Birkly separates the CMS core (your self-hosted site), the Marketplace (where extensions are bought and distributed), and Ops (Birkly platform services such as starter packs and release checks). Plugins extend the CMS without changing core code.
The plugin economy is how Birkly distributes extensions: official and third-party offers on the Birkly Marketplace, one-click or licensed installs in the CMS admin, and Ops-hosted starter packs for onboarding. The CMS ships as a thin runtime — no bundled plugins — so you choose only what you need. Marketplace accounts are separate from CMS admin logins.
Beginner
Three surfaces, one ecosystem
| Surface | What it is | Who uses it | |---------|------------|-------------| | Birkly CMS | Your self-hosted site admin and API | Site owners, editors, developers | | Marketplace | Public catalog, checkout, and plugin registry | Buyers and providers | | Ops | Birkly platform services (starters, feedback relay, release checks) | CMS onboarding; platform staff |
How it fits together
- You download and run Birkly CMS on your server. The
plugins/folder starts empty. - You browse Plugins → Marketplace in the admin or visit marketplace.birkly.cloud/catalog.
- You install free official plugins in one click, or purchase paid and third-party offers and activate a license.
- During onboarding, you can install a starter pack from Ops — demo collections and a sample public site under
project/— without using the marketplace.
Why unbundled plugins
Keeping plugins out of the CMS zip keeps downloads small, lets you skip features you do not need, and ensures updates come from a single registry with checksum verification. Official Birkly plugins (Commerce, Events, Automation, User Management) remain free on the marketplace.
Where to go next
| Your role | Start here | |-----------|------------| | Site owner installing extensions | For site owners | | Developer publishing an offer | For providers | | Developer building a plugin | Plugin development | | Choosing official vs community plugins | Official plugins |
Advanced Users
Thin client model
The CMS distribution manifest excludes plugin source. Production installs consume the marketplace registry API (GET /api/v1/registry, offer detail, release download) or Ops starter API (GET /api/ops/v1/starters). Override marketplace base URL with BIRKLY_MARKETPLACE_URL or settings/marketplace.json. Override starters with BIRKLY_OPS_STARTERS_URL or starters_catalog_url in platform config.
Identity boundaries
| Account type | Scope | |--------------|-------| | CMS admin user | Local site roles and permissions | | Marketplace buyer | Licenses, purchases, subscriptions | | Marketplace provider | Offers, Stripe Connect, payouts |
License activation binds license_key + installation_id (local CMS UUID). Provider and buyer accounts do not grant CMS admin access.
Offer types on the marketplace
| offer_type | Installs to | Typical use | |--------------|-------------|-------------| | plugin | plugins/{folder}/ | Admin features, APIs, field types | | theme | Theme paths per manifest | Visual styling | | template_pack | Collections + project/ site files | Site templates sold as products |
Ops starter packs are platform-curated template packs served outside the marketplace catalog during onboarding; see Themes and template packs.