Getting Started
Install the CLI, authenticate, link your project, and deploy — all in under 2 minutes.
Prerequisites
- macOS or Linux (Windows: download binary)
- A CreateOS account
Step 1: Install
macOS (Homebrew)
Bash
macOS / Linux (curl)
Bash
Verify
Bash
Expected output:
CreateOS CLI (version: v1.0.0)
Channel: stable
Commit: abc123
Step 2: Authenticate
Browser login (recommended)
Bash
Opens your default browser for OAuth sign-in. The CLI stores the session and auto-refreshes it — you won't need to re-login.
API token (for CI/CD and headless environments)
Bash
Paste your API key when prompted. Get your key from Profile Settings > API Keys in the CreateOS dashboard.
Verify authentication
Bash
Expected output:
ID: abc-123-def
Email: [email protected]
Created At: January 15, 2026
Step 3: Link your project
Navigate to your project directory and link it:
Bash
The CLI lists your projects and lets you pick one interactively. If you know the ID:
Bash
This creates a .createos.json file in your directory. All subsequent commands auto-detect the project — no need to pass --project every time.
.createos.jsonis automatically added to.gitignore.
Step 4: Deploy
Bash
The CLI auto-detects your project type and deploys:
| Project type | What happens |
|---|---|
| VCS (GitHub) | Triggers deployment from the latest commit |
| Upload | Zips your local directory and uploads it |
| Docker image | Deploys the specified image |
Build logs stream in real-time. When deployment succeeds, you get your live URL:
Building v12...
Step 1/4: Installing dependencies...
Step 2/4: Building application...
Step 3/4: Running tests...
Step 4/4: Packaging container...
✓ Deployed (v12)
ℹ Live at: https://my-api.nodeops.app
Deploy a specific branch
Bash
Deploy a Docker image
Bash
Step 5: Verify
Check your project status:
Bash
Open in browser:
Bash
Tail runtime logs:
Bash
Next steps
| Task | Command | Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Set environment variables | createos env set KEY=value | Environment Variables |
| Add a custom domain | createos domains add myapp.com | Custom Domains |
| Scale resources | createos scale --replicas 2 | Scaling |
| Schedule a cron job | createos cronjobs create | Cron Jobs |
| Use in CI/CD | createos deploy --project $ID | CI/CD Usage |
| See all commands | createos --help | Command Reference |
Updating
The CLI checks for updates automatically. To upgrade:
Bash
Or via Homebrew:
Bash