diff --git a/packages/spec/src/index.ts b/packages/spec/src/index.ts
index 6b2b28975..0ffecaceb 100644
--- a/packages/spec/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/spec/src/index.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export { defineAgent } from './ai/agent.zod';
 // DX Validation Utilities (re-exported for convenience)
 export { objectStackErrorMap, formatZodError, formatZodIssue, safeParsePretty } from './shared/error-map.zod';
 export { suggestFieldType, findClosestMatches, formatSuggestion } from './shared/suggestions.zod';
-export { normalizeMetadataCollection, normalizeStackInput, MAP_SUPPORTED_FIELDS } from './shared/metadata-collection.zod';
+export { normalizeMetadataCollection, normalizeStackInput, normalizePluginMetadata, MAP_SUPPORTED_FIELDS, METADATA_ALIASES } from './shared/metadata-collection.zod';
 export type { MetadataCollectionInput, MapSupportedField } from './shared/metadata-collection.zod';
 
 export { type PluginContext } from './kernel/plugin.zod';
diff --git a/packages/spec/src/shared/metadata-collection.test.ts b/packages/spec/src/shared/metadata-collection.test.ts
index 5d45bc6f3..990e40b15 100644
--- a/packages/spec/src/shared/metadata-collection.test.ts
+++ b/packages/spec/src/shared/metadata-collection.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import {
   normalizeMetadataCollection,
   normalizeStackInput,
+  normalizePluginMetadata,
   MAP_SUPPORTED_FIELDS,
+  METADATA_ALIASES,
 } from './metadata-collection.zod';
 
 describe('normalizeMetadataCollection', () => {
@@ -260,3 +262,144 @@ describe('MAP_SUPPORTED_FIELDS', () => {
     expect(MAP_SUPPORTED_FIELDS).not.toContain('devPlugins');
   });
 });
+
+describe('METADATA_ALIASES', () => {
+  it('should map triggers to hooks', () => {
+    expect(METADATA_ALIASES.triggers).toBe('hooks');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('normalizePluginMetadata', () => {
+  describe('map → array conversion', () => {
+    it('should convert map-formatted actions to an array', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({
+        actions: {
+          lead_convert: { type: 'custom', label: 'Convert Lead' },
+        },
+      });
+      expect(result.actions).toEqual([
+        { name: 'lead_convert', type: 'custom', label: 'Convert Lead' },
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('should convert map-formatted workflows to an array', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({
+        workflows: {
+          auto_assign: { objectName: 'lead', label: 'Auto Assign' },
+        },
+      });
+      expect(result.workflows).toEqual([
+        { name: 'auto_assign', objectName: 'lead', label: 'Auto Assign' },
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it('should leave array-formatted collections unchanged', () => {
+      const actions = [{ name: 'convert', type: 'custom' }];
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({ actions });
+      expect(result.actions).toBe(actions);
+    });
+
+    it('should handle multiple map-formatted collections at once', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({
+        actions: { a: { label: 'A' } },
+        flows: { f: { label: 'F' } },
+        hooks: { h: { object: 'lead' } },
+      });
+      expect(result.actions).toEqual([{ name: 'a', label: 'A' }]);
+      expect(result.flows).toEqual([{ name: 'f', label: 'F' }]);
+      expect(result.hooks).toEqual([{ name: 'h', object: 'lead' }]);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('alias resolution (triggers → hooks)', () => {
+    it('should rename triggers to hooks', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({
+        triggers: {
+          lead_scoring: { object: 'lead', event: 'afterInsert' },
+        },
+      });
+      expect(result.hooks).toEqual([
+        { name: 'lead_scoring', object: 'lead', event: 'afterInsert' },
+      ]);
+      expect(result.triggers).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    it('should merge triggers into existing hooks (array)', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({
+        hooks: [{ name: 'existing_hook', object: 'account' }],
+        triggers: {
+          new_trigger: { object: 'lead', event: 'afterInsert' },
+        },
+      });
+      expect(result.hooks).toEqual([
+        { name: 'existing_hook', object: 'account' },
+        { name: 'new_trigger', object: 'lead', event: 'afterInsert' },
+      ]);
+      expect(result.triggers).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    it('should merge triggers into existing hooks (map)', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({
+        hooks: { existing_hook: { object: 'account' } },
+        triggers: { new_trigger: { object: 'lead' } },
+      });
+      expect(result.hooks).toEqual([
+        { name: 'existing_hook', object: 'account' },
+        { name: 'new_trigger', object: 'lead' },
+      ]);
+      expect(result.triggers).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('recursive nested plugin normalization', () => {
+    it('should recursively normalize nested plugins', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({
+        actions: { a1: { label: 'Root Action' } },
+        plugins: [
+          {
+            actions: { nested_action: { label: 'Nested' } },
+            triggers: { nested_trigger: { object: 'contact' } },
+          },
+          'string-plugin-ref', // string refs should pass through
+        ],
+      });
+
+      expect(result.actions).toEqual([{ name: 'a1', label: 'Root Action' }]);
+      expect(result.plugins).toHaveLength(2);
+
+      const nestedPlugin = result.plugins[0] as Record<string, unknown>;
+      expect(nestedPlugin.actions).toEqual([{ name: 'nested_action', label: 'Nested' }]);
+      expect(nestedPlugin.hooks).toEqual([{ name: 'nested_trigger', object: 'contact' }]);
+      expect(nestedPlugin.triggers).toBeUndefined();
+
+      expect(result.plugins[1]).toBe('string-plugin-ref');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('pass-through / edge cases', () => {
+    it('should not modify non-metadata fields', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({
+        manifest: { name: 'test', version: '1.0.0' },
+        actions: { a: { label: 'A' } },
+      });
+      expect(result.manifest).toEqual({ name: 'test', version: '1.0.0' });
+    });
+
+    it('should handle empty input', () => {
+      expect(normalizePluginMetadata({})).toEqual({});
+    });
+
+    it('should handle input with no metadata collections', () => {
+      const input = { manifest: { name: 'test' }, i18n: { defaultLocale: 'en' } };
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata(input);
+      expect(result.manifest).toBe(input.manifest);
+      expect(result.i18n).toBe(input.i18n);
+    });
+
+    it('should handle undefined metadata fields', () => {
+      const result = normalizePluginMetadata({ actions: undefined, hooks: undefined });
+      expect(result.actions).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(result.hooks).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/spec/src/shared/metadata-collection.zod.ts b/packages/spec/src/shared/metadata-collection.zod.ts
index 9bbbd4cd1..0993d9bf9 100644
--- a/packages/spec/src/shared/metadata-collection.zod.ts
+++ b/packages/spec/src/shared/metadata-collection.zod.ts
@@ -169,3 +169,87 @@ export function normalizeStackInput<T extends Record<string, unknown>>(input: T)
   }
   return result;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Mapping of legacy / alternative field names to their canonical names
+ * in `ObjectStackDefinitionSchema`.
+ *
+ * Plugins may use legacy names (e.g., `triggers` instead of `hooks`).
+ * This map lets `normalizePluginMetadata()` rewrite them automatically.
+ */
+export const METADATA_ALIASES: Record<string, MapSupportedField> = {
+  triggers: 'hooks',
+};
+
+/**
+ * Normalize plugin metadata so it matches the canonical format expected by the runtime.
+ *
+ * This handles two issues that commonly arise when loading third-party plugin metadata:
+ *
+ * 1. **Map → Array conversion** — plugins often define metadata as maps
+ *    (e.g., `actions: { convert_lead: { ... } }`), but the runtime expects arrays.
+ *    Every key listed in {@link MAP_SUPPORTED_FIELDS} is normalized via
+ *    {@link normalizeMetadataCollection}.
+ *
+ * 2. **Field aliasing** — plugins may use legacy or alternative field names
+ *    (e.g., `triggers` instead of `hooks`). {@link METADATA_ALIASES} maps them
+ *    to their canonical counterparts.
+ *
+ * 3. **Recursive normalization** — if the plugin itself contains nested `plugins`,
+ *    each nested plugin is normalized recursively.
+ *
+ * @param metadata - Raw plugin metadata object
+ * @returns A new object with all collections normalized to arrays, aliases resolved,
+ *          and nested plugins recursively normalized
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```ts
+ * const raw = {
+ *   actions: { lead_convert: { type: 'custom', label: 'Convert' } },
+ *   triggers: { lead_scoring: { object: 'lead', event: 'afterInsert' } },
+ * };
+ * const normalized = normalizePluginMetadata(raw);
+ * // normalized.actions → [{ name: 'lead_convert', type: 'custom', label: 'Convert' }]
+ * // normalized.hooks   → [{ name: 'lead_scoring', object: 'lead', event: 'afterInsert' }]
+ * // normalized.triggers → removed (merged into hooks)
+ * ```
+ */
+export function normalizePluginMetadata<T extends Record<string, unknown>>(metadata: T): T {
+  const result = { ...metadata };
+
+  // 1. Resolve aliases (e.g. triggers → hooks), merging with any existing canonical values
+  for (const [alias, canonical] of Object.entries(METADATA_ALIASES)) {
+    if (alias in result) {
+      const aliasValue = normalizeMetadataCollection(result[alias]);
+      const canonicalValue = normalizeMetadataCollection(result[canonical]);
+
+      // Merge: canonical array wins; alias values are appended
+      if (Array.isArray(aliasValue)) {
+        (result as Record<string, unknown>)[canonical] = Array.isArray(canonicalValue)
+          ? [...canonicalValue, ...aliasValue]
+          : aliasValue;
+      }
+
+      delete (result as Record<string, unknown>)[alias];
+    }
+  }
+
+  // 2. Normalize map-formatted collections → arrays
+  for (const field of MAP_SUPPORTED_FIELDS) {
+    if (field in result) {
+      (result as Record<string, unknown>)[field] = normalizeMetadataCollection(result[field]);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // 3. Recursively normalize nested plugins
+  if (Array.isArray(result.plugins)) {
+    (result as Record<string, unknown>).plugins = result.plugins.map((p: unknown) => {
+      if (p && typeof p === 'object' && !Array.isArray(p)) {
+        return normalizePluginMetadata(p as Record<string, unknown>);
+      }
+      return p;
+    });
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}