CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA is a Claude Code environment variable: Provides a filesystem path where plugins can store persistent state that survives plugin updates and reinstalls. Previously, plugin data lived alongside the plugin code itself, meaning every update wiped accumulated state — conversation caches, user preferences, learned patterns. Added between v2.1.77 and v2.1.79 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

How to set it

For one session, export it in the shell that starts Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA=<value>
claude

To apply it to every session, add it to the env object of a settings file:

// ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA": "<value>"
  }
}

Release notes that mention it

• Claude Code v2.1.78 — 2 New Environment Variables: Plugin Persistence and Security Hardening
• Claude Code Version Tracker: Undocumented Env Vars, Feature Gates & Models

Related variables

• CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_BACKGROUND_PLUGIN_REFRESH: Enables automatic background plugin refresh when the runtime detects updates are needed.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_CACHE_DIR: Local cache directory for downloaded plugins.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIR_WATCH
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIRS
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_KEEP_MARKETPLACE_ON_FAILURE: Preserves the local marketplace plugin cache when git pull fails.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS: Force HTTPS for plugin source resolution.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_SEED_DIR: Seed directory for pre-installed plugins.
• CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_USE_ZIP_CACHE: Use zip-based caching instead of git.

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.