Installing the Frontend Extensions Explorer Plugin#

This guide explains how to install the Frontend Extensions Explorer plugin in your Backstage instance.

Prerequisites#

Before installing the plugin, ensure you have:

A Backstage instance using the New Frontend System (@backstage/frontend-defaults)
Access to modify packages/app/package.json

Note: This plugin requires the New Frontend System. It will not work with legacy apps that use @backstage/app-defaults.

Installation Steps#

1. Add the Package#

yarn --cwd packages/app add @terasky/backstage-plugin-frontend-extensions-explorer

2. Enable Auto-Discovery (Recommended)#

If your app uses app.packages: all in app-config.yaml, the plugin is discovered and loaded automatically — no code changes needed:

# app-config.yaml
app:
  packages: all

3. Explicit Registration (Alternative)#

If you manage features explicitly in packages/app/src/App.tsx, import and add the plugin:

import { createApp } from '@backstage/frontend-defaults';
import frontendExtensionsExplorerPlugin from '@terasky/backstage-plugin-frontend-extensions-explorer';

export default createApp({
  features: [
    // ... other features
    frontendExtensionsExplorerPlugin,
  ],
});

Verification#

After installation:

Start the app with yarn start
Look for Extensions Explorer in the sidebar navigation
Navigate to /frontend-extensions-explorer
Confirm the stats bar shows the expected number of plugins and extensions

Next Steps#

Configuration Guide — adjust which extensions are included or how the nav item is positioned
Overview — learn about all features

Support#

Check the GitHub Issues
Review the plugin documentation
Contact the TeraSky support team