diff --git a/.changeset/proud-jars-look.md b/.changeset/proud-jars-look.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2bae44db66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/proud-jars-look.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend': patch
+---
+
+Add a `topics` input to `publish:github` action that can be used to set topics on the repository upon creation.
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/__mocks__/@octokit/rest/index.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/__mocks__/@octokit/rest/index.ts
index e0e9efa479..1f27745c0c 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/__mocks__/@octokit/rest/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/__mocks__/@octokit/rest/index.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export const mockGithubClient = {
     createInOrg: jest.fn(),
     createForAuthenticatedUser: jest.fn(),
     addCollaborator: jest.fn(),
+    replaceAllTopics: jest.fn(),
   },
   users: {
     getByUsername: jest.fn(),
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
index dc2f602778..3dae202643 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
@@ -341,6 +341,72 @@ describe('publish:github', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it('should add topics when provided', async () => {
+    mockGithubClient.users.getByUsername.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: { type: 'User' },
+    });
+
+    mockGithubClient.repos.createForAuthenticatedUser.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: {
+        clone_url: 'https://github.com/clone/url.git',
+        html_url: 'https://github.com/html/url',
+      },
+    });
+
+    mockGithubClient.repos.replaceAllTopics.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: {
+        names: ['node.js'],
+      },
+    });
+
+    await action.handler({
+      ...mockContext,
+      input: {
+        ...mockContext.input,
+        topics: ['node.js'],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(mockGithubClient.repos.replaceAllTopics).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      owner: 'owner',
+      repo: 'repo',
+      names: ['node.js'],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should lowercase topics when provided', async () => {
+    mockGithubClient.users.getByUsername.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: { type: 'User' },
+    });
+
+    mockGithubClient.repos.createForAuthenticatedUser.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: {
+        clone_url: 'https://github.com/clone/url.git',
+        html_url: 'https://github.com/html/url',
+      },
+    });
+
+    mockGithubClient.repos.replaceAllTopics.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: {
+        names: ['backstage'],
+      },
+    });
+
+    await action.handler({
+      ...mockContext,
+      input: {
+        ...mockContext.input,
+        topics: ['BACKSTAGE'],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(mockGithubClient.repos.replaceAllTopics).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      owner: 'owner',
+      repo: 'repo',
+      names: ['backstage'],
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should call output with the remoteUrl and the repoContentsUrl', async () => {
     mockGithubClient.users.getByUsername.mockResolvedValue({
       data: { type: 'User' },
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.ts
index 1938c3bf13..adf08b53c4 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
     sourcePath?: string;
     repoVisibility: 'private' | 'internal' | 'public';
     collaborators: Collaborator[];
+    topics?: string[];
   }>({
     id: 'publish:github',
     description:
@@ -101,6 +102,13 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
               },
             },
           },
+          topics: {
+            title: 'Topics',
+            type: 'array',
+            items: {
+              type: 'string',
+            },
+          },
         },
       },
       output: {
@@ -124,6 +132,7 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
         access,
         repoVisibility = 'private',
         collaborators,
+        topics,
       } = ctx.input;
 
       const { owner, repo, host } = parseRepoUrl(repoUrl);
@@ -217,6 +226,18 @@ export function createPublishGithubAction(options: {
         }
       }
 
+      if (topics) {
+        try {
+          await client.repos.replaceAllTopics({
+            owner,
+            repo,
+            names: topics.map(t => t.toLowerCase()),
+          });
+        } catch (e) {
+          ctx.logger.warn(`Skipping topics ${topics.join(' ')}, ${e.message}`);
+        }
+      }
+
       const remoteUrl = newRepo.clone_url;
       const repoContentsUrl = `${newRepo.html_url}/blob/master`;