A metal plating method which is characterized in that it comprises pretreating an article to be plated with a pretreating agent prepared by admixing a solution containing a metal exhibiting a catalytic activity in depositing a plating metal such as copper and nickel from an electroless plating solution onto the surface to be plated with a solution of a silane coupling agent having a functional group capable of capturing the metal, to thereby allow the silane coupling agent to capture the metal, and then adding a reducing agent, and thereafter carrying out an electroless plating. A desired metal can be plated on a surface thus electroless-plated.