diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e37f118..d1b9d85 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 .env
+.vscode
 node_modules
 mydir
 myadmin
diff --git a/commands/create-project-api.js b/commands/create-project-api.js
index f1b6f19..a47c8b6 100644
--- a/commands/create-project-api.js
+++ b/commands/create-project-api.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { mkdir, writeFile } from "fs/promises";
+import { mkdir, writeFile, readFile } from "fs/promises";
 import { parse, stringify } from "envfile";
 import simpleGit from "simple-git";
 import wget from "../utils/wget.js";
@@ -68,11 +68,17 @@ async function getFileFromCore(fileName) {
 /**
  * @summary update dotenv file to point to local mongo
  * @param {String} envData - file extracted from the reaction repo
+ * @param {Object} options - Any options for project creation
  * @returns {String} updated env file
  */
-function updateEnv(envData) {
+function updateEnv(envData, options = {}) {
   const env = parse(envData);
   env.MONGO_URL = "mongodb://localhost:27017/reaction";
+
+  if (options.populate) {
+    env.LOAD_SAMPLE_DATA = true;
+  }
+
   const updatedEnv = stringify(env);
   return updatedEnv;
 }
@@ -80,9 +86,10 @@ function updateEnv(envData) {
 /**
  * @summary get files directory from core repo
  * @param {String} projectName - The name of the project we are creating
+ * @param {Object} options - Any options for project creation
  * @returns {Promise<Boolean>} True if success
  */
-async function getFilesFromCore(projectName) {
+async function getFilesFromCore(projectName, options) {
   // get files directly from repo so it's always up-to-date
   const packageJson = await getFileFromCore("package.json");
   const updatedPackageJson = await updatePackageJson(packageJson, projectName);
@@ -104,28 +111,60 @@ async function getFilesFromCore(projectName) {
   await writeFile(`${projectName}/.nvmrc`, nvmrc);
 
   const dotenv = await getFileFromCore(".env.example");
-  const updatedDotEnv = updateEnv(dotenv);
+  const updatedDotEnv = updateEnv(dotenv, options);
   await writeFile(`${projectName}/.env`, updatedDotEnv);
   return true;
 }
 
-
 /**
- * @summary git init the newly created project
- * @param {String} projectName - The project to init
- * @returns {Promise<Boolean>} true if success
+ * @summary create the git instance
+ * @param {String} projectName - The name of the directory to create
+ * @returns {Object} - the git instance
  */
-async function gitInitDirectory(projectName) {
+function getGit(projectName) {
   const gitOptions = {
     baseDir: `${process.cwd()}/${projectName}`,
     binary: "git",
     maxConcurrentProcesses: 6
   };
-  const git = simpleGit(gitOptions);
+  return simpleGit(gitOptions);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @summary git init the newly created project
+ * @param {String} projectName - The project to init
+ * @returns {Promise<Boolean>} true if success
+ */
+async function gitInitDirectory(projectName) {
+  try {
+    await getGit(projectName).init();
+  } catch (error) {
+    Logger.error(error);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @summary add the sample data plugin to project
+ * @param {String} projectName name of the project to create
+ * @param {String} pluginName The plugin name
+ * @returns {Promise<boolean>} true for success
+ */
+async function addSampleDataPlugin(projectName) {
   try {
-    await git.init();
+    await getGit(projectName).clone("git@github.com:reactioncommerce/api-plugin-sample-data.git", "./custom-packages/api-plugin-sample-data");
+
+    const pluginJsonPath = `${projectName}/plugins.json`;
+    const plugins = JSON.parse(await readFile(pluginJsonPath));
+    plugins.sampleData = "./custom-packages/api-plugin-sample-data/index.js";
+
+    await writeFile(pluginJsonPath, JSON.stringify(plugins, null, "\t"));
+
+    Logger.info("Added the sample data plugin successfully.");
+    return true;
   } catch (error) {
     Logger.error(error);
+    Logger.warn("Can't add the sample data plugin by error. Please add it manual.");
+    return false;
   }
 }
 
@@ -148,10 +187,14 @@ export default async function createProjectApi(projectName, options) {
   await getFilesFromRepo("/templates/api-project/", projectName);
 
   // copy files directly from core that we want to be current
-  await getFilesFromCore(projectName);
+  await getFilesFromCore(projectName, options);
 
   // git init the new project
   await gitInitDirectory(projectName);
 
+  if (options.populate) {
+    await addSampleDataPlugin(projectName);
+  }
+
   Logger.success("Project creation complete. Change to your directory and run `npm install`");
 }
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 1fd78f8..862966b 100755
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ program
   .description("Create a new Open Commerce project of one of several types")
   .addArgument(new commander.Argument("<type>", "which project type to create").choices(["api", "storefront", "admin", "demo"]))
   .argument("<name>", "what to name the project")
-  // .option("--populate")
+  .option("--populate", "Install the sample data plugin")
   .option("--skip-meteor-install", "Skip Meteor install when creating admin project")
   .option("--dont-start-demo", "Don't auto start the demo project after creation")
   .action((type, name, options) => {
diff --git a/tests/create-api-project.js b/tests/create-api-project.js
index d63777b..70291cc 100644
--- a/tests/create-api-project.js
+++ b/tests/create-api-project.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { EOL } from "os";
+import fs from "fs/promises";
 import { v4 as uuidv4 } from "uuid";
 import rimraf from "rimraf";
 import { expect } from "chai";
@@ -28,6 +29,21 @@ describe("The create-project-api command", () => {
     // eslint-disable-next-line jest/valid-expect
     expect(responseLines[1]).to.equal("reaction-cli: Project creation complete. Change to your directory and run `npm install`");
   }).timeout(5000);
+
+  it("should print the correct output when user run with --populate option", async () => {
+    const response = await execute("./index.js", ["create-project", "api", "myshop", "--populate"]);
+    const responseLines = response.trim().split(EOL);
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+    console.log(response);
+    expect(responseLines[1]).equal("reaction-cli: Added the sample data plugin successfully.");
+    expect(responseLines[2]).equal("reaction-cli: Project creation complete. Change to your directory and run `npm install`");
+
+    const pluginsData = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile("./myshop/plugins.json"));
+    expect(pluginsData.sampleData).eq("./custom-packages/api-plugin-sample-data/index.js");
+
+    const envData = await fs.readFile("./myshop/.env", { encoding: "utf-8" });
+    expect(envData).contain("LOAD_SAMPLE_DATA=true");
+  }).timeout(350000);
 });
 
 afterEach(async () => {