diff --git a/bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_manager/create/widget.py b/bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_manager/create/widget.py
index befa0bb4..cfb5f8f7 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_manager/create/widget.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_manager/create/widget.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ def _commit_added_widget(repo: Path, name: str):
     logger.info(f"Committing new widget {name}")
 
 
-def _widget_exists(widget_list: list[dict[str, str]], name: str):
+def _widget_exists(widget_list: list[dict[str, str | bool]], name: str):
     return name in [w["name"] for w in widget_list]
 
 
diff --git a/bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_manager/edit_ui.py b/bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_manager/edit_ui.py
index a841eb89..384fb1ee 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_manager/edit_ui.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_manager/edit_ui.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from watchdog.events import (
 )
 from watchdog.observers import Observer
 
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import open_designer
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_helper import get_all_plugin_widgets
 from bec_widgets.utils.plugin_utils import get_custom_classes
 
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ class RecompileHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
         if code == 0:
             logger.success("updating imports...")
             self._update_imports()
+            logger.success("done!")
 
     def _update_imports(self):
         with open(self.out_file, "r+") as f:
@@ -82,13 +84,6 @@ class RecompileHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
 
 def open_and_watch_ui_editor(widget_name: str):
     logger.info(f"Opening the editor for {widget_name}... ")
-
-    try:
-        from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import open_designer
-    except ImportError:
-        logger.error("BEC Widgets must be installed to use the UI editor tool")
-        exit(127)
-
     repo = Path(plugin_repo_path())
     widget_dir = repo / repo.name / "bec_widgets" / "widgets" / widget_name
     ui_file = widget_dir / f"{widget_name}.ui"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b9f291d9..41e75f84 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ dev = [
     "pytest~=8.0",
     "pytest-cov~=6.1.1",
     "watchdog~=6.0",
+    "pre_commit~=4.2",
 ]
 
 [project.urls]
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_plugin_creator.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_plugin_creator.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b2cf6852
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_plugin_creator.py
@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+import os
+import subprocess
+import time
+from pathlib import Path
+from time import sleep
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, call, patch
+
+import copier
+import pytest
+from bec_lib.utils.plugin_manager import main
+from bec_lib.utils.plugin_manager._util import _goto_dir
+from typer.testing import CliRunner
+
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget import _commit_added_widget, _widget_exists
+
+PLUGIN_REPO = "https://github.com/bec-project/plugin_copier_template.git"
+
+REPLACEMENT_UI_CONTENTS = """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<ui version="4.0">
+ <class>testWidget6</class>
+ <widget class="QWidget" name="testWidget6">
+  <property name="geometry">
+   <rect>
+    <x>0</x>
+    <y>0</y>
+    <width>539</width>
+    <height>287</height>
+   </rect>
+  </property>
+  <widget class="Waveform" name="waveform">
+   <property name="geometry">
+    <rect>
+     <x>30</x>
+     <y>0</y>
+     <width>361</width>
+     <height>125</height>
+    </rect>
+   </property>
+  </widget>
+ </widget>
+ <customwidgets>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>Waveform</class>
+   <extends>QWidget</extends>
+   <header>waveform</header>
+  </customwidget>
+ </customwidgets>
+ <resources/>
+ <connections/>
+</ui>
+"""
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def runner():
+    return CliRunner()
+
+
+def test_app_has_widget_commands(runner: CliRunner):
+    result = runner.invoke(main._app, ["create", "--help"])
+    assert "widget" in result.output
+
+
+def test_create_widget_takes_name(runner: CliRunner):
+    result = runner.invoke(main._app, ["create", "widget"])
+    assert "Missing argument 'NAME'." in result.output
+
+
+@patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.logger")
+@patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.make_commit")
+@patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.git_stage_files")
+def test_make_commit(stage: MagicMock, commit: MagicMock, logger: MagicMock):
+    repo = Path("test_path")
+    _commit_added_widget(repo, "test")
+    assert stage.call_count == 2
+    stage.assert_has_calls(
+        [
+            call(repo, [".copier-answers.yml"]),
+            call(repo / repo.name / "bec_widgets" / "widgets" / "test", []),
+        ]
+    )
+    commit.assert_called_with(repo, "plugin-manager added new widget: test")
+    logger.info.assert_called_with("Committing new widget test")
+
+
+def test_widget_exists_function():
+    assert not _widget_exists([], "test_widget")
+    assert _widget_exists([{"name": "test_widget", "use_ui": True}], "test_widget")
+
+
+def test_editor_cb(runner):
+    result = runner.invoke(main._app, ["create", "widget", "test", "--no-use-ui", "--open-editor"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 2
+    assert "Invalid value" in result.output
+    assert "Can only open" in result.output
+
+
+class TestAddWidgetVariants:
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="class", autouse=True)
+    def setup_env(self, tmp_path_factory: pytest.TempPathFactory):
+        TestAddWidgetVariants._tmp_plugin_dir = tmp_path_factory.mktemp("test_plugin")
+
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="function", autouse=True)
+    def cleanup_repo(self):
+        yield
+        subprocess.run(["git", "reset", "--hard"], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
+    def git_repo(self):
+        project = TestAddWidgetVariants._tmp_plugin_dir / "test_plugin"
+        with _goto_dir(TestAddWidgetVariants._tmp_plugin_dir):
+            subprocess.run(["git", "clone", PLUGIN_REPO])
+        os.makedirs(project)
+        with _goto_dir(project):
+            subprocess.run(["git", "init", "-b", "main"])
+            subprocess.run(["git", "config", "user.email", "test"])
+            subprocess.run(["git", "config", "user.name", "test"])
+            copier.run_copy(
+                str(TestAddWidgetVariants._tmp_plugin_dir / "plugin_copier_template"),
+                str(project),
+                defaults=True,
+                data={
+                    "project_name": "test_plugin",
+                    "widget_plugins_input": [{"name": "test_widget", "use_ui": True}],
+                },
+                unsafe=True,
+            )
+            yield project
+
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.plugin_repo_path")
+    def test_add_widget_with_ui(self, plugin_repo_path, runner: CliRunner, git_repo: Path):
+        plugin_repo_path.return_value = str(git_repo)
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            main._app, ["create", "widget", "test_widget_2", "--use-ui", "--no-open-editor"]
+        )
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        widget_dir = git_repo / "test_plugin" / "bec_widgets" / "widgets" / "test_widget_2"
+        assert os.path.isdir(widget_dir)
+        assert os.path.isfile(widget_dir / "test_widget_2.py")
+        assert os.path.isfile(widget_dir / "test_widget_2.ui")
+        assert os.path.isfile(widget_dir / "test_widget_2_ui.py")
+
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.plugin_repo_path")
+    def test_add_widget_without_ui(self, plugin_repo_path, runner: CliRunner, git_repo: Path):
+        plugin_repo_path.return_value = str(git_repo)
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            main._app, ["create", "widget", "test_widget_3", "--no-use-ui", "--no-open-editor"]
+        )
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        widget_dir = git_repo / "test_plugin" / "bec_widgets" / "widgets" / "test_widget_3"
+        assert os.path.isdir(widget_dir)
+        assert os.path.isfile(widget_dir / "test_widget_3.py")
+        assert not os.path.isfile(widget_dir / "test_widget_3.ui")
+        assert not os.path.isfile(widget_dir / "test_widget_3_ui.py")
+
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.logger")
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.plugin_repo_path")
+    def test_no_add_widget_dupe_name(
+        self, plugin_repo_path, logger, runner: CliRunner, git_repo: Path
+    ):
+        plugin_repo_path.return_value = str(git_repo)
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            main._app, ["create", "widget", "test_widget", "--no-use-ui", "--no-open-editor"]
+        )
+        assert result.exit_code == -1, result.output
+        assert "already exists!" in logger.error.mock_calls[0].args[0]
+
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.logger")
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.plugin_repo_path")
+    def test_no_add_widget_bad_name(
+        self, plugin_repo_path, logger, runner: CliRunner, git_repo: Path
+    ):
+        plugin_repo_path.return_value = str(git_repo)
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            main._app, ["create", "widget", "12345", "--no-use-ui", "--no-open-editor"]
+        )
+        assert result.exit_code == -1, result.output
+        assert "not a valid name for a widget" in logger.error.mock_calls[0].args[0]
+
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.copier")
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.logger")
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.plugin_repo_path")
+    def test_copier_error_logged(
+        self, plugin_repo_path, logger, copier, runner: CliRunner, git_repo: Path
+    ):
+        class CopierFailure(Exception): ...
+
+        copier.run_update.side_effect = CopierFailure
+        plugin_repo_path.return_value = str(git_repo)
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            main._app, ["create", "widget", "test_widget_4", "--no-use-ui", "--no-open-editor"]
+        )
+        assert result.exit_code == -1, result.output
+        assert "CopierFailure" in logger.error.mock_calls[0].args[0]
+
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.open_and_watch_ui_editor")
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.plugin_repo_path")
+    def test_editor_opened_on_success(
+        self, plugin_repo_path, open_editor, runner: CliRunner, git_repo: Path
+    ):
+        plugin_repo_path.return_value = str(git_repo)
+        runner.invoke(main._app, ["create", "widget", "TeSt_wiDgeT_5", "--use-ui", "--open-editor"])
+        open_editor.assert_called_with("test_widget_5")
+
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.edit_ui.logger")
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.edit_ui.open_designer")
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.edit_ui.plugin_repo_path")
+    @patch("bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_manager.create.widget.plugin_repo_path")
+    def test_widget_editor_watcher(
+        self,
+        plugin_repo_path,
+        plugin_repo_path_2,
+        open_designer,
+        logger: MagicMock,
+        runner: CliRunner,
+        git_repo: Path,
+    ):
+        plugin_repo_path.return_value = str(git_repo)
+        plugin_repo_path_2.return_value = str(git_repo)
+
+        widget_dir = git_repo / "test_plugin" / "bec_widgets" / "widgets" / "test_widget_6"
+        widget_ui_file = widget_dir / "test_widget_6.ui"
+        compiled_widget_ui_file = widget_dir / "test_widget_6_ui.py"
+
+        test_collector = SimpleNamespace()
+
+        def test_function(args: list[str]):
+            test_collector.ui_file = args[0]
+            with open(compiled_widget_ui_file) as f:
+                test_collector.initial_compiled_ui_contents = f.read()
+            with open(args[0], "w") as f:
+                f.write(REPLACEMENT_UI_CONTENTS)
+            start = time.monotonic()
+            while call("done!") not in logger.success.call_args_list:
+                time.sleep(0.05)
+                if time.monotonic() - start > 5:
+                    raise TimeoutError("Waiting for recompilation timed out.")
+            with open(compiled_widget_ui_file) as f:
+                test_collector.final_compiled_ui_contents = f.read()
+
+        open_designer.side_effect = test_function
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            main._app, ["create", "widget", "test_widget_6", "--use-ui", "--open-editor"]
+        )
+
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        assert test_collector.ui_file == str(widget_ui_file)
+        assert (
+            test_collector.initial_compiled_ui_contents != test_collector.final_compiled_ui_contents
+        )
+        assert "" in test_collector.final_compiled_ui_contents