How to Install the Bookkeeper Claude Plugin (Cowork & Code)

Don't want to install anything? You don't have to. The free web tools for bookkeepers on The AI Career Lab give you the same kind of pre-built workflows in your browser — five runs a day on a free account, no terminal, no install. Create a free account if you'd rather skip straight to the tools.

The Bookkeeper Claude plugin from The AI Career Lab is the fastest way to turn Claude into a bookkeeper-aware co-worker. It bundles 4 pre-built slash commands and 2 skills that already know what bookkeepers actually do — so you stop writing prompts from scratch every time you need a routine document.

The plugin works in both runtimes Claude offers:

• Claude Cowork — Claude's agent workspace in the Claude desktop app. The easiest path: no terminal, no command lines. Requires a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise) to access plugins.
• Claude Code — the terminal CLI for power users and developers. Requires Node.js + npm, and a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise) or Anthropic API credits.

This guide walks through the install in five minutes for whichever runtime you prefer. No coding background required either way.

What this plugin gives you

A normal Claude session is a blank chat window. You type what you want, Claude responds. That works, but it puts the burden of prompt engineering on you, and the output quality varies based on how much detail you remember to include.

A plugin replaces that loop with slash commands — pre-built shortcuts that already contain the structure, formatting rules, and professional conventions for a specific task. Instead of remembering how to ask for a bookkeeper-style document, you type one command and answer the questions Claude asks.

In this plugin you get:

• /client-email — runs the client email workflow with the right structure pre-loaded
• /financial-summary — runs the financial summary workflow with the right structure pre-loaded
• /reconciliation-report — runs the reconciliation report workflow with the right structure pre-loaded
• /tax-prep — runs the tax prep workflow with the right structure pre-loaded

Which runtime should you use?

Use Claude Cowork if:

• You already use claude.ai for chat work
• You prefer a graphical interface to a terminal
• You don't want to set up Node.js or npm
• You have a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise)

Use Claude Code if:

• You're already comfortable in a terminal
• You want to use Claude alongside other developer tools
• You'd rather pay per use than subscribe — Claude Code also runs on an Anthropic API key with pay-as-you-go billing (it is not free either way: it needs a Pro/Max/Team plan or API credits)
• You want the option to script and automate workflows around the plugin

The plugin commands and skills are identical across both runtimes. The choice is purely about which interface fits your workflow — Cowork is a browser-based chat with clickable plugin installs, Claude Code is a terminal CLI with slash-command installs.

Path A: Install in Claude Cowork (easiest, no command lines)

Cowork is becoming part of the main Claude app. On September 16, 2026 Anthropic announced it is merging Cowork into the main Claude app, rolling out to Pro and Max first. The Customize → Plugins install path below is the same either way. What changed.

Claude Cowork is entirely UI-based. You don't type any slash commands to install plugins — you click.

1. Open the Claude desktop app and sign in. Plugin install happens in the desktop app.
2. Make sure you're on a paid plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise). The plugin marketplace is gated to paid plans.
3. Click Customize in the left sidebar, open the Plugins tab, then click Add ▾ → Add marketplace → Add from a repository.
4. In the modal, paste this into the URL field:

alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins

5. Leave Sync automatically on so you get our updates, then click Sync. Claude pulls the marketplace catalog from the public alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins repo.
6. With Discover selected, find the Bookkeeper plugin (listed as "by awesome-claude-cowork-plugins") and click Add.

That's it. The commands and skills are now available in your Cowork chats. No terminal, no Node.js, no slash commands to type.

Path B: Install in Claude Code (terminal CLI, two commands)

Claude Code is the terminal CLI for Claude. It needs a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise) or Anthropic API credits, plus a one-time setup if you've never used it before.

One-time Claude Code setup

1. Install Claude Code. Open a terminal and run:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

If you don't have npm, install Node.js first (download the LTS version, run the installer).

2. Sign in once. Run claude in your terminal and follow the sign-in flow.

Install the plugin

Inside Claude Code, run these two commands:

/plugin marketplace add alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins
/plugin install bookkeeper@awesome-claude-cowork-plugins

The first command registers the marketplace catalog; the second installs the Bookkeeper plugin by name from it. You only need to run marketplace add once — after that, installing additional plugins from the same marketplace is a single install command.

To verify, type /help and you should see the new commands listed alongside Claude Code's built-ins.

Your first command

After install, try the most common command in this plugin to verify everything is working:

/client-email

When you run it, Claude will ask you for the context it needs (bookkeeper-specific details about the task at hand) and produce a structured draft. The whole point is that you don't have to remember how to prompt — the plugin already knows the format the bookkeeper job needs.

If you've ever found yourself re-typing the same kind of prompt over and over to get a client email, that's what this command is replacing.

First 5 documents to try after install

Once the plugin is installed, these are the workflows worth running this week — each one maps to a real document you produce regularly. The plugin handles them as slash commands; each also has a web-based counterpart on the AI Career Lab site if you'd rather test in the browser before committing to the plugin install.

1. Recurring client communication — /client-email in the plugin, or /tools/bookkeeper-client-email on the web.
2. Monthly P&L narrative — /financial-summary in the plugin, or /tools/bookkeeper-financial-summary on the web.
3. Reconciliation note — /reconciliation-report in the plugin, or /tools/bookkeeper-reconciliation on the web.
4. Tax-prep timeline message — /tax-prep in the plugin, or /tools/bookkeeper-tax-prep on the web.
5. Cross-sibling — for many practitioners, this workflow pairs with an adjacent profession: see the Financial advisor installer (sibling vertical).

Skills you get for free

This plugin also includes Claude Skills that activate automatically when you're working on relevant tasks — no command required, no extra prompting:

• Financial Reporting — activates automatically when relevant context appears
• Tax Communication — activates automatically when relevant context appears

Skills are the part of the plugin that makes Claude feel like a co-worker who already knows your job. The first time one auto-activates while you're working on something else, you'll understand the difference between using Claude generically and using Claude as a bookkeeper.

Where to go from here

Once the plugin is installed and you've run your first command, the next thing to do is set up Claude as a real co-worker — not just a one-off command runner. That means giving it your professional context, your house style, and the documents it should reference.

• Claude Cowork playbook for bookkeepers — the full setup guide for using Claude as your daily bookkeeper co-worker. This is the document that turns the plugin from a shortcut into an actual workflow.
• Free web tools for bookkeepers — the same kind of pre-built workflows in your browser, no install required. Useful when you're at a workstation that doesn't have Claude Cowork or Claude Code set up.
• Best AI Tools for Bookkeepers in 2026 — the broader landscape of AI tools that make sense for bookkeepers, including the on-site tools and the affiliate platforms we recommend.
• Weekly AI Digest for bookkeepers — curated AI updates relevant to your work, every week.

Common issues

I don't see the "Add marketplace" option in Claude Cowork. You need to be on a paid plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise). Plugin install is gated to paid plans in Cowork. Claude Code needs a paid plan (or API credits) too, so on the Free plan you'll need to upgrade to install plugins. The free browser tools at theaicareerlab.com/tools work on a free account.

The marketplace sync failed in Claude Cowork. Double-check the URL field has exactly alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins — a GitHub owner/repo format, no https://, no trailing slash. Click Sync again.

The Claude Code marketplace add command failed. Make sure Claude Code is updated to the latest version (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code will update it). The plugin marketplace feature is built into recent versions; older versions don't have it.

The slash commands aren't showing up after install. Start a new chat (Cowork) or type /help (Claude Code). If you see the built-in commands but not the new ones, the install didn't complete — re-run the install and watch for error output.

I want to use this without installing anything. Use the free web tools instead. They run the same kinds of workflows in your browser without any install or paid plan.

Ready to try it without installing

If neither install path is appealing for a first try, the free web tools for bookkeepers give you the same kind of pre-built workflows in your browser — five runs a day on a free account.

Create your free AI Career Lab account and try the bookkeeper tools today. No credit card required.

Want more than the free plugin?

The free plugin is a starting point. The Bookkeeper AI Operating System is the full setup: a command center, five connected jobs, and every prompt (vs the free plugin's commands), a setup wizard that captures your practice context, a hard CPA-boundary guard that never crosses into tax advice or audit defense, and data-privacy safeguards on every skill. Runs on Claude Cowork. $19 one-time, lifetime updates. Get the pack →

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This article is general guidance for bookkeepers and accounting professionals. It is not tax, legal, or audit advice. AICPA standards, state requirements for CPAs (where applicable), and engagement-specific obligations govern actual practice. The bookkeeper's professional judgment and any required CPA review remain the accountability of the human professional.