netlify-cli

Netlify CLI and Deployment

Installation

npm install -g netlify-cli    # Global (for local dev)
npm install netlify-cli -D    # Local (for CI)

Requires Node.js 18.14.0+.

Authentication

netlify login       # Opens browser for OAuth
netlify status      # Check auth + linked site status

For CI, set NETLIFY_AUTH_TOKEN environment variable instead.

Linking a Site

Check if already linked with netlify status. If not:

# Interactive
netlify link

# By Git remote (if using Git)
netlify link --git-remote-url https://github.com/org/repo

# Create new site
netlify init           # With Git CI/CD setup
netlify init --manual  # Without Git CI/CD

Site ID is stored in .netlify/state.json. Add .netlify to .gitignore.

Deploying

Git-Based Deploys (Continuous Deployment)

Set up with netlify init. Automatic deploys trigger on push/PR:

• Push to production branch → production deploy
• Open PR → deploy preview with unique URL
• Push to other branches → branch deploy

Build runs on Netlify's servers. Configure build settings in netlify.toml.

Manual / Local Deploys (No Git Required)

Build locally, then upload:

netlify deploy          # Draft deploy (preview URL)
netlify deploy --prod   # Production deploy
netlify deploy --dir=dist  # Specify output directory

This works without Git — useful for prototypes, local-only projects, or CI pipelines.

Local Development

Option 1: netlify dev

netlify dev

Wraps your framework's dev server and provides:

• Environment variable injection
• Functions and edge functions
• Redirects and headers processing

Option 2: Netlify Vite Plugin (Vite-based projects)

For projects using Vite (React SPA, TanStack Start, SvelteKit, Remix), the Vite plugin provides Netlify platform primitives directly in the framework's dev server:

npm install @netlify/vite-plugin

// vite.config.ts
import netlify from "@netlify/vite-plugin";
export default defineConfig({ plugins: [netlify()] });