---
description: |
  Plugins are installable components of Packer
page_title: Packer plugins
---

# External Packer Plugins

External Packer plugins are standalone applications that extend Packer functionality without modifying the core source code. Plugins can add new components to Packer, such as builders, provisioners, post-processors, and data sources. Refer to [Packer Plugins](/packer/docs/plugins) for details about installing and developing external plugins.

This section contains the documentation for available external Packer plugins.

@include "plugins/plugin-tiers-and-namespaces.mdx"