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Scaffolder (Portal)

This documentation replaces the legacy Scaffolder documentation previously available at > https://backstage.spotify.com/docs/portal/core-features-and-plugins/scaffolder

The Portal Scaffolder provides an end-to-end, in-Portal experience for discovering, creating, editing, publishing, and running Software Templates.

Overview​

The Portal Scaffolder enables teams to standardize and automate common engineering workflows using Software Templates.

Software Templates define:

  • What input to collect from users (forms)
  • What actions to run (steps)
  • What outputs to produce (repositories, catalog entities, artifacts)

The Portal Scaffolder Redesign makes the full lifecycle of Software Templates usable entirely inside Portal, without changing the underlying Backstage Scaffolder model.

With Portal Scaffolder, you can:

  • Discover and run templates to scaffold services and infrastructure
  • Create and maintain templates using an in-Portal editor
  • Validate templates safely with dry runs
  • Publish templates directly to source control and the catalog
  • Monitor executions with logs and outputs

What You Need​

Before using Scaffolder, ensure that:

  • You have access to Portal

  • Software Templates are enabled for your organization

  • You have the appropriate role:

    • End users can run templates
    • Platform engineers / admins can create and publish templates

Next Steps​

Last updated: January 2026