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Plugins

Vanta has an opt-in, in-process plugin framework. Plugins add tools and slash commands; everything they register runs through the same kernel-gated dispatch path.

Where plugins live​

  • User plugins — ~/.vanta/plugins/<name>/plugin.json
  • Project plugins — only loaded with explicit trust: plugins.trustProjectPlugins=true and VANTA_ENABLE_PROJECT_PLUGINS=true

Only plugins in the plugins.enabled allow-list load; disabled plugins are not imported.

What a plugin can do​

A plugin's register(ctx) receives a PluginContext exposing:

  • registerTool — plugin tools must be namespaced (plugin_<name>_...), define describeForSafety, avoid collisions, and execute through the kernel-gated dispatch like any tool.
  • registerCommand — adds a slash command.

Manifest​

plugin.json is strictly validated. The loader enforces the allow-list, namespace rules, and trust requirements before a plugin runs.

Deferred (not yet in v1): npm-based loading, plugin-provided providers / platforms / hooks, and CLI runtime-plugin management.

For the other extension points (tools, providers, search backends, MCP), see Extending Vanta.