Base44 CLI
Create and manage Base44 apps (projects) using the Base44 CLI tool.
⚡ IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED - Read This First
This skill activates on ANY mention of "base44" or when a base44/ folder exists. DO NOT read documentation files or search the web before acting.
Your first action MUST be:
Check if base44/config.jsonc exists in the current directory If NO (new project scenario): This skill (base44-cli) handles the request Guide user through project initialization Do NOT activate base44-sdk yet If YES (existing project scenario): Transfer to base44-sdk skill for implementation This skill only handles CLI commands (login, deploy, entities push) Critical: Local Installation Only
NEVER call base44 directly. The CLI is installed locally as a dev dependency and must be accessed via a package manager:
npx base44
WRONG: base44 login RIGHT: npx base44 login
MANDATORY: Authentication Check at Session Start
CRITICAL: At the very start of every AI session when this skill is activated, you MUST:
Check authentication status by running:
npx base44 whoami
If the user is logged in (command succeeds and shows an email):
Continue with the requested task
If the user is NOT logged in (command fails or shows an error):
STOP immediately DO NOT proceed with any CLI operations Ask the user to login manually by running: npx base44 login
- Wait for the user to confirm they have logged in before continuing
This check is mandatory and must happen before executing any other Base44 CLI commands.
Overview
The Base44 CLI provides command-line tools for authentication, creating projects, managing entities, and deploying Base44 applications. It is framework-agnostic and works with popular frontend frameworks like Vite, Next.js, and Create React App, Svelte, Vue, and more.
When to Use This Skill vs base44-sdk
Use base44-cli when:
Creating a NEW Base44 project from scratch Initializing a project in an empty directory Directory is missing base44/config.jsonc User mentions: "create a new project", "initialize project", "setup a project", "start a new Base44 app" Deploying, pushing entities, or authenticating via CLI Working with CLI commands (npx base44 ...)
Use base44-sdk when:
Building features in an EXISTING Base44 project base44/config.jsonc already exists Writing JavaScript/TypeScript code using Base44 SDK Implementing functionality, components, or features User mentions: "implement", "build a feature", "add functionality", "write code"
Skill Dependencies:
base44-cli is a prerequisite for base44-sdk in new projects If user wants to "create an app" and no Base44 project exists, use base44-cli first base44-sdk assumes a Base44 project is already initialized
State Check Logic: Before selecting a skill, check:
IF (user mentions "create/build app" OR "make a project"): IF (directory is empty OR no base44/config.jsonc exists): → Use base44-cli (project initialization needed) ELSE: → Use base44-sdk (project exists, build features) Project Structure
A Base44 project combines a standard frontend project with a base44/ configuration folder:
my-app/ ├── base44/ # Base44 configuration (created by CLI) │ ├── config.jsonc # Project settings, site config │ ├── entities/ # Entity schema definitions │ │ ├── task.jsonc │ │ └── board.jsonc │ └── functions/ # Backend functions (optional) │ └── my-function/ │ ├── function.jsonc │ └── index.ts ├── src/ # Frontend source code │ ├── api/ │ │ └── base44Client.js # Base44 SDK client │ ├── pages/ │ ├── components/ │ └── main.jsx ├── index.html # SPA entry point ├── package.json └── vite.config.js # Or your framework's config
Key files:
base44/config.jsonc - Project name, description, site build settings base44/entities/*.jsonc - Data model schemas (see Entity Schema section) src/api/base44Client.js - Pre-configured SDK client for frontend use
config.jsonc example:
{ "name": "My App", "description": "App description", "entitiesDir": "./entities", "functionsDir": "./functions", "site": { "installCommand": "npm install", "buildCommand": "npm run build", "serveCommand": "npm run dev", "outputDirectory": "./dist" } }
Installation
Install the Base44 CLI as a dev dependency in your project:
npm install --save-dev base44
Important: Never assume or hardcode the base44 package version. Always install without a version specifier to get the latest version.
Then run commands using npx:
npx base44
Note: All commands in this documentation use npx base44. You can also use yarn base44, or pnpm base44 if preferred.
Available Commands Authentication Command Description Reference base44 login Authenticate with Base44 using device code flow auth-login.md base44 logout Logout from current device auth-logout.md base44 whoami Display current authenticated user auth-whoami.md Project Management Command Description Reference base44 create Create a new Base44 project from a template create.md ⚠️ MUST READ base44 link Link an existing local project to Base44 link.md base44 dashboard Open the app dashboard in your browser dashboard.md Deployment Command Description Reference base44 deploy Deploy all resources (entities, functions, site) deploy.md Entity Management Action / Command Description Reference Create Entities Define entities in base44/entities folder entities-create.md base44 entities push Push local entities to Base44 entities-push.md Entity Schema (Quick Reference)
ALWAYS follow this exact structure when creating entity files:
File naming: base44/entities/{kebab-case-name}.jsonc (e.g., team-member.jsonc for TeamMember)
Schema template:
{ "name": "EntityName", "type": "object", "properties": { "field_name": { "type": "string", "description": "Field description" } }, "required": ["field_name"] }
Field types: string, number, boolean, array String formats: date, date-time, email, uri, richtext For enums: Add "enum": ["value1", "value2"] and optionally "default": "value1"
For complete documentation, see entities-create.md.
Function Management Action / Command Description Reference Create Functions Define functions in base44/functions folder functions-create.md base44 functions deploy Deploy local functions to Base44 functions-deploy.md Site Deployment Command Description Reference base44 site deploy Deploy built site files to Base44 hosting site-deploy.md
SPA only: Base44 hosting supports Single Page Applications with a single index.html entry point. All routes are served from index.html (client-side routing).
Quick Start
Install the CLI in your project:
npm install --save-dev base44
Authenticate with Base44:
npx base44 login
Create a new project (ALWAYS provide name and --path flag):
npx base44 create my-app -p .
Build and deploy everything:
npm run build npx base44 deploy -y
Or deploy individual resources:
npx base44 entities push - Push entities only npx base44 functions deploy - Deploy functions only npx base44 site deploy -y - Deploy site only Common Workflows Creating a New Project
⚠️ MANDATORY: Before running base44 create, you MUST read create.md for:
Template selection - Choose the correct template (backend-and-client vs backend-only) Correct workflow - Different templates require different setup steps Common pitfalls - Avoid folder creation errors that cause failures
Failure to follow the create.md instructions will result in broken project scaffolding.
Linking an Existing Project
If you have base44/config.jsonc but no .app.jsonc
npx base44 link --create --name my-app
Deploying All Changes
Build your project first
npm run build
Deploy everything (entities, functions, and site)
npx base44 deploy -y
Deploying Individual Resources
Push only entities
npx base44 entities push
Deploy only functions
npx base44 functions deploy
Deploy only site
npx base44 site deploy -y
Opening the Dashboard
Open app dashboard in browser
npx base44 dashboard
Recommended package.json Scripts
Add these scripts to your package.json for easier CLI usage:
{ "scripts": { "base44:login": "base44 login", "base44:push": "base44 entities push", "base44:functions": "base44 functions deploy", "base44:site": "base44 site deploy -y", "base44:deploy": "base44 deploy -y", "deploy": "npm run build && npm run base44:deploy" } }
Then use them like:
npm run base44:login npm run base44:push npm run deploy # Builds and deploys everything in one command
Authentication
Most commands require authentication. If you're not logged in, the CLI will automatically prompt you to login. Your session is stored locally and persists across CLI sessions.
Troubleshooting Error Solution Not authenticated Run npx base44 login first No entities found Ensure entities exist in base44/entities/ directory Entity not recognized Ensure file uses kebab-case naming (e.g., team-member.jsonc not TeamMember.jsonc) No functions found Ensure functions exist in base44/functions/ with valid function.jsonc configs No site configuration found Check that site.outputDirectory is configured in project config Site deployment fails Ensure you ran npm run build first and the build succeeded