paseo/public-docs/plugins/migration.md

title, description, nav, order, category

title	description	nav	order	category
Migrate a plugin to runtime entries	Mechanical migration from a mixed plugin entry to explicit client and server entries.	Migration	47	Plugins

Migrate a plugin to runtime entries

Give this page to a coding agent with the plugin directory as its working directory. Execute the steps in order. Do not keep a compatibility entry.

1. Classify the existing code

Start from the old shape:

my-plugin/
  paseo-plugin.json
  package.json
  tsconfig.json
  index.ts
  greeting.client.tsx
  greeting.server.ts
  greeting.shared.ts

The finished shape is:

my-plugin/
  paseo-plugin.json
  package.json
  tsconfig.json
  index.client.tsx
  index.server.ts
  client/greeting.tsx
  server/greeting.ts
  shared/greeting.ts

Create only the entries the plugin needs. At least one is required. Components and client callbacks need the client entry. RPC handlers and Node APIs need the server entry.

2. Rename files and directories

Apply these rules exactly:

1. Replace the mixed root entry with index.client.tsx, index.server.ts, or both.
2. Move every name.client.ts or name.client.tsx to client/name.ts or client/name.tsx.
3. Move every name.server.ts or name.server.tsx to server/name.ts or server/name.tsx.
4. Move every name.shared.ts or name.shared.tsx to shared/name.ts or shared/name.tsx.
5. Preserve nested feature directories under the matching runtime directory.
6. Update relative imports after every move.
7. Keep paseo-plugin.json, package.json, and tsconfig.json at the root.
8. Delete the old root entry. Paseo does not load it.

The directories are the compiler boundaries. A file beneath client/ compiles only into the app bundle, a file beneath server/ only into the daemon bundle, and shared/ into both. Filename suffixes such as *.client.tsx no longer mean anything, and a code module left at the plugin root is a compile error.

3. Move every registration

Use this table as the complete registration checklist.

Old registration and location	New registration and location
plugin.handle(contract, handler) in the old root entry	server.handle(contract, handler) in index.server.ts
plugin.addSurface(id, Component) in the old root entry	client.addSurface(id, Component) in index.client.tsx
plugin.addSidebarItem(item) in the old root entry	client.addSidebarItem(item) in index.client.tsx
plugin.addWorkspacePanel(panel) in the old root entry	client.addWorkspacePanel(panel) in index.client.tsx
plugin.addCommandCenterItem(item) in the old root entry	client.addCommandCenterItem(item) in index.client.tsx
plugin.addClientSlashCommand(command) in the old root entry	client.addSlashCommand(command) in index.client.tsx
plugin.addClientSide(fn) in the old root entry	Delete the wrapper and move the body of fn into the default client entry function
client.addComposerPill(pill) inside the old client callback	client.addComposerPill(pill) inside index.client.tsx or an imported client/ function
plugin.addAttachmentSource(source) in the old root entry	client.addAttachmentSource(source) in index.client.tsx
plugin.addTheme(theme) in the old root entry	client.addTheme(theme) in index.client.tsx
plugin.addTimelineTransformer(transformer) in the old root entry	client.addTimelineTransformer(transformer) in index.client.tsx
plugin.addTimelineRenderer(renderer) in the old root entry	client.addTimelineRenderer(renderer) in index.client.tsx
import { defineRpc, defineAttachmentSource } from "@getpaseo/plugin/server" in shared files	import { defineRpc, defineAttachmentSource } from "@getpaseo/plugin"
ZodOutput<typeof contract.input> handler parameter types	RpcInput<typeof contract> from @getpaseo/plugin; RpcOutput for return types

Import PluginClientContext in the client entry and PluginServerContext in the server entry. Remove imports of the old context type. @getpaseo/plugin/server now exports only handler-side types such as PluginHandlerContext. Every client add* now returns an idempotent removal function. Preserve any remover the plugin calls before teardown; Paseo removes outstanding registrations after the entry cleanup runs.

4. Separate imports

The client entry imports only client/, shared/, and client-safe packages. The server entry imports only server/, shared/, and server-safe packages. A node: import in the client entry or anything reachable from it is a compile error. Never import a component into the server entry merely to wire its registration; that registration belongs in the client entry.

5. Recognize half-migration errors

Compiler or load error	Meaning and fix
Plugin entry split is required	The directory still has only the old root entry. Create a runtime entry, move registrations, then delete the old file.
Plugin entry points are missing: expected index.client.ts or index.client.tsx and/or index.server.ts or index.server.tsx	No supported entry exists. Add at least one exact filename.
server-only module cannot be imported into the plugin client bundle: <file>	A client import reaches server/. Move the call behind an RPC and import its contract from shared/.
client-only module cannot be imported into the plugin server bundle: <file>	A server import reaches client/. Move that registration and import to the client entry.
Plugin modules belong in client/, server/, or shared/: <file>	A code module is still at the plugin root. Move it into the matching directory and fix its imports.
Node module cannot be imported into the plugin client bundle: node:<name> imported by <file>	Client code imports a Node API. Move the operation to server/, expose an RPC in shared/, and call it from the client.
TypeScript reports that PluginContext, addClientSide, or addClientSlashCommand does not exist	Replace the old context types and registrations using the table above.

6. Worked example: plugin-examples/local-plugin

Only the entry files and import paths change. Component and handler bodies move without edits.

Before:

local-plugin/
  index.ts
  main.client.tsx
  increment.server.ts
  increment.shared.ts

// index.ts
import type { PluginContext } from "@getpaseo/plugin";
import { contributeClient, ExamplePanel } from "./main.client";
import { increment } from "./increment.server";
import { incrementRpc } from "./increment.shared";

export default function contribute(plugin: PluginContext) {
  plugin.handle(incrementRpc, increment);
  plugin.addWorkspacePanel({
    id: "counter",
    title: "Plugin counter",
    icon: "Blocks",
    context: "workspace",
    locations: ["workspace", "explorer"],
    Component: ExamplePanel,
  });
  plugin.addCommandCenterItem({
    id: "open-counter",
    title: "Open plugin counter",
    icon: "Blocks",
    context: "workspace",
    onSelect({ openPanel }) {
      openPanel("counter");
    },
  });
  plugin.addClientSide(contributeClient);
  return () => {};
}

After:

local-plugin/
  index.client.tsx
  index.server.ts
  client/main.tsx        # was main.client.tsx
  server/increment.ts    # was increment.server.ts
  shared/increment.ts    # was increment.shared.ts

// index.client.tsx
import type { PluginClientContext } from "@getpaseo/plugin";
import { contributeClient, ExamplePanel } from "./client/main";

export default function contribute(client: PluginClientContext) {
  client.addWorkspacePanel({
    id: "counter",
    title: "Plugin counter",
    icon: "Blocks",
    context: "workspace",
    locations: ["workspace", "explorer"],
    Component: ExamplePanel,
  });
  client.addCommandCenterItem({
    id: "open-counter",
    title: "Open plugin counter",
    icon: "Blocks",
    context: "workspace",
    onSelect({ openPanel }) {
      openPanel("counter");
    },
  });
  return contributeClient(client);
}

// index.server.ts
import type { PluginServerContext } from "@getpaseo/plugin";
import { increment } from "./server/increment";
import { incrementRpc } from "./shared/increment";

export default function contribute(server: PluginServerContext) {
  server.handle(incrementRpc, increment);
  return () => {};
}

Import path changes inside the moved files:

 // client/main.tsx
-import { incrementRpc } from "./increment.shared";
+import { incrementRpc } from "../shared/increment";

 // server/increment.ts
-import { incrementRpc } from "./increment.shared";
+import { incrementRpc } from "../shared/increment";

contributeClient already took a PluginClientContext and returned cleanup, so the client entry calls it directly and returns its cleanup. A plugin whose addClientSide callback also registered pills or subscriptions keeps that code; only the wrapper goes away.

7. Verify the migration

Run:

npm run typecheck
paseo plugin reload <plugin-id>
paseo plugin ls

Require running with no error. Exercise every contribution. For plugins with RPCs, call the client action and verify the server result. For client-only plugins, confirm the contribution loads without a server process. Call any stored registration remover twice and verify the second call is a no-op.