Add --remote-source flag to create command

apps/spfx-cli/README.md

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ Scaffolds a new SPFx component. Templates are pulled from the [SharePoint/spfx](
 | `--spfx-version VERSION` | repo default branch | SPFx version to use; resolves to the `version/<VERSION>` branch (e.g. `1.22`, `1.23-rc.0`) |
 | `--template-url URL` | `https://github.com/SharePoint/spfx` | Custom GitHub template repository |
 | `--local-template PATH` | — | Path to a local template folder (repeatable; bypasses GitHub) |
+| `--remote-source URL` | — | Public GitHub repo to include as an additional template source (repeatable) |
 
 ### Environment variables
 
@@ -178,6 +179,16 @@ spfx create \
   --local-template ./path/to/templates
 ```
 
+Use templates from a custom GitHub repository:
+
+```bash
+spfx create \
+  --template my-custom-template \
+  --library-name my-spfx-library \
+  --component-name "My Web Part" \
+  --remote-source https://github.com/my-org/my-templates
+```
+
 ---
 
 ## License

apps/spfx-cli/src/cli/actions/CreateAction.ts

@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@ import type {
 } from '@rushstack/ts-command-line';
 import {
   LocalFileSystemRepositorySource,
+  PublicGitHubRepositorySource,
   type SPFxTemplateCollection,
   SPFxTemplateRepositoryManager,
   type SPFxTemplate,
   SPFxTemplateWriter
 } from '@microsoft/spfx-template-api';
 
+import { parseGitHubUrlAndRef } from '../../utilities/github';
 import { SOLUTION_NAME_PATTERN } from '../../utilities/validation';
 import { SPFxActionBase } from './SPFxActionBase';
 
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ export class CreateAction extends SPFxActionBase {
   private readonly _targetDirParameter: IRequiredCommandLineStringParameter;
   private readonly _templateParameter: IRequiredCommandLineStringParameter;
   private readonly _localTemplateSourcesParameter: CommandLineStringListParameter;
+  private readonly _remoteSourcesParameter: CommandLineStringListParameter;
   private readonly _libraryNameParameter: IRequiredCommandLineStringParameter;
   private readonly _componentNameParameter: IRequiredCommandLineStringParameter;
   private readonly _componentAliasParameter: CommandLineStringParameter;
@@ -80,6 +83,12 @@ export class CreateAction extends SPFxActionBase {
       description: 'Path to a local template folder'
     });
 
+    this._remoteSourcesParameter = this.defineStringListParameter({
+      parameterLongName: '--remote-source',
+      argumentName: 'URL',
+      description: 'Public GitHub repository URL to use as an additional template source (repeatable)'
+    });
+
     this._templateParameter = this.defineStringParameter({
       parameterLongName: '--template',
       argumentName: 'TEMPLATE_NAME',
@@ -162,6 +171,23 @@ export class CreateAction extends SPFxActionBase {
         this._addGitHubTemplateSource(manager);
       }
 
+      // Always process --remote-source URLs (additive with either local or default sources)
+      for (const remoteUrl of this._remoteSourcesParameter.values) {
+        const { repoUrl: additionalRepoUrl, urlBranch: additionalUrlBranch } =
+          parseGitHubUrlAndRef(remoteUrl);
+        terminal.writeLine(
+          `Adding remote template source: ${additionalRepoUrl}` +
+            `${additionalUrlBranch ? ` (branch: ${additionalUrlBranch})` : ''}`
+        );
+        manager.addSource(
+          new PublicGitHubRepositorySource({
+            repoUrl: additionalRepoUrl,
+            branch: additionalUrlBranch,
+            terminal
+          })
+        );
+      }
+
       let templates: SPFxTemplateCollection;
       try {
         templates = await manager.getTemplatesAsync();

apps/spfx-cli/src/cli/actions/tests/CreateAction.test.ts

@@ -171,6 +171,65 @@ describe('CreateAction', () => {
         expect(MockedLocal).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, '/b');
       });
     });
+
+    describe('with --remote-source', () => {
+      it('adds an extra PublicGitHubRepositorySource alongside the default', async () => {
+        await runCreateAsync(['--remote-source', 'https://github.com/my-org/my-templates']);
+        expect(MockedGitHub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+        // First call: default source
+        expect(MockedGitHub).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+          1,
+          'https://github.com/SharePoint/spfx',
+          undefined,
+          expect.anything()
+        );
+        // Second call: remote source
+        expect(MockedGitHub).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+          2,
+          'https://github.com/my-org/my-templates',
+          undefined,
+          expect.anything()
+        );
+      });
+
+      it('adds multiple remote sources for multiple --remote-source flags', async () => {
+        await runCreateAsync([
+          '--remote-source',
+          'https://github.com/org1/repo1',
+          '--remote-source',
+          'https://github.com/org2/repo2'
+        ]);
+        // default + 2 remote = 3 total
+        expect(MockedGitHub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+      });
+
+      it('extracts branch from /tree/ in --remote-source URL', async () => {
+        await runCreateAsync(['--remote-source', 'https://github.com/my-org/my-templates/tree/my-branch']);
+        expect(MockedGitHub).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+          2,
+          'https://github.com/my-org/my-templates',
+          'my-branch',
+          expect.anything()
+        );
+      });
+
+      it('works alongside --local-template without adding the default GitHub source', async () => {
+        await runCreateAsync([
+          '--local-template',
+          '/path/to/templates',
+          '--remote-source',
+          'https://github.com/my-org/my-templates'
+        ]);
+        expect(MockedLocal).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/path/to/templates');
+        // Only the remote source — no default GitHub
+        expect(MockedGitHub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(MockedGitHub).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+          'https://github.com/my-org/my-templates',
+          undefined,
+          expect.anything()
+        );
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('URL normalization', () => {

apps/spfx-cli/src/cli/actions/tests/__snapshots__/CreateAction.test.ts.snap

@@ -277,6 +277,55 @@ Array [
 ]
 `;
 
+exports[`CreateAction source selection with --remote-source adds an extra PublicGitHubRepositorySource alongside the default 1`] = `
+Array [
+  "[    log] Using GitHub template source: https://github.com/SharePoint/spfx[n]",
+  "[    log] Adding remote template source: https://github.com/my-org/my-templates[n]",
+  "[    log] [Mocked SPFxTemplateCollection][n]",
+  "[    log] targetDir: /tmp/test[n]",
+  "[    log] [n]",
+  "[    log] The following files will be modified:[n]",
+  "[    log] [n]",
+]
+`;
+
+exports[`CreateAction source selection with --remote-source adds multiple remote sources for multiple --remote-source flags 1`] = `
+Array [
+  "[    log] Using GitHub template source: https://github.com/SharePoint/spfx[n]",
+  "[    log] Adding remote template source: https://github.com/org1/repo1[n]",
+  "[    log] Adding remote template source: https://github.com/org2/repo2[n]",
+  "[    log] [Mocked SPFxTemplateCollection][n]",
+  "[    log] targetDir: /tmp/test[n]",
+  "[    log] [n]",
+  "[    log] The following files will be modified:[n]",
+  "[    log] [n]",
+]
+`;
+
+exports[`CreateAction source selection with --remote-source extracts branch from /tree/ in --remote-source URL 1`] = `
+Array [
+  "[    log] Using GitHub template source: https://github.com/SharePoint/spfx[n]",
+  "[    log] Adding remote template source: https://github.com/my-org/my-templates (branch: my-branch)[n]",
+  "[    log] [Mocked SPFxTemplateCollection][n]",
+  "[    log] targetDir: /tmp/test[n]",
+  "[    log] [n]",
+  "[    log] The following files will be modified:[n]",
+  "[    log] [n]",
+]
+`;
+
+exports[`CreateAction source selection with --remote-source works alongside --local-template without adding the default GitHub source 1`] = `
+Array [
+  "[    log] Adding local template source: /path/to/templates[n]",
+  "[    log] Adding remote template source: https://github.com/my-org/my-templates[n]",
+  "[    log] [Mocked SPFxTemplateCollection][n]",
+  "[    log] targetDir: /tmp/test[n]",
+  "[    log] [n]",
+  "[    log] The following files will be modified:[n]",
+  "[    log] [n]",
+]
+`;
+
 exports[`CreateAction source selection without --local-template should add a PublicGitHubRepositorySource with the default URL 1`] = `
 Array [
   "[    log] Using GitHub template source: https://github.com/SharePoint/spfx[n]",

apps/spfx-cli/src/cli/test/__snapshots__/CommandLineHelp.test.ts.snap

@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 exports[`CommandLineHelp prints the help: create 1`] = `
 "usage: spfx create [-h] [--template-url URL] [--spfx-version VERSION]
                    [--target-dir TARGET_DIR] [--local-template TEMPLATE_PATH]
-                   --template TEMPLATE_NAME --library-name LIBRARY_NAME
-                   --component-name COMPONENT_NAME
+                   [--remote-source URL] --template TEMPLATE_NAME
+                   --library-name LIBRARY_NAME --component-name COMPONENT_NAME
                    [--component-alias COMPONENT_ALIAS]
                    [--component-description COMPONENT_DESCRIPTION]
                    [--solution-name SOLUTION_NAME]
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ Optional arguments:
                         solution already exists) The default value is \\"<cwd>\\".
   --local-template TEMPLATE_PATH
                         Path to a local template folder
+  --remote-source URL   Public GitHub repository URL to use as an additional
+                        template source (repeatable)
   --template TEMPLATE_NAME
                         The template to use for scaffolding
   --library-name LIBRARY_NAME

common/changes/@microsoft/spfx-cli/remote-source_2026-03-24.json

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "packageName": "@microsoft/spfx-cli",
+      "comment": "",
+      "type": "none"
+    }
+  ],
+  "packageName": "@microsoft/spfx-cli"
+}