diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fac484e..4ec1cc1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -20,13 +20,18 @@ lint-fix: ## Apply skillsaw autofixes
 docs: ## Generate plugin/skill documentation to docs/index.html
 	uvx skillsaw==$(SKILLSAW_VERSION) docs --format html -o docs/index.html --title "stbenjam's skills"
 
+.PHONY: plugin-table
+plugin-table: ## Generate the README plugin table from the marketplace catalogs
+	@python3 scripts/generate_plugin_table.py
+
 .PHONY: sync-skills
 sync-skills: ## Refresh root skills/ symlinks from plugin skills
 	@python3 scripts/sync_skills.py
 
 .PHONY: update
-update: ## Regenerate documentation and refresh root skill symlinks
+update: ## Regenerate documentation, the README plugin table, and root skill symlinks
 	@$(MAKE) docs
+	@$(MAKE) plugin-table
 	@$(MAKE) sync-skills
 
 .PHONY: new-plugin
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fd33106..42e3c20 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,12 +16,17 @@ Shared skills and plugins for Claude Code and Codex by stbenjam.
 
 ## Plugins
 
-- **[books](plugins/books/)**: Book library workflows
-- **[loops](plugins/loops/)**: Autonomous workflows that shepherd work to completion, such as driving a pull request to a mergeable state
-- **[openclaw](plugins/openclaw/)**: A grab-bag of miscellaneous OpenClaw skills (pollen forecasts, Orangetheory lookups, narrated video reels) with no unifying theme
-- **[reviews](plugins/reviews/)**: Multi-agent panel code review with specialist reviewers and runtime reproducers
-- **[rules](plugins/rules/)**: Context-specific rules for safe Git operations and rigorous test-failure investigation
-- **[steering](plugins/steering/)**: Compact skills for changing direction, explaining decisions, asking for clarity, tightening prose, executing decisively, and raising frontend quality
+<!-- BEGIN GENERATED PLUGIN TABLE -->
+
+| Plugin | Description |
+| --- | --- |
+| [books](plugins/books/) | Search and analyze a Calibre library or Goodreads export |
+| [loops](plugins/loops/) | Autonomous loops that shepherd work to completion, such as driving a PR to a mergeable state |
+| [openclaw](plugins/openclaw/) | A grab-bag of miscellaneous OpenClaw skills (pollen forecasts, Orangetheory lookups, narrated video reels) with no unifying theme. |
+| [reviews](plugins/reviews/) | Multi-agent panel code review with specialist reviewers and runtime reproducers |
+| [rules](plugins/rules/) | Context-specific rules for safe Git operations and rigorous test-failure investigation. |
+| [steering](plugins/steering/) | Compact conversation-steering skills for changing direction, explaining decisions, asking for clarity, tightening prose, executing decisively, and raising frontend quality. |
+<!-- END GENERATED PLUGIN TABLE -->
 
 ## Installation
 
@@ -73,17 +78,19 @@ Run `make update` after adding or removing plugin skills to refresh links and do
 
 ## Development
 
-Lint plugins and skills with [skillsaw](https://skillsaw.org/) in strict mode:
+Run `make update` to regenerate the documentation, this plugin table, and the
+root `skills/` symlinks. Then lint plugins and skills with
+[skillsaw](https://skillsaw.org/) in strict mode:
 
 ```bash
+make update
 make lint
 ```
 
-Apply autofixes or regenerate the static catalog documentation with:
+Apply autofixes with:
 
 ```bash
 make lint-fix
-make update
 ```
 
 ## License
diff --git a/scripts/generate_plugin_table.py b/scripts/generate_plugin_table.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a5baff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/generate_plugin_table.py
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Generate the README plugin table from the marketplace catalogs."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+README = ROOT / "README.md"
+CLAUDE_MARKETPLACE = ROOT / ".claude-plugin/marketplace.json"
+CODEX_MARKETPLACE = ROOT / ".agents/plugins/marketplace.json"
+START_MARKER = "<!-- BEGIN GENERATED PLUGIN TABLE -->"
+END_MARKER = "<!-- END GENERATED PLUGIN TABLE -->"
+
+
+def load_json(path: Path) -> dict:
+    with path.open() as file:
+        data = json.load(file)
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        raise ValueError(f"expected an object in {path}")
+    return data
+
+
+def load_claude_plugins() -> dict[str, tuple[str, str]]:
+    data = load_json(CLAUDE_MARKETPLACE)
+    plugins = data.get("plugins")
+    if not isinstance(plugins, list):
+        raise ValueError(f"expected a plugins list in {CLAUDE_MARKETPLACE}")
+
+    discovered: dict[str, tuple[str, str]] = {}
+    for plugin in plugins:
+        if not isinstance(plugin, dict):
+            raise ValueError(f"invalid plugin entry in {CLAUDE_MARKETPLACE}")
+        name = plugin.get("name")
+        source = plugin.get("source")
+        description = plugin.get("description")
+        if not all(isinstance(value, str) for value in (name, source, description)):
+            raise ValueError(f"plugin entries need name, source, and description: {plugin}")
+        if not source.startswith("./"):
+            raise ValueError(f"plugin source must be relative: {source}")
+        if name in discovered:
+            raise ValueError(f"duplicate plugin name: {name}")
+        plugin_path = ROOT / source[2:]
+        if not plugin_path.is_dir():
+            raise ValueError(f"plugin source does not exist: {source}")
+        discovered[name] = (source[2:], description)
+    return discovered
+
+
+def load_codex_plugin_names() -> set[str]:
+    data = load_json(CODEX_MARKETPLACE)
+    plugins = data.get("plugins")
+    if not isinstance(plugins, list):
+        raise ValueError(f"expected a plugins list in {CODEX_MARKETPLACE}")
+    names: set[str] = set()
+    for plugin in plugins:
+        if not isinstance(plugin, dict) or not isinstance(plugin.get("name"), str):
+            raise ValueError(f"invalid plugin entry in {CODEX_MARKETPLACE}")
+        names.add(plugin["name"])
+    return names
+
+
+def markdown_table(plugins: dict[str, tuple[str, str]]) -> str:
+    lines = [START_MARKER, "", "| Plugin | Description |", "| --- | --- |"]
+    for name, (source, description) in sorted(plugins.items()):
+        escaped_description = " ".join(description.split()).replace("|", "\\|")
+        lines.append(f"| [{name}]({source}/) | {escaped_description} |")
+    lines.append(END_MARKER)
+    return "\n".join(lines)
+
+
+def update_readme(table: str) -> None:
+    contents = README.read_text()
+    if contents.count(START_MARKER) != 1 or contents.count(END_MARKER) != 1:
+        raise ValueError("README must contain exactly one plugin table marker pair")
+    start = contents.index(START_MARKER)
+    end = contents.index(END_MARKER, start) + len(END_MARKER)
+    updated = contents[:start] + table + contents[end:]
+    if updated != contents:
+        README.write_text(updated)
+        print(f"updated {README.relative_to(ROOT)}")
+    else:
+        print(f"{README.relative_to(ROOT)} is up to date")
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    plugins = load_claude_plugins()
+    codex_names = load_codex_plugin_names()
+    if set(plugins) != codex_names:
+        raise ValueError("Claude and Codex marketplace plugin lists differ")
+    update_readme(markdown_table(plugins))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()