[DOCS] `/plugin marketplace` docs omit `CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS` behavior for GitHub `owner/repo`

Documentation Type

Missing documentation (feature not documented)

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugin-marketplaces

Section/Topic

Plugin marketplace add, Plugin marketplace update, and the GitHub marketplace add workflow for owner/repo sources

Current Documentation

The docs currently describe GitHub shorthand marketplace sources and the separate environment variable, but they do not connect that variable to marketplace add/update behavior:

Use the /plugin marketplace add command to add marketplaces from different sources. * GitHub repositories: owner/repo format (for example, anthropics/claude-code) Add a GitHub repository that contains a .claude-plugin/marketplace.json file using the owner/repo format—where owner is the GitHub username or organization and repo is the repository name.

Add a marketplace from GitHub using owner/repo shorthand: ``bash claude plugin marketplace add acme-corp/claude-plugins ``

``bash claude plugin marketplace update [name] `` Refresh marketplaces from their sources to retrieve new plugins and version changes.

CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS | Set to 1 to clone GitHub owner/repo plugin sources over HTTPS instead of SSH. Useful in CI runners, containers, or any environment without a configured SSH key for github.com

What's Wrong or Missing?

Claude Code v2.1.144 changed plugin marketplace add and plugin marketplace update to respect CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS, but the marketplace docs still do not say that anywhere.

As written now, the docs show GitHub owner/repo marketplace examples and an update command, but they do not explain:

• that GitHub shorthand marketplace sources can be forced over HTTPS with CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS=1
• that the same preference applies later when plugin marketplace update refreshes those marketplaces
• that this is especially relevant for CI, containers, and other environments without GitHub SSH keys

Because the environment-variable entry says only “plugin sources,” readers can reasonably miss that marketplace cloning now uses the same preference in v2.1.144.

Suggested Improvement

Add a short note anywhere the docs show GitHub owner/repo marketplace commands, and cross-reference it from the env-var entry.

For example, near the GitHub marketplace add examples:

For GitHub owner/repo marketplace sources, set CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS=1 to make plugin marketplace add and later plugin marketplace update use HTTPS instead of SSH. This is useful in CI runners, containers, and other environments without a configured SSH key for github.com.

Also consider broadening the env-var description from “plugin sources” to explicitly mention marketplace add/update so its scope matches current behavior in v2.1.144.

Impact

Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand

Additional Context

Affected Pages:

| Page | Line(s) | Context |
|------|---------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugin-marketplaces | 833-936 | CLI claude plugin marketplace add and update reference omits the HTTPS-preference behavior |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/discover-plugins | 177-245 | Interactive /plugin marketplace add GitHub shorthand workflow omits the same behavior |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/env-vars | 139-142 | Env-var entry documents GitHub owner/repo plugin sources, but not marketplace add/update |

Total scope: 3 pages affected

This gap appears after the Claude Code v2.1.144 changelog entry: “Plugin marketplace add/update now respects CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_PREFER_HTTPS.”