workspace changes. See [Theme and layout](/docs/plugins/reference#theme-and-layout) for the required tokens.

## Check and install it

```bash
npm run typecheck
paseo plugin install /absolute/path/to/workspace-plugin
paseo plugin ls
```

Open a workspace, press **⌘K** on macOS or **Ctrl+K** on Windows and Linux, and choose **Open workspace overview**. It opens as a normal workspace tab. If the item does not appear, confirm that **Enable plugins** is on, the plugin status is `running` in `paseo plugin ls`, and the client is viewing the host where you installed it.

## Edit and reload

Source changes are explicit:

```bash
npm run typecheck
paseo plugin reload workspace-plugin
```

A reload stops the old plugin, runs its cleanup, compiles the current source, and starts it again. A failed reload stays failed and reports its load error; fix the source and reload again.

## Debug backend output

Use normal Node logging in daemon-side handlers and cleanup:

```ts
console.log("Refreshing issues");
console.error("Issue refresh failed", error);
```

Read recent stdout and stderr from **Settings → Plugins → Logs** or the CLI:

```bash
paseo plugin logs workspace-plugin
paseo plugin logs workspace-plugin --json
```

The log tail includes `[paseo]` loading, ready, stopping, and stopped entries, plus compilation and
load failures. It survives reloads and crashes. Inspect it when a plugin fails to start or an RPC
rejects. See [Debug backend output](/docs/plugins/reference#debug-backend-output) for retention and
security behavior.

## Next

- [Plugin reference](/docs/plugins/reference), add daemon behavior, use the Paseo SDK, contribute attachments, and manage lifecycle.
- [TypeScript SDK](/docs/sdk), the workspace, agent, provider, and config API exposed inside plugins.