diff --git a/cmd/ci/ci.go b/cmd/ci/ci.go
index f1400ee..350995f 100644
--- a/cmd/ci/ci.go
+++ b/cmd/ci/ci.go
@@ -157,6 +157,10 @@ func runCIReleaseInit() error {
 		return cli.Err("%s: %w", i18n.T("i18n.fail.get", "working directory"), err)
 	}
 
+	return runCIReleaseInitInDir(cwd)
+}
+
+func runCIReleaseInitInDir(cwd string) error {
 	cli.Print("%s %s\n\n", dimStyle.Render(i18n.Label("init")), i18n.T("cmd.ci.init.initializing"))
 
 	if release.ConfigExists(cwd) {
@@ -164,7 +168,7 @@ func runCIReleaseInit() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	cfg := release.DefaultConfig()
+	cfg := release.ScaffoldConfig()
 	if err := release.WriteConfig(cfg, cwd); err != nil {
 		return cli.Err("%s: %w", i18n.T("i18n.fail.create", "config"), err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/ci/ci_test.go b/cmd/ci/ci_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..944c1cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/ci/ci_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package ci
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"dappco.re/go/core/build/internal/ax"
+	"dappco.re/go/core/build/pkg/release"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestCI_runCIReleaseInitInDir_Good(t *testing.T) {
+	projectDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	err := runCIReleaseInitInDir(projectDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	configPath := release.ConfigPath(projectDir)
+	content, err := ax.ReadFile(configPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Contains(t, string(content), "sdk:")
+	assert.Contains(t, string(content), "spec: api/openapi.yaml")
+	assert.Contains(t, string(content), "languages:")
+	assert.Contains(t, string(content), "- typescript")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/release/config.go b/pkg/release/config.go
index ee1b34c..597523a 100644
--- a/pkg/release/config.go
+++ b/pkg/release/config.go
@@ -277,6 +277,23 @@ func DefaultConfig() *Config {
 	}
 }
 
+// ScaffoldConfig returns the config shape written by `core ci init`.
+//
+// cfg := release.ScaffoldConfig()
+func ScaffoldConfig() *Config {
+	cfg := DefaultConfig()
+	cfg.SDK = &SDKConfig{
+		Spec:      "api/openapi.yaml",
+		Languages: []string{"typescript", "python", "go", "php"},
+		Output:    "sdk",
+		Diff: SDKDiffConfig{
+			Enabled:        true,
+			FailOnBreaking: false,
+		},
+	}
+	return cfg
+}
+
 // applyDefaults fills in default values for any empty fields in the config.
 func applyDefaults(cfg *Config) {
 	defaults := DefaultConfig()
diff --git a/pkg/release/config_test.go b/pkg/release/config_test.go
index 911a0a8..4e57a0b 100644
--- a/pkg/release/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/release/config_test.go
@@ -232,6 +232,19 @@ func TestConfig_DefaultConfig_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestConfig_ScaffoldConfig_Good(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("returns documented init scaffold", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cfg := ScaffoldConfig()
+
+		require.NotNil(t, cfg.SDK)
+		assert.Equal(t, "api/openapi.yaml", cfg.SDK.Spec)
+		assert.Equal(t, []string{"typescript", "python", "go", "php"}, cfg.SDK.Languages)
+		assert.Equal(t, "sdk", cfg.SDK.Output)
+		assert.True(t, cfg.SDK.Diff.Enabled)
+		assert.False(t, cfg.SDK.Diff.FailOnBreaking)
+	})
+}
+
 func TestConfig_ConfigPath_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("returns correct path", func(t *testing.T) {
 		path := ConfigPath("/project/root")