diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 60aca55..ab20d28 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,12 +28,18 @@ cargo build --release
 
 ## Preparation
 
-For your plugin, create a `spin-pluginify.toml` file with the following content:
+You can scaffold a new `spin-pluginify.toml` manifest using `--init`:
+
+```bash
+spin pluginify --init --name <PLUGIN-NAME> --package <./PATH/TO/EXECUTABLE>
+```
+
+This creates a `spin-pluginify.toml` file with reasonable defaults. Alternatively, you can manually create a `spin-pluginify.toml` file with the following content:
 
 ```toml
 name = "<PLUGIN-NAME>"
 version = "0.1"
-spin_compatibility = ">=0.7"
+spin_compatibility = ">=4.0.0"
 license = "Apache-2.0"
 package = "<./PATH/TO/EXECUTABLE>"
 # optional - if present these files will be added to the plugin tar file
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index a838f32..996f4b5 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -60,17 +60,52 @@ struct PluginifyCommand {
     /// Install the plugin when done.
     #[clap(short, long)]
     install: bool,
+
+    /// Scaffold a new spin-pluginify manifest.
+    #[clap(
+        name = "INIT",
+        long = "init",
+        conflicts_with = "FILE",
+        conflicts_with = "BINARY",
+        conflicts_with = "MERGE",
+        conflicts_with = "install",
+        requires = "NAME",
+        requires = "PACKAGE"
+    )]
+    init: bool,
+
+    /// The name of the plugin (requires --init).
+    #[clap(
+        name = "NAME",
+        short = 'n',
+        long = "name",
+        help_heading = "Init Options",
+        requires = "INIT"
+    )]
+    name: Option<String>,
+
+    /// Path to the plugin executable (requires --init).
+    #[clap(
+        name = "PACKAGE",
+        short = 'p',
+        long = "package",
+        help_heading = "Init Options",
+        requires = "INIT"
+    )]
+    package: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
 
 fn main() -> Result<(), Error> {
     let cmd = PluginifyCommand::parse();
-    if cmd.merge {
-        cmd.run_merge()
-    } else {
-        cmd.run_local()
+    match (cmd.init, cmd.merge) {
+        (true, _) => cmd.run_init(),
+        (_, true) => cmd.run_merge(),
+        _ => cmd.run_local(),
     }
+    
 }
 
+
 impl PluginifyCommand {
     fn packaging_settings(&self) -> Result<PackagingSettings, Error> {
         if let Some(binary) = self.immediate.as_ref() {
@@ -98,6 +133,45 @@ impl PluginifyCommand {
         Ok(ps)
     }
 
+    fn run_init(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let output_path = PathBuf::from("spin-pluginify.toml");
+
+        if output_path.exists() {
+            anyhow::bail!(
+                "Manifest file `{}` already exists",
+                output_path.display()
+            );
+        }
+
+        let name = self.name.clone().context("plugin name is required")?;
+        let package = self.package.clone().context("package path is required")?;
+
+        let manifest = PackagingSettings {
+            name,
+            package,
+            spin_compatibility: ">=4.0.0".to_string(),
+            license: "Apache-2.0".to_string(),
+            version: PluginVersion::Exact("0.1.0".to_string()),
+            description: None,
+            homepage: None,
+            assets: None,
+        };
+
+        let toml_string = toml::to_string_pretty(&manifest)
+            .context("failed to serialize manifest to TOML")?;
+
+        if self.verbose {
+            eprintln!("Scaffolded manifest content:\n{toml_string}");
+        }
+
+        std::fs::write(&output_path, &toml_string)
+            .with_context(|| format!("failed to write manifest to `{}`", output_path.display()))?;
+
+        println!("Created `{}`", output_path.display());
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     fn run_local(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         let ps = self.packaging_settings()?;
 
@@ -327,7 +401,7 @@ fn file_digest_string(path: &PathBuf) -> Result<String, Error> {
     Ok(digest_string)
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize, serde::Serialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
 struct PackagingSettings {
     name: String,
@@ -347,7 +421,7 @@ impl PackagingSettings {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, serde::Deserialize, serde::Serialize)]
 #[serde(untagged)]
 enum PluginVersion {
     Exact(String),
@@ -382,4 +456,4 @@ fn try_infer_version(file: impl AsRef<Path>) -> anyhow::Result<String> {
     }
 
     Err(anyhow!("`spin pluginify` doesn't know how to infer version from `{filed}`"))
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file