---
title: CLI Reference
description: Commands for creating projects, updating generated apps, opening resources, and running AI-agent workflows.
translationStatus: pending
updated: 2026-08-21
---

Better Fullstack exposes a project lifecycle through the CLI: create, evolve, update, diagnose, and
generate. Commands marked experimental have intentionally narrow support today.

<Callout kind="info" title="Add changes the stack; update refreshes templates">
Use `add` when you want a new selected capability. Use `update` when the selection stays the same
and you want newer generator templates. Both expose a review-first workflow.
</Callout>

## Commands

| Command     | Purpose                                                                                                    |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `create`    | Scaffold a new project from a stack configuration. This is the default command.                            |
| `add`       | Add supported tooling, deployment settings, or stack capabilities to an existing Better Fullstack project. |
| `remove`    | Plan and apply removal of one exact non-primary stack capability.                                          |
| `status`    | Summarize project health, lifecycle guarantees, and available template drift without running toolchains.   |
| `update`    | Plan or apply current template drift against the `bts.lock.json` scaffold baseline.                        |
| `check`     | Diagnose an existing project for config, dependency, env, and generated check issues.                      |
| `doctor`    | Compatibility alias for `check`.                                                                           |
| `history`   | Show, export, or clear local scaffold history and reproducible commands.                                   |
| `gen`       | Experimental: generate a TypeScript tRPC/oRPC resource router in an existing project.                      |
| `registry`  | Experimental: add or list local capability packs. Remote URLs are not supported.                           |
| `recommend` | Experimental: deterministic keyword/preset recommendation from a brief.                                    |
| `mcp`       | Start the Better Fullstack MCP server over stdio for AI coding agents.                                     |
| `telemetry` | Inspect, enable, or disable anonymous CLI telemetry.                                                       |

## Utility commands

These open a resource and never modify a generated project.

| Command    | Behavior                                                                 |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `docs`     | Open the Better Fullstack docs in the default browser, or print the URL. |
| `builder`  | Open the visual Stack Builder.                                           |
| `sponsors` | Fetch and display current Better Fullstack sponsors.                     |

Open the docs:

<PMTabs
  npm="npx -y create-better-fullstack@latest docs"
  pnpm="pnpm dlx create-better-fullstack@latest docs"
  bun="bunx create-better-fullstack@latest docs"
  yarn="yarn dlx create-better-fullstack@latest docs"
/>

Open the builder:

<PMTabs
  npm="npx -y create-better-fullstack@latest builder"
  pnpm="pnpm dlx create-better-fullstack@latest builder"
  bun="bunx create-better-fullstack@latest builder"
  yarn="yarn dlx create-better-fullstack@latest builder"
/>

Show sponsors:

<PMTabs
  npm="npx -y create-better-fullstack@latest sponsors"
  pnpm="pnpm dlx create-better-fullstack@latest sponsors"
  bun="bunx create-better-fullstack@latest sponsors"
  yarn="yarn dlx create-better-fullstack@latest sponsors"
/>

## Maintainer commands

`update-deps` scans and updates dependency versions in the generator's `add-deps.ts` catalog. It is
for contributors working in the Better Fullstack repository, not for consumers updating a generated
app. Generated projects use [`update`](/docs/cli/update/).

| Flag                | Behavior                                     |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `--check`           | Report updates without changing the catalog. |
| `--patch`           | Apply patch/minor updates only.              |
| `--all`             | Interactive processing for all updates.      |
| `--ecosystem`       | Restrict the dependency group.               |
| `--list-ecosystems` | Print available dependency groups.           |