diff --git a/dev-packages/cli/README.md b/dev-packages/cli/README.md
index c90bfade9a1cb..5412e8b766731 100644
--- a/dev-packages/cli/README.md
+++ b/dev-packages/cli/README.md
@@ -12,31 +12,35 @@
 
 ## Outline
 
-- [**Description**](#description)
-- [**Getting Started**](#getting-started)
-- [**Configure**](#configure)
-  - [**Application Properties**](#application-properties)
-  - [**Default Preferences**](#default-preferences)
-  - [**Default Theme**](#default-theme)
-  - [**Build Target**](#build-target)
-  - [**Electron Frontend Application Config**](#electron-frontend-application-config)
-  - [**Using Latest Builds**](#using-latest-builds)
-- [**Building**](#building)
-  - [**Build**](#build)
-  - [**Watch**](#watch)
-  - [**Clean**](#clean)
-- [**Rebuilding Native Modules**](#rebuilding-native-modules)
-- [**Running**](#running)
-- [**Debugging**](#debugging)
-- [**Testing**](#testing)
-  - [**Enabling Tests**](#enabling-tests)
-  - [**Writing Tests**](#writing-tests)
-  - [**Running Tests**](#running-tests)
-  - [**Configuring Tests**](#configuring-tests)
-  - [**Inspecting Tests**](#inspecting-tests)
-  - [**Reporting Test Coverage**](#reporting-test-coverage)
-- [**Downloading Plugins**](#downloading-plugins)
-- [**Autogenerated Application**](#autogenerated-application)
+- [Outline](#outline)
+- [Description](#description)
+- [Getting Started](#getting-started)
+- [Configure](#configure)
+  - [Application Properties](#application-properties)
+  - [Default Preferences](#default-preferences)
+  - [Default Theme](#default-theme)
+  - [Build Target](#build-target)
+  - [Electron Frontend Application Config](#electron-frontend-application-config)
+  - [Using Latest Builds](#using-latest-builds)
+- [Building](#building)
+  - [Build](#build)
+  - [Watch](#watch)
+  - [Clean](#clean)
+- [Rebuilding Native Modules](#rebuilding-native-modules)
+- [Running](#running)
+- [Debugging](#debugging)
+- [Testing](#testing)
+  - [Enabling Tests](#enabling-tests)
+  - [Writing Tests](#writing-tests)
+  - [Running Tests](#running-tests)
+  - [Configuring Tests](#configuring-tests)
+  - [Inspecting Tests](#inspecting-tests)
+  - [Reporting Test Coverage](#reporting-test-coverage)
+- [Downloading Plugins](#downloading-plugins)
+- [Autogenerated Application](#autogenerated-application)
+- [Additional Information](#additional-information)
+- [License](#license)
+- [Trademark](#trademark)
 
 ## Description
 
@@ -301,7 +305,7 @@ The `@theia/cli` package provides a utility for applications to define and downl
 
     theia download:plugins
 
-This utility works by declaring in the `package.json` a location to store downloaded plugins, as well defining each plugin the application wishes to download.
+This utility works by declaring in the `package.json` a location to store downloaded plugins, as well as defining each plugin the application wishes to download.
 
 The property `theiaPluginsDir` describes the location of which to download plugins (relative to the `package.json`), for example:
 
@@ -317,8 +321,11 @@ The property `theiaPlugins` describes the list of plugins to download, for examp
     "vscode-builtin-extension-pack": "https://open-vsx.org/api/eclipse-theia/builtin-extension-pack/1.50.0/file/eclipse-theia.builtin-extension-pack-1.50.0.vsix",
     "vscode-editorconfig": "https://open-vsx.org/api/EditorConfig/EditorConfig/0.14.4/file/EditorConfig.EditorConfig-0.14.4.vsix",
     "vscode-eslint": "https://open-vsx.org/api/dbaeumer/vscode-eslint/2.1.1/file/dbaeumer.vscode-eslint-2.1.1.vsix",
+    "rust-analyzer": "https://open-vsx.org/api/rust-lang/rust-analyzer/${targetPlatform}/0.4.1473/file/rust-lang.rust-analyzer-0.4.1473@${targetPlatform}.vsix"
 }
 ```
+As seen in the `rust-analyzer` entry we can use placeholders in the URLs. Supported placeholders are: 
+- The `${targetPlatform}` Placeholder, which resolves to a string like `win32-x64` describing the local system and architecture. This is useful for adding non-universal plugins. 
 
 Please note that in order to use `extensionPacks` properly you should use `namespace.name` as the `id` you give extensions so that when resolving the pack we do not re-download an existing plugin under a different name.
 
diff --git a/dev-packages/cli/package.json b/dev-packages/cli/package.json
index 169a071658582..76fb3f149c70d 100644
--- a/dev-packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/dev-packages/cli/package.json
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     "chai": "^4.2.0",
     "chalk": "4.0.0",
     "decompress": "^4.2.1",
+    "escape-string-regexp": "4.0.0",
     "glob": "^8.0.3",
     "limiter": "^2.1.0",
     "log-update": "^4.0.0",
diff --git a/dev-packages/cli/src/download-plugins.ts b/dev-packages/cli/src/download-plugins.ts
index 95f54f5c150b2..dc5da1c7744f6 100644
--- a/dev-packages/cli/src/download-plugins.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/cli/src/download-plugins.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import { NodeRequestService } from '@theia/request/lib/node-request-service';
 import { DEFAULT_SUPPORTED_API_VERSION } from '@theia/application-package/lib/api';
 import { RequestContext } from '@theia/request';
 import { RateLimiter } from 'limiter';
+import escapeStringRegexp = require('escape-string-regexp');
 
 temp.track();
 
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ export default async function downloadPlugins(options: DownloadPluginsOptions =
         // This will include both "normal" plugins as well as "extension packs".
         const pluginsToDownload = Object.entries(pck.theiaPlugins)
             .filter((entry: [string, unknown]): entry is [string, string] => typeof entry[1] === 'string')
-            .map(([pluginId, url]) => ({ id: pluginId, downloadUrl: url }));
+            .map(([pluginId, url]) => ({ id: pluginId, downloadUrl: resolveDownloadUrlPlaceholders(url) }));
         await downloader(pluginsToDownload);
 
         const handleDependencyList = async (dependencies: Array<string | string[]>) => {
@@ -195,6 +196,16 @@ export default async function downloadPlugins(options: DownloadPluginsOptions =
     }
 }
 
+const placeholders: Record<string, string> = {
+    targetPlatform: `${process.platform}-${process.arch}`
+};
+function resolveDownloadUrlPlaceholders(url: string): string {
+    for (const [name, value] of Object.entries(placeholders)) {
+        url = url.replace(new RegExp(escapeStringRegexp(`\${${name}}`), 'g'), value);
+    }
+    return url;
+}
+
 /**
  * Downloads a plugin, will make multiple attempts before actually failing.
  * @param failures reference to an array storing all failures.