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Plugins are how Dify connects to everything: model providers, external APIs, custom tools. They’re modular components that extend your workspace capabilities, installed once but usable everywhere.
Plugins Tab
Access plugin management through the Plugins tab in your workspace.

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How Plugins Work

Plugin Management
Plugins are workspace-scoped. When you install a plugin, every application in your workspace can use it. Team members access plugins based on their roles:
Install, configure, and remove plugins for the entire workspace

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Install Plugins

Marketplace

Official and partner plugins, tested and maintained

GitHub

Install from any public repository with URL + version

Local Upload

Custom .zip packages for private or internal plugins
An administrator can restrict plugin installation: limiting the available sources (for example, Marketplace only) and which plugins may be installed (for example, official plugins only). See Plugin Installation Strategy.

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What Plugins Really Are

Think of plugins as the bridge between Dify and the outside world:

Model Providers

Every LLM in Dify (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) is actually a plugin

Tools & Functions

API calls, data processing, calculations, all plugin-based

Custom Endpoints

Expose your Dify apps as APIs that external systems can call

Reverse Invocation

Plugins can call back into Dify to use models, tools, or workflows

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Workspace Plugin Settings

Control plugin permissions in your workspace settings:
Everyone - Any member can install plugins Admin Only - Only workspace admins can install (recommended)
Everyone - All members can debug plugin issues Admin Only - Restrict debugging to admins
Choose update strategy (security only vs. all updates) and specify which plugins to include or exclude
After installing, most plugins need configuration: API keys, endpoints, or service settings. These apply workspace-wide. Beyond these per-workspace controls, administrators can set an installation policy that governs which plugin types and sources members are allowed to install across every workspace. See Plugin Installation Strategy.

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Build Custom Plugins

Develop plugins using Dify’s SDK when you need custom functionality:
  1. Get a debugging key from Settings → Plugins → Debugging
  2. Build and test your plugin locally
  3. Package as a .zip with manifest and dependencies
  4. Distribute privately or publish to the marketplace