/create-plugin-scaffold

name: create-plugin-scaffold
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