diff --git a/cmd/wfctl/plugin_install.go b/cmd/wfctl/plugin_install.go
index d1c173eb..e68d5fef 100644
--- a/cmd/wfctl/plugin_install.go
+++ b/cmd/wfctl/plugin_install.go
@@ -56,8 +56,17 @@ func runPluginSearch(args []string) error {
 		fmt.Println("No plugins found.")
 		return nil
 	}
-	fmt.Printf("%-20s %-10s %-12s %-14s %-12s %s\n", "NAME", "VERSION", "TIER", "STATUS", "SOURCE", "DESCRIPTION")
-	fmt.Printf("%-20s %-10s %-12s %-14s %-12s %s\n", "----", "-------", "----", "------", "------", "-----------")
+	fmt.Print(formatPluginSearchResults(plugins))
+	return nil
+}
+
+// formatPluginSearchResults renders the wfctl plugin search table as a string.
+// Extracted from runPluginSearch so unit tests can exercise the formatter
+// without capturing stdout.
+func formatPluginSearchResults(plugins []PluginSearchResult) string {
+	var b strings.Builder
+	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "%-20s %-10s %-12s %-14s %-12s %s\n", "NAME", "VERSION", "TIER", "STATUS", "SOURCE", "DESCRIPTION")
+	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "%-20s %-10s %-12s %-14s %-12s %s\n", "----", "-------", "----", "------", "------", "-----------")
 	for _, p := range plugins {
 		desc := p.Description
 		if len(desc) > 50 {
@@ -67,9 +76,9 @@ func runPluginSearch(args []string) error {
 		if status == "" {
 			status = "-"
 		}
-		fmt.Printf("%-20s %-10s %-12s %-14s %-12s %s\n", p.Name, p.Version, p.Tier, status, p.Source, desc)
+		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "%-20s %-10s %-12s %-14s %-12s %s\n", p.Name, p.Version, p.Tier, status, p.Source, desc)
 	}
-	return nil
+	return b.String()
 }
 
 func runPluginInstall(args []string) error {
diff --git a/cmd/wfctl/plugin_search_format_test.go b/cmd/wfctl/plugin_search_format_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c7ff086
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/wfctl/plugin_search_format_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestFormatPluginSearchResults_HeaderColumns(t *testing.T) {
+	out := formatPluginSearchResults(nil)
+	for _, want := range []string{"NAME", "VERSION", "TIER", "STATUS", "SOURCE", "DESCRIPTION"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(out, want) {
+			t.Errorf("header missing %q in output:\n%s", want, out)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFormatPluginSearchResults_StatusFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	rows := []PluginSearchResult{
+		{PluginSummary: PluginSummary{Name: "a", Version: "v1", Tier: "core", Status: "", Description: "no status"}, Source: "src"},
+		{PluginSummary: PluginSummary{Name: "b", Version: "v2", Tier: "community", Status: "verified", Description: "with status"}, Source: "src"},
+	}
+	out := formatPluginSearchResults(rows)
+	if !strings.Contains(out, " - ") {
+		t.Errorf("expected '-' fallback for empty Status, got:\n%s", out)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(out, "verified") {
+		t.Errorf("expected 'verified' in output, got:\n%s", out)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFormatPluginSearchResults_DescriptionTruncation(t *testing.T) {
+	long := strings.Repeat("x", 80)
+	rows := []PluginSearchResult{{
+		PluginSummary: PluginSummary{Name: "p", Version: "v", Tier: "core", Status: "verified", Description: long},
+		Source:        "src",
+	}}
+	out := formatPluginSearchResults(rows)
+	if !strings.Contains(out, "...") {
+		t.Errorf("expected truncated description ending with '...', got:\n%s", out)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(out, long) {
+		t.Errorf("expected description to be truncated, but full string present:\n%s", out)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFormatPluginSearchResults_OrderAndFields(t *testing.T) {
+	rows := []PluginSearchResult{
+		{PluginSummary: PluginSummary{Name: "first-plugin", Version: "1.0.0", Tier: "core", Status: "verified", Description: "first"}, Source: "main"},
+		{PluginSummary: PluginSummary{Name: "second-plugin", Version: "2.0.0", Tier: "community", Status: "experimental", Description: "second"}, Source: "custom"},
+	}
+	out := formatPluginSearchResults(rows)
+	firstIdx := strings.Index(out, "first-plugin")
+	secondIdx := strings.Index(out, "second-plugin")
+	if firstIdx < 0 || secondIdx < 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected both rows in output, got:\n%s", out)
+	}
+	if firstIdx >= secondIdx {
+		t.Errorf("expected first-plugin before second-plugin, got firstIdx=%d secondIdx=%d", firstIdx, secondIdx)
+	}
+	for _, want := range []string{"first-plugin", "1.0.0", "core", "verified", "main", "first",
+		"second-plugin", "2.0.0", "community", "experimental", "custom", "second"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(out, want) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %q in output, missing. Output:\n%s", want, out)
+		}
+	}
+}