Claude Code Plugin

The Pad plugin is the fastest way to use Pad from Claude Code. One install gives you:

The /pad skill: talk to your project in plain language (“what should I work on next?”, “I finished the OAuth fix”).
Typed shortcuts: /pad:status, /pad:capture, /pad:onboard, /pad:connect and /pad:disconnect.
A side panel (/pad-pane): browse what’s in progress, what’s next and every collection; open an item, change its status, comment, or quick-add, without leaving your session.
Live notifications: when an item you’re watching changes, or someone pushes one to your session, Claude hears about it. This is off until you opt in with /pad:connect.

The plugin updates itself, so you never have to re-copy a skill file.

Install

In a Claude Code session:

/plugin marketplace add PerpetualSoftware/pad
/plugin install pad@pad

Or from your shell:

claude plugin marketplace add PerpetualSoftware/pad
claude plugin install pad@pad

In the Claude Desktop app

In a local or SSH session in the Code tab, open + → Plugins, add the marketplace PerpetualSoftware/pad, and install pad. Plugins you install at user scope in the terminal also show up in the Desktop app on the same machine.

Get connected

Open the panel:

/pad-pane

If this folder is already linked to a Pad workspace, you’ll see what’s in progress straight away. If not, the panel’s Get started view offers three ways in:

Pad Cloud: nothing to install. The panel adds Pad Cloud’s MCP server to Claude Code, then you send /reload-plugins and sign in from /mcp.
Pad on this machine: Claude installs the pad CLI (Homebrew or a release binary) and runs /pad:onboard to set up this folder.
Your own server: Claude links this folder to your self-hosted Pad with pad init --url … and pad auth login. New to self-hosting? See Self-Hosting.

Then run /pad:onboard to shape the workspace around your project.

Using the panel

Key	What it does
`n` `x` `b` `f` `a` `g`	Now, Next, Browse, Find, Activity, Settings
`↑` `↓`	Move through the list
`Tab` / `Shift+Tab`	Move between the views and the list
`Enter`	Open the selected item
`s` `c` `w`	In an item: change status, comment, or put “work on it” in your prompt
`y` `o`	Copy the item’s ref or its web link
`q`	Quick-add an item
`Esc`	Step back; at the top, close the panel

In the terminal, press Ctrl+X then Tab to move the keyboard between the panel and your prompt. Settings (g) holds the view the panel opens on, how often it refreshes, whether it talks to Pad through the CLI or MCP, and a darker background if you want one.

Requirements

The panel needs Claude Code 2.1.287 or later (the Desktop app 2.1.286 or later). The skills and shortcuts work on any version.
The CLI path needs the pad CLI; the Cloud path needs nothing but a Pad Cloud account.
Plugins aren’t available in the Desktop app’s WSL sessions.

Other AI tools

Using Cursor, Codex, Windsurf, Copilot or another tool? Install the /pad skill with pad agent install: see Agent Integration. For desktop chat apps, see MCP.