diff --git a/.changes/plugin-template-examples-manifest.md b/.changes/plugin-template-examples-manifest.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8f0de216
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/plugin-template-examples-manifest.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"cli.rs": patch
+"cli.js": patch
+---
+
+Add Cargo manifest files for the plugin example templates.
diff --git a/tooling/cli/templates/plugin/__example-api/tauri-app/src-tauri/Cargo.crate-manifest b/tooling/cli/templates/plugin/__example-api/tauri-app/src-tauri/Cargo.crate-manifest
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86ed8b7bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/cli/templates/plugin/__example-api/tauri-app/src-tauri/Cargo.crate-manifest
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+[package]
+name = "tauri-app"
+version = "0.0.0"
+description = "A Tauri App"
+authors = ["you"]
+license = ""
+repository = ""
+edition = "2021"
+rust-version = "1.60"
+
+# See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
+
+[build-dependencies]
+tauri-build = {{ tauri_build_dep }}
+
+[dependencies]
+tauri = {{ tauri_example_dep }}
+tauri-plugin-{{ plugin_name }} = { path = "../../../" }
+
+[features]
+# this feature is used for production builds or when `devPath` points to the filesystem and the built-in dev server is disabled.
+# If you use cargo directly instead of tauri's cli you can use this feature flag to switch between tauri's `dev` and `build` modes.
+# DO NOT REMOVE!!
+custom-protocol = [ "tauri/custom-protocol" ]
diff --git a/tooling/cli/templates/plugin/__example-basic/vanilla/src-tauri/Cargo.crate-manifest b/tooling/cli/templates/plugin/__example-basic/vanilla/src-tauri/Cargo.crate-manifest
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86ed8b7bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/cli/templates/plugin/__example-basic/vanilla/src-tauri/Cargo.crate-manifest
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+[package]
+name = "tauri-app"
+version = "0.0.0"
+description = "A Tauri App"
+authors = ["you"]
+license = ""
+repository = ""
+edition = "2021"
+rust-version = "1.60"
+
+# See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
+
+[build-dependencies]
+tauri-build = {{ tauri_build_dep }}
+
+[dependencies]
+tauri = {{ tauri_example_dep }}
+tauri-plugin-{{ plugin_name }} = { path = "../../../" }
+
+[features]
+# this feature is used for production builds or when `devPath` points to the filesystem and the built-in dev server is disabled.
+# If you use cargo directly instead of tauri's cli you can use this feature flag to switch between tauri's `dev` and `build` modes.
+# DO NOT REMOVE!!
+custom-protocol = [ "tauri/custom-protocol" ]