Automatically configuring a pluggable optical transceiver (POT) in a software defined network (SDN) involves a pluggable optical transceiver configuration management application (POT-CMA) executing in a processing device disposed in an application plane of the SDN. The POT-CMA receives first configuration information of a POT which has been inserted into a network device in an SDN data plane. Responsive to receiving the data, the POT-CMA automatically determines at least one modification or addition to the first configuration information to facilitate use of the POT within the SDN in the first port of the first network device. Thereafter, the POT CMA causes at least one write event to occur at the first network device wherein the at least one modification or addition is written to a memory in the POT.