Netlify CLI

Netlify CLI

Official CLI for Netlify. Deploy sites, manage functions, env vars, and forms.

• Official repo: https://github.com/netlify/cli
• Docs: https://docs.netlify.com/cli/get-started/

Authentication

netlify login                             # Browser-based login
netlify status                            # Check auth and linked site

Common Commands

Deployments

netlify deploy                            # Deploy draft
netlify deploy --prod                     # Deploy to production
netlify deploy --dir=./dist               # Deploy specific directory
netlify deploy --build                    # Build then deploy
netlify watch                             # Watch for deploy completion

Sites

netlify sites:list                        # List all sites
netlify sites:create --name my-site       # Create new site
netlify link                              # Link to existing site
netlify unlink                            # Unlink current directory
netlify open                              # Open site in browser
netlify open:admin                        # Open admin panel

Dev Server

netlify dev                               # Start local dev server
netlify dev --port 8888                   # Custom port
netlify dev --live                        # Share via live tunnel

Environment Variables

netlify env:set KEY value
netlify env:get KEY
netlify env:unset KEY
netlify env:list
netlify env:import .env                   # Import from file

Functions

netlify functions:create my-func          # Scaffold new function
netlify functions:serve                   # Serve functions locally
netlify functions:invoke my-func          # Invoke locally
netlify functions:list                    # List deployed functions

Agent Best Practices

• Use netlify deploy (without --prod) first to get a preview URL
• Use netlify dev for local development with serverless functions
• Use --json flag for machine-readable output
• Check netlify status to confirm linked site before deploying
• Use netlify env:import .env to sync environment from file
• Use --dir flag to explicitly specify the build output directory

Example Workflows

Deploy and preview

URL=$(netlify deploy --dir=./dist --json | jq -r '.deploy_url')
echo "Preview: $URL"

Deploy to production

netlify deploy --prod --dir=./dist