> For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at /llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at /llms-full.txt.

# Sharing plugins publicly

Plugins can be shared with your team or with the entire internet. This is controlled by the `private` field in your plugin's [`.tessl-plugin/plugin.json`](/reference/configuration.md#plugin.json) file.

## Understanding public vs private plugins

### Private plugins (`"private": true`) - Default

**Shared only with your team:**

- Only accessible to workspace members
- Not discoverable in public searches
- Useful for proprietary code, internal standards, company-specific content
- **Team sharing:** [Add members to your workspace](/reference/workspaces.md#add-member) to give them access

If you don't specify the `private` field in your `.tessl-plugin/plugin.json`, it defaults to `true` (private).

### Public plugins (`"private": false`)

**Shared with the entire internet:**

- Anyone can discover and install them via the Tessl Registry
- Appear in search results and on your workspace's public profile
- Useful for open source libraries, shared standards, community resources
- **Cannot be made private again once published**

## Making a plugin public

**Warning:** Once you make a plugin public, you cannot make it private again. Use this with caution.

To make a plugin publicly discoverable, set `"private": false` in your [`.tessl-plugin/plugin.json`](/reference/configuration.md#plugin.json):

```json
{
  "name": "myworkspace/my-plugin",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "My public plugin",
  "private": false,
  "skills": "skills"
}
```

Then publish (or republish) your plugin:

```sh
tessl plugin publish
```

Your plugin is now publicly discoverable in the [Tessl Registry](https://tessl.io/registry) and accessible to anyone on the internet.

## Best practices

- **Start private** - Develop and test plugins privately before making them public
- **Use semantic versioning** - Especially important for public plugins that others depend on
- **Document thoroughly** - Include clear README files and usage examples
- **Validate before publishing** - Run `tessl plugin lint` to check for issues

## Related documentation

- [Distributing via registry](/guides/distribute/distributing-via-registry.md) - How to publish plugins
- [Configuration files](/reference/configuration.md) - plugin.json field reference
- [Creating plugins](/creating-skills-and-plugins/create-a-plugin.md) - How to create your own plugins