Have a DevScribe plugin you’ve built and want to test it inside the application? You can load it directly from your local machine using DevScribe’s Plugin Manager.

This is useful when you’re developing a plugin and want to test changes without publishing it to the Plugin Store.

Before You Start

Your plugin should be ready to load from a local directory.

The plugin directory must contain a manifest.json file at its root. The manifest tells DevScribe how to identify and load the plugin.

A basic manifest looks like this:

{
  "id": "my-plugin",
  "name": "My Plugin",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A short description of my plugin.",
  "fileType": "custom-tool",
  "route": "/my-plugin",
  "entry": "index.html"
}

The required fields are:

Adding Your Plugin to DevScribe

Once your plugin directory is ready:

1. Open DevScribe.
2. Click Plugins in the right-side toolbar.
3. Open the Installed section in the Plugin Manager.
4. Click Add plugin locally.

If you haven’t installed any local plugins yet, the option may appear as Add your first plugin locally.

Select Your Plugin Directory

DevScribe will open a directory selector.

Select the folder containing your plugin.

DevScribe loads the plugin from that directory and adds it to your Installed plugins.

Once it appears in the Installed plugins list, you can open it and start using it inside DevScribe.

Test Your Plugin

With the plugin loaded, use it as you normally would and check that its functionality works as expected.

Local installation is particularly useful during development because you can keep the plugin on your machine and test it while you continue making changes.

You don’t need to publish the plugin to the Plugin Store just to test it locally.

Where Are Local Plugins Stored?

DevScribe stores locally added plugins in:

~/.devscribe/plugins/

You normally don’t need to manage this directory manually. The Add plugin locally option handles adding the plugin to DevScribe.

Local Development Workflow

A simple workflow for developing a DevScribe plugin is:

Build

Add locally

Test

Update

Test again

This lets you iterate on your plugin without going through the publishing process every time you make a change.

Conclusion

DevScribe makes it straightforward to run a plugin directly from your local machine.

With a valid manifest.json and the Add plugin locally option, you can load your plugin into DevScribe, test it, and continue developing it before deciding whether to share it with other users.

Build it locally. Run it in DevScribe. Iterate.

Still bewildered? Here’s a walk through on how to install a plugin locally:

What’s Next?

If you haven’t built your plugin yet, start with Building a DevScribe Plugin to learn how to create the plugin and connect it to DevScribe.