diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/external-plugin.yml b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/external-plugin.yml
index 3a0587d5..ccbb3a77 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/external-plugin.yml
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/external-plugin.yml
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ body:
     id: plugin-path
     attributes:
       label: Plugin path inside the repository
-      description: Optional if the plugin lives at the repository root.
-      placeholder: .github/plugins/my-plugin
+      description: Optional if the plugin lives at the repository root. Otherwise, enter the folder where the plugin structure starts, not the plugin.json file.
+      placeholder: plugins/my-plugin
     validations:
       required: false
   - type: input
diff --git a/.github/plugin/marketplace.json b/.github/plugin/marketplace.json
index 090ecefb..b0b1e1b0 100644
--- a/.github/plugin/marketplace.json
+++ b/.github/plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@
       "source": {
         "source": "github",
         "repo": "ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp",
-        "path": ".github/plugin/plugin.json",
         "ref": "chrome-devtools-mcp-v1.0.1"
       }
     },
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 0edc60d6..80e03c97 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ For entries committed to `plugins/external.json`, the current marketplace valida
 - `repository` as an HTTPS GitHub URL
 - `keywords` as lowercase hyphenated tags
 - `source.source: "github"` plus `source.repo` in `owner/repo` format
-- optional `source.path` values to stay relative to the repository root
+- optional `source.path` values of `/` for repository root, or a repository-relative folder where the plugin structure starts (do not point to `plugin.json` directly)
 
 The public-submission policy builds on those rules and also requires `license` plus an immutable `source.ref`.
 
diff --git a/eng/external-plugin-validation.mjs b/eng/external-plugin-validation.mjs
index 660c0530..100ce1f4 100644
--- a/eng/external-plugin-validation.mjs
+++ b/eng/external-plugin-validation.mjs
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ export const EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_POLICIES = Object.freeze({
   }),
 });
 
+const EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_ROOT_MANIFEST_PATHS = Object.freeze([
+  "plugin.json",
+  ".github/plugin/plugin.json",
+  ".plugin/plugin.json",
+]);
+
 function resolvePolicy(policy) {
   if (!policy) {
     return EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_POLICIES.marketplace;
@@ -203,12 +209,20 @@ function validateHomepage(homepage, prefix, errors) {
   validateHttpsUrl(homepage, "homepage", prefix, errors);
 }
 
+function formatExpectedPluginRootMessage() {
+  return EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_ROOT_MANIFEST_PATHS.map((manifestPath) => `"${manifestPath}"`).join(", ");
+}
+
 function validateRelativePath(pathValue, prefix, errors) {
   if (!isNonEmptyString(pathValue)) {
     errors.push(`${prefix}: "source.path" must be a non-empty string when provided`);
     return;
   }
 
+  if (pathValue === "/") {
+    return;
+  }
+
   const normalized = path.posix.normalize(pathValue);
   const segments = pathValue.split("/");
 
@@ -219,6 +233,16 @@ function validateRelativePath(pathValue, prefix, errors) {
   if (pathValue.includes("\\")) {
     errors.push(`${prefix}: "source.path" must use forward slashes`);
   }
+
+  if (normalized === ".") {
+    errors.push(`${prefix}: "source.path" must be "/" for the repository root or a plugin root directory relative to the repository root`);
+  }
+
+  if (path.posix.basename(normalized) === "plugin.json") {
+    errors.push(
+      `${prefix}: "source.path" must point to the plugin root directory, not the manifest file; relative to "source.path", expected one of ${formatExpectedPluginRootMessage()}`
+    );
+  }
 }
 
 function validateImmutableRef(ref, prefix, errors) {
diff --git a/plugins/external.json b/plugins/external.json
index 19c83007..a374c45d 100644
--- a/plugins/external.json
+++ b/plugins/external.json
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@
     "source": {
       "source": "github",
       "repo": "ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp",
-      "path": ".github/plugin/plugin.json",
       "ref": "chrome-devtools-mcp-v1.0.1"
     }
   },
@@ -194,13 +193,7 @@
       "url": "https://www.figma.com"
     },
     "homepage": "https://github.com/figma/mcp-server-guide",
-    "keywords": [
-      "figma",
-      "design",
-      "mcp",
-      "ui",
-      "code-connect"
-    ],
+    "keywords": ["figma", "design", "mcp", "ui", "code-connect"],
     "repository": "https://github.com/figma/mcp-server-guide",
     "source": {
       "source": "github",
@@ -272,14 +265,7 @@
       "url": "https://www.microsoft.com"
     },
     "homepage": "https://github.com/microsoft/Build-CLI",
-    "keywords": [
-      "microsoft",
-      "build",
-      "ignite",
-      "events",
-      "sessions",
-      "learn"
-    ],
+    "keywords": ["microsoft", "build", "ignite", "events", "sessions", "learn"],
     "license": "Apache-2.0",
     "repository": "https://github.com/microsoft/Build-CLI",
     "source": {
@@ -296,12 +282,7 @@
       "url": "https://www.microsoft.com"
     },
     "homepage": "https://github.com/dotnet/modernize-dotnet",
-    "keywords": [
-      "modernization",
-      "upgrade",
-      "migration",
-      "dotnet"
-    ],
+    "keywords": ["modernization", "upgrade", "migration", "dotnet"],
     "license": "MIT",
     "repository": "https://github.com/dotnet/modernize-dotnet",
     "source": {
diff --git a/website/src/scripts/modal.ts b/website/src/scripts/modal.ts
index 95e499c9..bfdabcdb 100644
--- a/website/src/scripts/modal.ts
+++ b/website/src/scripts/modal.ts
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ async function openPluginModal(
 function getExternalPluginUrl(plugin: Plugin): string {
   if (plugin.source?.source === "github" && plugin.source.repo) {
     const base = `https://github.com/${plugin.source.repo}`;
-    return plugin.source.path
+    return plugin.source.path && plugin.source.path !== "/"
       ? `${base}/tree/main/${plugin.source.path}`
       : base;
   }
diff --git a/website/src/scripts/pages/plugins-render.ts b/website/src/scripts/pages/plugins-render.ts
index b8a13c15..190a5ce8 100644
--- a/website/src/scripts/pages/plugins-render.ts
+++ b/website/src/scripts/pages/plugins-render.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export function sortPlugins<T extends RenderablePlugin>(
 function getExternalPluginUrl(plugin: RenderablePlugin): string {
   if (plugin.source?.source === 'github' && plugin.source.repo) {
     const base = `https://github.com/${plugin.source.repo}`;
-    return plugin.source.path ? `${base}/tree/main/${plugin.source.path}` : base;
+    return plugin.source.path && plugin.source.path !== '/' ? `${base}/tree/main/${plugin.source.path}` : base;
   }
 
   return sanitizeUrl(plugin.repository || plugin.homepage);