Please run in a plugin directory - must contain package.json

Error message

Please run in a plugin directory - must contain package.json

What it means

checkInPlugin is a guard used by the Budibase CLI plugin commands (verify, migrateSvelte5). It insists the current working directory is a plugin project by checking that package.json exists. If not, it throws so the command cannot run against an unrelated directory.

Solutions

cd into the plugin's root directory (the one containing package.json and schema.json) and re-run the command
If the directory is not yet a plugin, scaffold one with the plugin init command so package.json is generated
Run `ls package.json` to confirm your working directory before invoking the CLI

Example fix

// before (wrong dir)
~/projects $ budibase-plugins verify
// Error: Please run in a plugin directory - must contain package.json
// after
cd ~/projects/my-budi-plugin && budibase-plugins verify

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

import fs from "fs"
if (!fs.existsSync("package.json")) {
  throw new Error("Not a plugin directory: package.json missing. Run from the plugin root.")
}

Type guard

const isPluginDir = (dir: string = process.cwd()): boolean =>
  fs.existsSync(`${dir}/package.json`) && fs.existsSync(`${dir}/schema.json`)

Prevention

Always run plugin CLI commands from the directory containing both package.json and schema.json
Add a shell alias/script that cds to the plugin root before invoking the CLI
Check `pwd` and `ls package.json schema.json` if a command fails

When it happens

Trigger: Running `budibase-plugins verify` or `budibase-plugins migrateSvelte5` from a directory where fs.existsSync("package.json") is false — i.e. not at the root of a plugin project.

Common situations: Running the CLI from the repo root or home directory instead of the plugin folder; running inside a subdirectory of the plugin (e.g. src/) that has no package.json; a plugin scaffolded before package.json was created; a typo'd cd.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of Budibase/budibase@a81a902e9a (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/85c70dbf4761ff87. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/cli/src/plugins/index.ts:52

      continue
    }
    try {
      fs.unlinkSync(p)
      deleted.push(p)
    } catch (err: any) {
      failed.push({
        path: p,
        error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err),
      })
    }
  }

  return { deleted, failed }
}

function checkInPlugin() {
  if (!fs.existsSync("package.json")) {
    throw new Error(
      "Please run in a plugin directory - must contain package.json"
    )
  }
  if (!fs.existsSync("schema.json")) {
    throw new Error(
      "Please run in a plugin directory - must contain schema.json"
    )
  }
}

async function askAboutTopLevel(name: string) {
  const files = fs.readdirSync(process.cwd())
  // we are in an empty git repo, don't ask
  if (files.find(file => file === ".git")) {
    return false
  } else {
    console.log(
      info(`By default the plugin will be created in the directory "${name}"`)

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