diff --git a/cli/package.json b/cli/package.json
index 2dffbeeeb6b..53f19e72c31 100644
--- a/cli/package.json
+++ b/cli/package.json
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     "@paperclipai/adapter-pi-local": "workspace:*",
     "@paperclipai/adapter-openclaw-gateway": "workspace:*",
     "@paperclipai/adapter-utils": "workspace:*",
+    "@paperclipai/create-paperclip-plugin": "workspace:*",
     "@paperclipai/db": "workspace:*",
     "@paperclipai/server": "workspace:*",
     "@paperclipai/shared": "workspace:*",
diff --git a/cli/src/__tests__/plugin-init.test.ts b/cli/src/__tests__/plugin-init.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dbda1e01268
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/__tests__/plugin-init.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import path from "node:path";
+import { Command } from "commander";
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  scaffoldPluginProject: vi.fn((options: { outputDir: string }) => options.outputDir),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@paperclipai/create-paperclip-plugin", () => ({
+  scaffoldPluginProject: mocks.scaffoldPluginProject,
+}));
+
+import {
+  buildPluginInitNextCommands,
+  buildPluginInitScaffoldOptions,
+  registerPluginCommands,
+} from "../commands/client/plugin.js";
+
+describe("plugin init", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mocks.scaffoldPluginProject.mockClear();
+  });
+
+  it("maps package name and flags to scaffolder options", () => {
+    const cwd = path.resolve("/tmp/paperclip-cli-test");
+    const options = buildPluginInitScaffoldOptions(
+      "@acme/plugin-linear",
+      {
+        output: "plugins",
+        template: "connector",
+        category: "automation",
+        displayName: "Linear Bridge",
+        description: "Syncs Linear issues",
+        author: "Acme",
+        sdkPath: "../paperclip/packages/plugins/sdk",
+      },
+      cwd,
+    );
+
+    expect(options).toEqual({
+      pluginName: "@acme/plugin-linear",
+      outputDir: path.resolve(cwd, "plugins", "plugin-linear"),
+      template: "connector",
+      category: "automation",
+      displayName: "Linear Bridge",
+      description: "Syncs Linear issues",
+      author: "Acme",
+      sdkPath: "../paperclip/packages/plugins/sdk",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("builds exact next commands using the scaffold path", () => {
+    expect(buildPluginInitNextCommands("/tmp/acme plugin")).toEqual([
+      "cd '/tmp/acme plugin'",
+      "pnpm install",
+      "pnpm dev",
+      "paperclipai plugin install '/tmp/acme plugin'",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("registers the CLI wrapper and invokes the existing scaffolder", async () => {
+    const program = new Command();
+    program.exitOverride();
+    program.configureOutput({ writeOut: () => {}, writeErr: () => {} });
+    registerPluginCommands(program);
+
+    await program.parseAsync(
+      [
+        "plugin",
+        "init",
+        "demo-plugin",
+        "--output",
+        "/tmp/paperclip-init-output",
+        "--template",
+        "workspace",
+        "--category",
+        "workspace",
+        "--display-name",
+        "Demo Plugin",
+        "--description",
+        "Demo description",
+        "--author",
+        "Paperclip",
+        "--sdk-path",
+        "/repo/packages/plugins/sdk",
+      ],
+      { from: "user" },
+    );
+
+    expect(mocks.scaffoldPluginProject).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mocks.scaffoldPluginProject).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      pluginName: "demo-plugin",
+      outputDir: path.resolve("/tmp/paperclip-init-output", "demo-plugin"),
+      template: "workspace",
+      category: "workspace",
+      displayName: "Demo Plugin",
+      description: "Demo description",
+      author: "Paperclip",
+      sdkPath: "/repo/packages/plugins/sdk",
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/client/plugin.ts b/cli/src/commands/client/plugin.ts
index 9031d696ed4..e756530e82a 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/client/plugin.ts
+++ b/cli/src/commands/client/plugin.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import path from "node:path";
-import { Command } from "commander";
+import { Command, Option } from "commander";
+import {
+  scaffoldPluginProject,
+  type ScaffoldPluginOptions,
+} from "@paperclipai/create-paperclip-plugin";
 import pc from "picocolors";
 import {
   addCommonClientOptions,
@@ -43,6 +47,21 @@ interface PluginUninstallOptions extends BaseClientOptions {
   force?: boolean;
 }
 
+interface PluginInitOptions extends BaseClientOptions {
+  output?: string;
+  template?: ScaffoldPluginOptions["template"];
+  category?: ScaffoldPluginOptions["category"];
+  displayName?: string;
+  description?: string;
+  author?: string;
+  sdkPath?: string;
+}
+
+interface PluginInitResult {
+  outputDir: string;
+  nextCommands: string[];
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Helpers
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -87,6 +106,63 @@ function formatPlugin(p: PluginRecord): string {
   return parts.join("  ");
 }
 
+function packageToDirName(pluginName: string): string {
+  return pluginName.replace(/^@[^/]+\//, "");
+}
+
+function shellQuote(value: string): string {
+  if (/^[A-Za-z0-9_/:=.,@%+-]+$/.test(value)) return value;
+  return `'${value.replace(/'/g, "'\"'\"'")}'`;
+}
+
+export function buildPluginInitScaffoldOptions(
+  packageName: string,
+  opts: PluginInitOptions,
+  cwd = process.cwd(),
+): ScaffoldPluginOptions {
+  const outputRoot = path.resolve(cwd, opts.output ?? ".");
+  const outputDir = path.resolve(outputRoot, packageToDirName(packageName));
+
+  return {
+    pluginName: packageName,
+    outputDir,
+    template: opts.template,
+    category: opts.category,
+    displayName: opts.displayName,
+    description: opts.description,
+    author: opts.author,
+    sdkPath: opts.sdkPath,
+  };
+}
+
+export function buildPluginInitNextCommands(outputDir: string): string[] {
+  const quotedOutputDir = shellQuote(outputDir);
+  return [
+    `cd ${quotedOutputDir}`,
+    "pnpm install",
+    "pnpm dev",
+    `paperclipai plugin install ${quotedOutputDir}`,
+  ];
+}
+
+export function renderPluginInitSuccess(result: PluginInitResult): string {
+  return [
+    pc.green(`✓ Created plugin scaffold at ${result.outputDir}`),
+    "",
+    "Next commands:",
+    ...result.nextCommands.map((command) => `  ${pc.cyan(command)}`),
+  ].join("\n");
+}
+
+export function runPluginInitCommand(packageName: string, opts: PluginInitOptions): PluginInitResult {
+  const scaffoldOptions = buildPluginInitScaffoldOptions(packageName, opts);
+  const outputDir = scaffoldPluginProject(scaffoldOptions);
+  return {
+    outputDir,
+    nextCommands: buildPluginInitNextCommands(outputDir),
+  };
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Command registration
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -94,6 +170,43 @@ function formatPlugin(p: PluginRecord): string {
 export function registerPluginCommands(program: Command): void {
   const plugin = program.command("plugin").description("Plugin lifecycle management");
 
+  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  // plugin init <package-name>
+  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  addCommonClientOptions(
+    plugin
+      .command("init <packageName>")
+      .description("Scaffold a local Paperclip plugin project")
+      .option("--output <dir>", "Directory to create the plugin folder in")
+      .addOption(
+        new Option("--template <template>", "Starter template")
+          .choices(["default", "connector", "workspace", "environment"])
+          .default("default"),
+      )
+      .addOption(
+        new Option("--category <category>", "Manifest category")
+          .choices(["connector", "workspace", "automation", "ui", "environment"]),
+      )
+      .option("--display-name <name>", "Manifest display name")
+      .option("--description <description>", "Manifest description")
+      .option("--author <author>", "Manifest author")
+      .option("--sdk-path <path>", "Local @paperclipai/plugin-sdk package path")
+      .action((packageName: string, opts: PluginInitOptions) => {
+        try {
+          const result = runPluginInitCommand(packageName, opts);
+
+          if (opts.json) {
+            printOutput(result, { json: true });
+            return;
+          }
+
+          console.log(renderPluginInitSuccess(result));
+        } catch (err) {
+          handleCommandError(err);
+        }
+      }),
+  );
+
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
   // plugin list
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/cli/tsconfig.json b/cli/tsconfig.json
index 3af05f51636..3b42fe77719 100644
--- a/cli/tsconfig.json
+++ b/cli/tsconfig.json
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@
     "outDir": "dist",
     "rootDir": ".."
   },
-  "include": ["src", "../packages/shared/src"]
+  "include": ["src", "../packages/shared/src", "../packages/plugins/create-paperclip-plugin/src"]
 }