diff --git a/marlowe-cli/changelog.d/20231215_114608_brian.bush_issue189.md b/marlowe-cli/changelog.d/20231215_114608_brian.bush_issue189.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa576edfbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/marlowe-cli/changelog.d/20231215_114608_brian.bush_issue189.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+### Changed
+
+- Marlowe CLI swap template tokens default to ada if not specified.
diff --git a/marlowe-cli/command/Language/Marlowe/CLI/Command/Template.hs b/marlowe-cli/command/Language/Marlowe/CLI/Command/Template.hs
index 3cbcdf2658..808d263558 100644
--- a/marlowe-cli/command/Language/Marlowe/CLI/Command/Template.hs
+++ b/marlowe-cli/command/Language/Marlowe/CLI/Command/Template.hs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import Language.Marlowe.CLI.Command.Parse (
 import Language.Marlowe.CLI.Examples (makeExample)
 import Language.Marlowe.CLI.IO (decodeFileStrict)
 import Language.Marlowe.CLI.Types (CliError (..), SomeTimeout, toMarloweExtendedTimeout, toMarloweTimeout)
-import Language.Marlowe.Extended.V1 as E (Contract (..), Party, Token, Value (..))
+import Language.Marlowe.Extended.V1 as E (Contract (..), Party, Token (..), Value (..))
 import Language.Marlowe.Util (ada)
 import Marlowe.Contracts (coveredCall, escrow, swap, trivial, zeroCouponBond)
 
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ templateSwapOptions =
       )
     <*> O.option
       parseToken
-      ( O.long "a-token" <> O.metavar "TOKEN" <> O.help "The first party's token."
+      ( O.long "a-token" <> O.value (Token "" "") <> O.metavar "TOKEN" <> O.help "The first party's token (default is ada)."
       )
     <*> O.option
       O.auto
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ templateSwapOptions =
       )
     <*> O.option
       parseToken
-      ( O.long "b-token" <> O.metavar "TOKEN" <> O.help "The second party's token."
+      ( O.long "b-token" <> O.value (Token "" "") <> O.metavar "TOKEN" <> O.help "The second party's token. (default is ada)"
       )
     <*> O.option
       O.auto