diff --git a/.changeset/gold-seas-wave.md b/.changeset/gold-seas-wave.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ec0c6451b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/gold-seas-wave.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-catalog-common': minor
+---
+
+Create catalog-common and add catalog permissions.
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-common/.eslintrc.js b/plugins/catalog-common/.eslintrc.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..13573efa9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-common/.eslintrc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module.exports = {
+  extends: [require.resolve('@backstage/cli/config/eslint')],
+};
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-common/README.md b/plugins/catalog-common/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2566a737d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-common/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Catalog Common
+
+Shared isomorphic code for the catalog plugin.
+
+## Links
+
+- [Frontend part of the plugin](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/tree/master/plugins/catalog)
+- [Backend part of the plugin](https://github.com/backstage/backstage/tree/master/plugins/catalog-backend)
+- [The Backstage homepage](https://backstage.io)
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-common/api-report.md b/plugins/catalog-common/api-report.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e03fc16b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-common/api-report.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+## API Report File for "@backstage/plugin-catalog-common"
+
+> Do not edit this file. It is a report generated by [API Extractor](https://api-extractor.com/).
+
+```ts
+import { Permission } from '@backstage/plugin-permission-common';
+
+// @public
+export const catalogEntityDeletePermission: Permission;
+
+// @public
+export const catalogEntityReadPermission: Permission;
+
+// @public
+export const catalogEntityRefreshPermission: Permission;
+
+// @public
+export const catalogLocationCreatePermission: Permission;
+
+// @public
+export const catalogLocationDeletePermission: Permission;
+
+// @public
+export const catalogLocationReadPermission: Permission;
+
+// @public (undocumented)
+export const RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_ENTITY = 'catalog-entity';
+
+// @public (undocumented)
+export const RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_LOCATION = 'catalog-location';
+```
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-common/package.json b/plugins/catalog-common/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..439a76fe58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-common/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+{
+  "name": "@backstage/plugin-catalog-common",
+  "description": "Common functionalities for the catalog plugin",
+  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "main": "src/index.ts",
+  "types": "src/index.ts",
+  "license": "Apache-2.0",
+  "private": false,
+  "publishConfig": {
+    "access": "public",
+    "main": "dist/index.cjs.js",
+    "module": "dist/index.esm.js",
+    "types": "dist/index.d.ts"
+  },
+  "homepage": "https://backstage.io",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "https://github.com/backstage/backstage",
+    "directory": "plugins/catalog-common"
+  },
+  "keywords": [
+    "backstage"
+  ],
+  "scripts": {
+    "build": "backstage-cli build",
+    "lint": "backstage-cli lint",
+    "test": "backstage-cli test --passWithNoTests",
+    "prepack": "backstage-cli prepack",
+    "postpack": "backstage-cli postpack",
+    "clean": "backstage-cli clean"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@backstage/plugin-permission-common": "^0.2.0"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "@backstage/cli": "^0.10.0"
+  },
+  "files": [
+    "dist"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-common/src/index.ts b/plugins/catalog-common/src/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a38a5ed93b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-common/src/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Provides shared objects useful for interacting with the catalog and its
+ * entities, such as catalog permissions.
+ *
+ * @packageDocumentation
+ */
+
+export {
+  RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_ENTITY,
+  RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_LOCATION,
+  catalogEntityReadPermission,
+  catalogEntityDeletePermission,
+  catalogEntityRefreshPermission,
+  catalogLocationReadPermission,
+  catalogLocationCreatePermission,
+  catalogLocationDeletePermission,
+} from './permissions';
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-common/src/permissions.ts b/plugins/catalog-common/src/permissions.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eb7b01c31e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-common/src/permissions.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { Permission } from '@backstage/plugin-permission-common';
+
+/**
+ * {@link https://backstage.io/docs/features/software-catalog/software-catalog-overview}
+ * @public
+ */
+export const RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_ENTITY = 'catalog-entity';
+
+/**
+ * {@link https://backstage.io/docs/features/software-catalog/descriptor-format#kind-location}
+ * @public
+ */
+export const RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_LOCATION = 'catalog-location';
+
+/**
+ * This permission is used to authorize actions that involve reading one or more
+ * entities from the catalog.
+ *
+ * If this permission is not authorized, it will appear that the entity does not
+ * exist in the catalog — both in the frontend and in API responses.
+ * @public
+ */
+export const catalogEntityReadPermission: Permission = {
+  name: 'catalog.entity.read',
+  attributes: {
+    action: 'read',
+  },
+  resourceType: RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_ENTITY,
+};
+
+/**
+ * This permission is used to designate actions that involve removing one or
+ * more entities from the catalog.
+ * @public
+ */
+export const catalogEntityDeletePermission: Permission = {
+  name: 'catalog.entity.delete',
+  attributes: {
+    action: 'delete',
+  },
+  resourceType: RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_ENTITY,
+};
+
+/**
+ * This permission is used to designate refreshing one or more entities from the
+ * catalog.
+ * @public
+ */
+export const catalogEntityRefreshPermission: Permission = {
+  name: 'catalog.entity.refresh',
+  attributes: {
+    action: 'update',
+  },
+  resourceType: RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_ENTITY,
+};
+
+/**
+ * This permission is used to designate actions that involve reading one or more
+ * locations from the catalog.
+ *
+ * If this permission is not authorized, it will appear that the location does
+ * not exist in the catalog — both in the frontend and in API responses.
+ * @public
+ */
+export const catalogLocationReadPermission: Permission = {
+  name: 'catalog.location.read',
+  attributes: {
+    action: 'read',
+  },
+  resourceType: RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_LOCATION,
+};
+
+/**
+ * This permission is used to designate actions that involve creating catalog
+ * locations.
+ * @public
+ */
+export const catalogLocationCreatePermission: Permission = {
+  name: 'catalog.location.create',
+  attributes: {
+    action: 'create',
+  },
+  resourceType: RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_LOCATION,
+};
+
+/**
+ * This permission is used to designate actions that involve deleting locations
+ * from the catalog.
+ * @public
+ */
+export const catalogLocationDeletePermission: Permission = {
+  name: 'catalog.location.delete',
+  attributes: {
+    action: 'delete',
+  },
+  resourceType: RESOURCE_TYPE_CATALOG_LOCATION,
+};
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-common/src/setupTests.ts b/plugins/catalog-common/src/setupTests.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb7d1a181a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-common/src/setupTests.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+export {};