Share a plugin
Move a useful tool from one workspace to another without moving private work.
For a direct handoff, send a plugin file. For editable work, share a source folder or source repository. For public discovery and updates, publish to Hay under your personal publisher identity or put versioned bundles in a custom registry. For releases only your account can read, choose a personal registry. An install link proposes an exact release for review; it does not carry credentials or install automatically.
Export from Hay
- Open Plugins / Share & publish.
- Choose an installed optional plugin.
- Select Export plugin file for a portable
.hay-plugin.jsonrelease, or Export source folder for editable files. - Choose where to save it, then share that file or folder using your preferred service.
Hay saves these exports locally. It does not upload them, create a remote repository, or publish a catalog entry. Chat is bundled with Hay and is not a shareable optional plugin.
What recipients do
They open Plugins / Import local plugin, choose the file or source folder, and review the installation. They then grant the access they want and open a task.
The code and manifest travel with the export. Saved records, documents, conversations, sources, credentials, permissions and previous-version snapshots do not. Each recipient gets their own workspace records.
Keep the source and release distinct
Store source in Git when you want reviewable history. A release is a built artifact with a stable ID and version. Increase the numeric version before distributing changed code. Do not silently replace an existing registry release with different bytes.
An imported local plugin can be updated by deliberately importing a strictly newer local release. Old view IDs must remain, saved records and tasks are preserved, and grants reset. Local import cannot replace a registry-sourced plugin or a Hay-created personal interface. Archived namespace restoration is also constrained by source and version. Read local plugins before replacing an existing installation.
Publish through your Hay account
Direct publishing uses the Hay account signed into the app and an owned personal publisher handle. It creates a remote release with a stable ID, version and digest while preserving the local plugin and records. Read publish to Hay for the concrete review and service requirements.
The local export buttons remain useful for direct sharing and self-hosting. Saving an export is not the same as confirming an authenticated publication.
Prepare a registry
Prepare registry files lets you choose installed plugins and a catalog name. Hay saves a new folder containing .well-known/hay-registry.json, index.json, digest-addressed artifacts, and a README explaining hosting. This is publish-ready output, not a live publication.
Read host a registry for the upload and validation steps, or the registry reference for the exact JSON contract.