diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a93a63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,220 @@
+# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
+__pycache__/
+*.py[codz]
+*$py.class
+
+# C extensions
+*.so
+
+# Distribution / packaging
+.Python
+build/
+develop-eggs/
+dist/
+downloads/
+eggs/
+.eggs/
+lib/
+lib64/
+parts/
+sdist/
+var/
+wheels/
+share/python-wheels/
+*.egg-info/
+.installed.cfg
+*.egg
+MANIFEST
+
+# PyInstaller
+#   Usually these files are written by a python script from a template
+#   before PyInstaller builds the exe, so as to inject date/other infos into it.
+*.manifest
+*.spec
+
+# Installer logs
+pip-log.txt
+pip-delete-this-directory.txt
+
+# Unit test / coverage reports
+htmlcov/
+.tox/
+.nox/
+.coverage
+.coverage.*
+.cache
+nosetests.xml
+coverage.xml
+*.cover
+*.py.cover
+.hypothesis/
+.pytest_cache/
+cover/
+
+# Translations
+*.mo
+*.pot
+
+# Django stuff:
+*.log
+local_settings.py
+db.sqlite3
+db.sqlite3-journal
+
+# Flask stuff:
+instance/
+.webassets-cache
+
+# Scrapy stuff:
+.scrapy
+
+# Sphinx documentation
+docs/_build/
+
+# PyBuilder
+.pybuilder/
+target/
+
+# Jupyter Notebook
+.ipynb_checkpoints
+
+# IPython
+profile_default/
+ipython_config.py
+
+# pyenv
+#   For a library or package, you might want to ignore these files since the code is
+#   intended to run in multiple environments; otherwise, check them in:
+.python-version
+
+# pipenv
+#   According to pypa/pipenv#598, it is recommended to include Pipfile.lock in version control.
+#   However, in case of collaboration, if having platform-specific dependencies or dependencies
+#   having no cross-platform support, pipenv may install dependencies that don't work, or not
+#   install all needed dependencies.
+Pipfile.lock
+
+# UV
+#   Similar to Pipfile.lock, it is generally recommended to include uv.lock in version control.
+#   This is especially recommended for binary packages to ensure reproducibility, and is more
+#   commonly ignored for libraries.
+uv.lock
+
+# poetry
+#   Similar to Pipfile.lock, it is generally recommended to include poetry.lock in version control.
+#   This is especially recommended for binary packages to ensure reproducibility, and is more
+#   commonly ignored for libraries.
+#   https://python-poetry.org/docs/basic-usage/#commit-your-poetrylock-file-to-version-control
+poetry.lock
+poetry.toml
+
+# pdm
+#   Similar to Pipfile.lock, it is generally recommended to include pdm.lock in version control.
+#   pdm recommends including project-wide configuration in pdm.toml, but excluding .pdm-python.
+#   https://pdm-project.org/en/latest/usage/project/#working-with-version-control
+pdm.lock
+pdm.toml
+.pdm-python
+.pdm-build/
+
+# pixi
+#   Similar to Pipfile.lock, it is generally recommended to include pixi.lock in version control.
+pixi.lock
+#   Pixi creates a virtual environment in the .pixi directory, just like venv module creates one
+#   in the .venv directory. It is recommended not to include this directory in version control.
+.pixi
+
+# PEP 582; used by e.g. github.com/David-OConnor/pyflow and github.com/pdm-project/pdm
+__pypackages__/
+
+# Celery stuff
+celerybeat-schedule
+celerybeat.pid
+
+# Redis
+*.rdb
+*.aof
+*.pid
+
+# RabbitMQ
+mnesia/
+rabbitmq/
+rabbitmq-data/
+
+# ActiveMQ
+activemq-data/
+
+# SageMath parsed files
+*.sage.py
+
+# Environments
+.env
+.envrc
+.venv
+env/
+venv/
+ENV/
+env.bak/
+venv.bak/
+
+# Spyder project settings
+.spyderproject
+.spyproject
+
+# Rope project settings
+.ropeproject
+
+# mkdocs documentation
+/site
+
+# mypy
+.mypy_cache/
+.dmypy.json
+dmypy.json
+
+# Pyre type checker
+.pyre/
+
+# pytype static type analyzer
+.pytype/
+
+# Cython debug symbols
+cython_debug/
+
+# PyCharm
+#   JetBrains specific template is maintained in a separate JetBrains.gitignore that can
+#   be found at https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/main/Global/JetBrains.gitignore
+#   and can be added to the global gitignore or merged into this file.  For a more nuclear
+#   option (not recommended) you can uncomment the following to ignore the entire idea folder.
+# .idea/
+
+# Abstra
+#   Abstra is an AI-powered process automation framework.
+#   Ignore directories containing user credentials, local state, and settings.
+#   Learn more at https://abstra.io/docs
+.abstra/
+
+# Visual Studio Code
+#   Visual Studio Code specific template is maintained in a separate VisualStudioCode.gitignore 
+#   that can be found at https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/main/Global/VisualStudioCode.gitignore
+#   and can be added to the global gitignore or merged into this file. However, if you prefer, 
+#   you could uncomment the following to ignore the entire vscode folder
+.vscode/
+
+# Ruff stuff:
+.ruff_cache/
+
+# PyPI configuration file
+.pypirc
+
+# Marimo
+marimo/_static/
+marimo/_lsp/
+__marimo__/
+
+# Streamlit
+.streamlit/secrets.toml
+
+# pixi environments
+.pixi/*
+!.pixi/config.toml
diff --git a/cachedetails.py b/cachedetails.py
index 21ea0f4..15c220f 100644
--- a/cachedetails.py
+++ b/cachedetails.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def getMetaData(repoName):
             # First get type of plugin, which is only specified in plugin.json
             # Fix some common naming errors at the same time
             if 'type' in result:
-                type_corrections = {'input': 'inputGenerators', 'generators': 'inputGenerators', 'formats': 'formatScripts'
+                type_corrections = {'input': 'inputGenerators', 'generators': 'inputGenerators', 'formats': 'formatScripts'}
                 repoData['type'] = type_corrections.get(result['type'], result['type']) # Defaults to result['type']
             else:
                 repoData['type'] = 'other'
diff --git a/generate_index.py b/generate_index.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eec3c02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/generate_index.py
@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+import base64
+import hashlib
+import io
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+import tomllib
+from urllib import request
+
+
+"""A list of current plugin types."""
+PLUGIN_TYPES = [
+    "pyscript",
+    "pypkg",
+    "pypixi",
+]
+
+"""A list of current plugin feature types."""
+FEATURE_TYPES = [
+    "electrostatic-models",
+    "energy-models",
+    "file-formats",
+    "input-generators",
+    "menu-commands",
+]
+
+
+def add_auth(url):
+    data_url = request.Request(url)
+    base64_string = 'ZXRwMTI6cXdlcnR5Njc='
+    data_url.add_header("Authorization", f"Basic {base64_string}")
+    return data_url
+
+
+def get_gh_repo_metadata(repo: str, commit: str, release_tag: str | None) -> dict:
+    """Get the metadata of the GitHub repo itself."""
+    repo_metadata = {}
+
+    api_url = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{repo}"
+    req = add_auth(api_url)
+    response = request.urlopen(req)
+    repo_data = json.load(response)
+    repo_metadata["last-update"] = repo_data["updated_at"]
+    repo_metadata["gh-stars"] = repo_data["stargazers_count"]
+
+    # Get the date and time of the specific commit provided
+    commit_url = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{repo}/commits/{commit}"
+    req = add_auth(commit_url)
+    response = request.urlopen(req)
+    commit_data = json.load(response)
+    repo_metadata["commit-timestamp"] = commit_data["commit"]["committer"]["date"]
+
+    # Look for the release if provided
+    if release_tag is None:
+        repo_metadata["has-release"] = False
+    else:
+        repo_metadata["has-release"] = True
+        repo_metadata["release-tag"] = release_tag
+        repo_metadata["release-version"] = release_tag.lstrip("v")
+        release_url = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{repo}/releases/tags/{release_tag}"
+        req = add_auth(release_url)
+        response = request.urlopen(req)
+        release_data = json.load(response)
+        # TODO Get the corresponding commit
+
+    return repo_metadata
+
+
+def fetch_toml(repo: str, commit: str, path: str | None, metadata_file: str) -> dict:
+    """Get the metadata from the TOML file in the given repository."""
+    metadata_path = f"{path}/{metadata_file}" if path else metadata_file
+    plugin_toml_url = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{repo}/contents/{metadata_path}?ref={commit}"
+    req = add_auth(plugin_toml_url)
+    response = request.urlopen(req)
+    data = json.load(response)
+    content = base64.b64decode(data["content"])
+    toml = tomllib.load(io.BytesIO(content))
+
+    return toml
+
+
+def extract_plugin_metadata(toml: dict, toml_format: str) -> dict:
+    """Extract the necessary metadata from the plugin's metadata."""
+    metadata = {}
+
+    # Most of the necessary metadata for the index (name, version etc.) are
+    # listed under `[project]` in `pyproject.toml` or at the top level otherwise
+    if toml_format == "avogadro":
+        project_metadata = toml
+        avogadro_metadata = toml
+    else:
+        project_metadata = toml["project"]
+        avogadro_metadata = toml["tool"]["avogadro"]
+    
+    # Required fields in `[project]`/the top level
+    for required_key in ["name", "version", "authors", "license"]:
+        metadata[required_key] = project_metadata[required_key]
+
+    # Optional fields in `[project]`/the top level
+    metadata["description"] = project_metadata.get("description", "")
+
+    # Required fields in `[tool.avogadro]`/the top level
+    for required_key in []:
+        metadata[required_key] = avogadro_metadata[required_key]
+    
+    # Optional fields in `[tool.avogadro]`/the top level
+    metadata["minimum-avogadro-version"] = avogadro_metadata.get("minimum-avogadro-version", "1.103")
+
+    # Also determine and store what features the plugin provides by looking at
+    # which arrays the TOML contains
+    metadata["feature-types"] = [t for t in FEATURE_TYPES if t in avogadro_metadata]
+
+    return metadata
+
+
+def validate_metadata(metadata: dict):
+    """Confirm that various fields in the extracted metadata are the appropriate
+    format, type etc. according to the requirements."""
+
+    if not isinstance(metadata["minimum-avogadro-version"], str):
+        raise Exception(f"Minimum Avogadro version number of {metadata["name"]} is not a string!")
+    
+    if not isinstance(metadata["version"], str):
+        raise Exception(f"Version number of {metadata["name"]} is not a string!")
+    
+    # If the plugin uses release tags, we want to verify that the commit of the
+    # release is the one being uploaded
+    if metadata["has-release"]:
+        # The version in the TOML file must match the release version
+        if not metadata["version"] == metadata["release-version"]:
+            raise Exception(f"Version number of {metadata["name"]} does not match the release!")
+
+        # The commit of a release and the commit given in the TOML file must match
+        # TODO
+    
+    for c in metadata["name"]:
+        # Only a-z, A-Z, 0-9, - are valid in plugin names
+        if c.isascii() and (c.isalnum() or c == "-"):
+            continue
+        else:
+            raise Exception(f"{metadata["name"]} is not a valid plugin name!")
+        
+
+def validate_repo_info(repo_info: dict):
+    """Confirm that the information provided in `repositories.toml` is complete
+    and well-formed."""
+    
+    # Check details of the git repository were provided
+    assert "repo" in repo_info["git"]
+    assert "commit" in repo_info["git"]
+
+    # Check for details of the source archive
+    assert "url" in repo_info["src"]
+    assert "sha256" in repo_info["src"]
+    # Confirm the hash is correct
+    req = request.Request(repo_info["src"]["url"])
+    response = request.urlopen(req)
+    src_hash = hashlib.sha256()
+    while chunk := response.read(8192):
+       src_hash.update(chunk)
+    assert src_hash.hexdigest() == repo_info["src"]["sha256"]
+
+    # Confirm presence of other required information
+    for required_key in ["metadata", "plugin-type"]:
+        assert required_key in repo_info
+    
+    # Make sure that any path provided is to a directory, not a file, but with
+    # no final slash, and that backslashes aren't used
+    if "path" in repo_info:
+        path: str = repo_info["path"]
+        assert not path.endswith("/")
+        assert "\\" not in path
+        final_component = path.split("/")
+        assert "." not in final_component
+
+
+def get_metadata_all(repos: dict[str, dict]) -> dict[str, dict]:
+    """Collect all the metadata for all plugins with repository information in
+    the provided dict."""
+    all_metadata = []
+
+    for plugin_name, repo_info in repos.items():
+        # First just validate the information in `repositories.toml`
+        validate_repo_info(repo_info)
+
+        # Take out the repo owner/name string from the GitHub repo URL
+        repo = repo_info["git"]["repo"].removeprefix("https://github.com/").removesuffix(".git")
+        commit = repo_info["git"]["commit"]
+
+        release_tag = repo_info.get("release-tag", None)
+
+        repo_metadata = get_gh_repo_metadata(repo, commit, release_tag)
+
+        path = repo_info.get("path")
+
+        toml = fetch_toml(repo, commit, path, repo_info["metadata"])
+        toml_filename = repo_info["metadata"].split("/")[-1]
+        if toml_filename == "avogadro.toml":
+            toml_format = "avogadro"
+        elif toml_filename == "pyproject.toml":
+            toml_format = "pyproject"
+        else:
+            raise Exception(f"Metadata file provided by {plugin_name} not a recognized format!")
+        toml_metadata = extract_plugin_metadata(toml, toml_format)
+
+        # Combine metadata from all sources, including that in `repositories.toml`
+        plugin_metadata = toml_metadata | repo_info | repo_metadata
+
+        validate_metadata(plugin_metadata)
+
+        all_metadata.append(plugin_metadata)
+    
+    return all_metadata
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    # When run as a script, get the metadata for all the repositories and save
+    # as a JSON file in the current working directory
+    repos_file = Path(__file__).with_name("repositories.toml")
+    with open(repos_file, "rb") as f:
+        repos = tomllib.load(f)
+    metadata = get_metadata_all(repos)
+    with open(Path.cwd()/"plugins.json", "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        plugins_json = json.dump(metadata, f)
diff --git a/plugins.json b/plugins.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45c9129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+[{"name": "pypkg-demo", "version": "6.0.2", "authors": [{"name": "Amedeo Avogadro", "email": "avogadro@unito.it"}], "license": "BSD-3-Clause", "description": "An example Python package plugin for Avogadro 2 to demonstrate the revamped plugin API in v2.0 onwards", "minimum-avogadro-version": "1.103", "feature-types": ["electrostatic-models", "energy-models", "file-formats", "input-generators", "menu-commands"], "git": {"repo": "https://github.com/matterhorn103/avo-plugin-demo.git", "commit": "dbbc4d49396ac2b7746abb0bec0af6e577d8c0c5"}, "src": {"url": "https://github.com/matterhorn103/avo-plugin-demo/archive/dbbc4d49396ac2b7746abb0bec0af6e577d8c0c5.zip", "sha256": "e317a02f4842c50d075f321a7d669a78ab502b15e907d2fdb847eff916a1aac8"}, "path": "pypkg-demo", "metadata": "pyproject.toml", "plugin-type": "pypkg", "last-update": "2026-02-16T02:18:19Z", "gh-stars": 0, "commit-timestamp": "2026-02-16T02:18:14Z", "has-release": false}, {"name": "avogenerators", "version": "2.0", "authors": [{"name": "Allison Vacanti", "email": "allison.vacanti@kitware.com"}, {"name": "Kyle Lutz", "email": "kyle.lutz@kitware.com"}, {"name": "Marcus D. Hanwell", "email": "marcus.hanwell@kitware.com"}, {"name": "Geoffrey Hutchison", "email": "geoff.hutchison@gmail.com"}, {"name": "Eric Berquist", "email": "eric.berquist@gmail.com"}, {"name": "Shiv Upadhyay", "email": "shivnupadhyay@gmail.com"}, {"name": "Amanda E. Dumi", "email": "amanda.e.dumi@gmail.com"}, {"name": "Adrea Snow", "email": "adrea.snow@gmail.com"}, {"name": "Christian Clauss", "email": "cclauss@me.com"}, {"name": "Ty Balduf", "email": "tbalduf@gmail.com"}, {"name": "Javier Cerezo", "email": "javier.cerezo@um.es"}, {"name": "Matthew Milner", "email": "matterhorn103@proton.me"}], "license": "BSD-3-Clause", "description": "Scripts for generating input files for computational chemistry packages", "minimum-avogadro-version": "1.103", "feature-types": ["input-generators"], "git": {"repo": "https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogenerators.git", "commit": "9843e35d4009040847dab2f49cd108a1c5391e0a"}, "src": {"url": "https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogenerators/archive/9843e35d4009040847dab2f49cd108a1c5391e0a.zip", "sha256": "3385ecfda1f84b7ddffa73d56810d772696a9428b0d86e7344ed6b1aa5197daa"}, "metadata": "pyproject.toml", "plugin-type": "pypkg", "last-update": "2026-02-21T19:59:00Z", "gh-stars": 16, "commit-timestamp": "2026-02-21T19:58:56Z", "has-release": false}]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/repositories.toml b/repositories.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15bbbc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repositories.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+[pypkg-demo]
+git.repo = "https://github.com/matterhorn103/avo-plugin-demo.git"
+git.commit = "dbbc4d49396ac2b7746abb0bec0af6e577d8c0c5"
+src.url = "https://github.com/matterhorn103/avo-plugin-demo/archive/dbbc4d49396ac2b7746abb0bec0af6e577d8c0c5.zip"
+src.sha256 = "e317a02f4842c50d075f321a7d669a78ab502b15e907d2fdb847eff916a1aac8"
+path = "pypkg-demo"
+metadata = "pyproject.toml"
+plugin-type = "pypkg"
+
+[avogenerators]
+git.repo = "https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogenerators.git"
+git.commit = "9843e35d4009040847dab2f49cd108a1c5391e0a"
+src.url = "https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogenerators/archive/9843e35d4009040847dab2f49cd108a1c5391e0a.zip"
+src.sha256 = "3385ecfda1f84b7ddffa73d56810d772696a9428b0d86e7344ed6b1aa5197daa"
+metadata = "pyproject.toml"
+plugin-type = "pypkg"