---
name: create-plugin-scaffold-b1ca0ef8398d
description: Create a new Cursor plugin scaffold with a valid manifest, component directories, and marketplace wiring. Use when starting a new plugin or adding a plugin to a multi-plugin repository.
---

# Create plugin scaffold

## Trigger

You need to create a new Cursor plugin from scratch and make it ready for local use or marketplace submission.

## Required Inputs

- Plugin name (lowercase kebab-case)
- Plugin purpose and target users
- Component set to include (`rules`, `skills`, `agents`, `commands`, `hooks`, `mcpServers`)
- Repository style (`single-plugin` or `multi-plugin marketplace`)

## Output Location

By default, create the plugin inside the user's local plugin directory:

```
~/.cursor/plugins/local/<plugin-name>/
```

This path makes the plugin immediately available to Cursor without any install step. If the user explicitly asks to create the plugin elsewhere (e.g. inside an existing repo or a specific directory), respect that choice instead.

## Workflow

1. Validate plugin name format: lowercase kebab-case, starts and ends with an alphanumeric character.
2. Determine the target directory:
   - Default: `~/.cursor/plugins/local/<plugin-name>/`
   - Override: use the path the user specifies, if any.
   - Create the directory (and parents) if it does not exist.
3. Create base files inside the target directory:
   - `.cursor-plugin/plugin.json`
   - `README.md`
   - `LICENSE`
   - optional `CHANGELOG.md`
4. Populate `plugin.json`:
   - Required: `name`
   - Recommended: `version`, `description`, `author`, `license`, `keywords`
   - Add explicit component paths only when non-default discovery is needed.
5. Create component files with valid frontmatter:
   - Rules: `.mdc` with `description`, `alwaysApply`, optional `globs`
   - Skills: `skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md` with `name`, `description`
   - Agents: `agents/*.md` with `name`, `description`
   - Commands: `commands/*.(md|txt)` with `name`, `description`
6. If repository uses `.cursor-plugin/marketplace.json`, add plugin entry:
   - `name`
   - `source`
   - optional metadata (`description`, `keywords`, `category`, `tags`)
7. Ensure all manifest paths are relative, valid, and do not use absolute paths or parent traversal.

## Guardrails

- Keep the plugin focused on one use case.
- Prefer concise, actionable skill and rule text over long prose.
- Do not reference files that do not exist.
- Use folder discovery defaults unless custom paths are required.
- Always save to `~/.cursor/plugins/local/<plugin-name>/` unless the user provides a different path.

## Output

- Created file tree for the plugin (with full path to the output directory)
- Final `plugin.json`
- Marketplace entry (if applicable)
- Short validation report of required fields and component metadata
- Confirmation that the plugin is saved under `~/.cursor/plugins/local/` and ready for use


---
Source attribution: cursor
Original project: https://github.com/cursor/plugins/blob/c742dd61706fbacc1b95f1a20b7b988cf096ce6c/create-plugin/skills/create-plugin-scaffold/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 Cursor

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: cursor
Original project: https://github.com/cursor/plugins/blob/c742dd61706fbacc1b95f1a20b7b988cf096ce6c/create-plugin/skills/create-plugin-scaffold/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Product Management
Roles: Backend Developer, DevOps / SRE, Frontend Developer, Full-Stack Developer, Product Manager
Specialties: API
Tools: Tool not specified
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: a3abafa92c6bc9a492b0512700aae20381011ed2964f3330081270e7ee26a382