diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 9931e95..67a65e6 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -228,6 +228,16 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
             dropshell::create_server(argv[2]);
             return 0;
         }
+
+        if (cmd == "create-service") {
+            if (argc < 4) {
+                std::cerr << "Error: create-service requires a server name and service name" << std::endl;
+                return 1;
+            }
+            dropshell::create_service(argv[2], argv[3]);
+            return 0;
+        }
+
         // handle running a command. 
         for (const auto& command : commands) {
             if (cmd == command) {
diff --git a/src/services.cpp b/src/services.cpp
index 9ab256a..a98d659 100644
--- a/src/services.cpp
+++ b/src/services.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "utils/directories.hpp"
 #include "templates.hpp"
 #include "config.hpp"
+#include "utils/utils.hpp"
 #include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 #include <iostream>
 
@@ -109,4 +110,50 @@ std::set<std::string> get_used_commands(const std::string &server_name, const st
     return commands;
 }
 
+bool create_service(const std::string &server_name, const std::string &service_name)
+{
+    if (server_name.empty() || service_name.empty())
+        return false;
+
+    std::string service_dir = get_local_service_path(server_name, service_name);
+    if (!service_dir.empty() && fs::exists(service_dir)) 
+    {
+        std::cerr << "Error: Service already exists: " << service_name << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "Current service path: " << service_dir << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (service_dir.empty())
+    {
+        std::cerr << "Error: Couldn't locate server " << server_name << " in any config directory" << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "Please check the server name is correct and try again" << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "You can list all servers with 'dropshell servers'" << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "You can create a new server with 'dropshell create-server " << server_name << "'" << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    template_info tinfo;
+    if (!get_template_info(service_name, tinfo))
+    {
+        std::cerr << "Error: Template for service '" << service_name << "' not found" << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "Please check the service name is correct and try again" << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "You can list all templates with 'dropshell templates'" << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "You can create a new template with 'dropshell create-template " << service_name << "'" << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
+    
+    // create the service directory
+    fs::create_directory(service_dir);
+
+    // copy the template example files to the service directory
+    recursive_copy(tinfo.path+"/example", service_dir);
+
+    std::cout << "Service created successfully: " << service_name << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "Please edit the service.env file to configure the service, it is located at: "<<std::endl;
+    std::cout << "   " << service_dir << "/service.env" << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "Then run 'dropshell install " << server_name << " " << service_name << "' to install the service" << std::endl;
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 } // namespace dropshell
diff --git a/src/services.hpp b/src/services.hpp
index 9f24bdb..1c50d85 100644
--- a/src/services.hpp
+++ b/src/services.hpp
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ namespace dropshell {
     std::vector<ServiceInfo> get_server_services_info(const std::string& server_name);
     ServiceInfo get_service_info(const std::string& server_name, const std::string& service_name);
     std::set<std::string> get_used_commands(const std::string& server_name, const std::string& service_name);
+
+    bool create_service(const std::string& server_name, const std::string& service_name);
+
 } // namespace dropshell
 
 
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.cpp b/src/utils/utils.cpp
index b7e9092..76f0819 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/utils.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <fstream>
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <filesystem>
 namespace dropshell {
 
 void maketitle(const std::string& title) {
@@ -139,4 +140,22 @@ int str2int(const std::string &str)
     }
 }
 
+
+void recursive_copy(const std::string & source, const std::string & destination) {
+    try {
+        if (std::filesystem::is_directory(source)) {
+            if (!std::filesystem::exists(destination)) {
+                std::filesystem::create_directory(destination);
+            }
+            for (const auto& entry : std::filesystem::directory_iterator(source)) {
+                recursive_copy(entry.path(), destination / entry.path().filename());
+            }
+        } else if (std::filesystem::is_regular_file(source)) {
+            std::filesystem::copy(source, destination, std::filesystem::copy_options::overwrite_existing);
+        }
+    } catch (const std::filesystem::filesystem_error& ex) {
+        std::cerr << "Error copying " << source << " to " << destination << ": " << ex.what() << std::endl;
+    }
+}
+
 } // namespace dropshell 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.hpp b/src/utils/utils.hpp
index 4ffbc13..bd85ac2 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.hpp
+++ b/src/utils/utils.hpp
@@ -24,4 +24,6 @@ std::vector<std::string> string2multi(std::string values);
 
 int str2int(const std::string & str);
 
+void recursive_copy(const std::string & source, const std::string & destination);
+
 } // namespace dropshell 
\ No newline at end of file