The Base44 Command Line Interface (CLI) lets you get a fully functional backend running fast, without building everything from scratch. With it, you can manage and deploy your backend with ease.

Platforms like Base44 provide production-ready infrastructure: databases, authentication, serverless functions and hosting, so you can focus on features, growth and user experience. Even beginners can have a backend live in minutes using the Base44 CLI.

You can also pair the Base44 backend with an AI app builder to create both backend and frontend simultaneously, streamlining your development workflow.

TL;DR: Base44 CLI

The Base44 CLI lets developers create, configure and deploy backend projects quickly, whether manually or with AI coding agents.

Using CLI commands, you can manage entities, functions, connectors, authentication and full project deployments.

Key takeaways:

• Deploy backend infrastructure without manual setup

• Define data models, write serverless functions and configure integrations

• Work with AI agents to automate project creation

• Monitor logs, errors and events from your terminal

Base44 CLI feature	CLI command/use case	Benefit
Data models	Base44 entities push	Sync your data schema to Base44 in production
Backend logic	Base44 functions deploy	Run serverless TypeScript scripts
Integrations	Base44 connectors push	Connect Slack, Google Drive, Stripe and more
Deployment	Base44 deploy	Push everything to live in a single step
Ad-hoc scripts	Base44 exec	Run migrations, seed data, or queries
Monitoring & debugging	Base44 logs	Inspect live backend activity without leaving CLI

Use Base44 backend functions to automate common backend tasks and take advantage of the benefits of back end as a service on the Base44 backend platform.

What is the Base44 CLI?

The Base44 CLI is your terminal-based gateway to all of Base44’s backend solutions. It allows you to:

• Create new backend projects with a single command.

• Define and push entity schemas, which structure your app’s data.

• Write and deploy serverless TypeScript functions.

• Configure connectors for third-party services like Slack, Google Drive, Stripe and more.

• Set up authentication (email/password, OAuth, session handling).

• Deploy entire projects, including entities, functions, connectors and site files in one operation.

• Run standalone scripts (Base44 exec) for migrations, seeding or ad-hoc queries.

The CLI is designed to work with AI coding agents to help beginners structure and deploy their backend without deep programming experience.

Read more about Base44 integrations:

• Base44 Google Calendar integration

• Base44 Slack integration

• Base44 Google Drive

• Base44 Stripe integration

• Base44 GitHub integration

Prerequisites for Base44 CLI

Before getting started, make sure you have:

• A Base44 account: sign up here.

• Node.js v20.19.0 or higher: download from nodejs.org (run node -v in your terminal to check your version).

• A terminal: terminal on macOS, PowerShell or Windows Terminal on Windows.

• An AI coding agent: Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf or any agent that supports the Agent Skills standard (required for the recommended setup path described below).

Recommended approach: let your AI agent handle Base44 CLI setup

1. What are Base44 Skills?

2. Install Base44 Skills

3. Prompt your agent

01. What are Base44 Skills?

For first-time users, the easiest path is to install Base44 Skills and let your AI agent drive the setup. Skills are structured instruction sets that ensure your agent uses the correct Base44 CLI commands, SDK methods and workflows, preventing common AI hallucinations.

There are three skills in total, each covering a different part of the development lifecycle:

• Base44-cli: project management, entity schema updates and deployment.

• Base44-sdk: application development using the JavaScript SDK.

• Base44-troubleshooter: production debugging via logs and error traces.

Each skill activates automatically when relevant, keeping your agent's context focused on what it needs.

02. Install Base44 Dkills

Open your terminal and run:

npx skills add base44/skills -g

This installs Base44 Skills globally, making them available to your AI agent across any project.

03. Prompt your agent

Once skills are installed, open your AI coding tool and describe what you want to build. For example:

"Create a new Base44 project for a task management app with users, tasks with due dates and priority levels and team assignments. Add authentication and deploy it."

Your agent will then run the CLI commands to:

1. Install the Base44 CLI

2. Create a new project (Base44 create)

3. Define your data entities

4. Write backend functions

5. Configure authentication

6. Deploy everything to Base44 (Base44 deploy)

You may be prompted to authenticate with Base44 at some point during this process. Run Base44 login when asked and follow the authentication steps.

What the Base44 CLI gives you access to

Once your project is set up, the CLI becomes your ongoing tool for managing and extending it. Here is a breakdown of the key commands and what they unlock:

Data: Base44 entities push

Entities are your data models. They define what your app stores and how it's structured. With the CLI, you define entities as JSON files locally and entities push syncs them to Base44's NoSQL database. You can update your schema at any time and push the changes without disrupting your live app.

Logic: Base44 functions deploy

Backend functions are serverless TypeScript scripts that run on Base44's infrastructure. They handle things like processing webhooks, running scheduled jobs, exposing HTTP endpoints or executing any custom logic your app requires. Functions deploy pushes them to production individually, without requiring a full project redeploy.

Integrations: Base44 connectors push

Connectors give your app access to third-party services: Google Calendar, Slack, Stripe, Notion and more, without writing integration logic from scratch. Once configured locally, connectors push makes them available to your backend.

Deployment: Base44 deploy

The deploy command pushes your entire project: entities, functions, connectors and site files in a single operation. Use Base44 site open after deploying to open your live project in the browser.

Scripts: Base44 exec

The exec command runs standalone TypeScript or JavaScript scripts directly against your app. A pre-authenticated SDK client is available automatically, so you can access entities, functions and integrations without any setup code. This is particularly useful for data migrations, seeding a database or running one-off queries.

Monitoring: Base44 logs

Once your project is live, Base44 logs lets you inspect what's happening in your backend, function executions, errors and system events without leaving the terminal.

Doing it yourself: manual Base44 CLI setup

If you prefer to initialize your project without an AI agent, you can run the CLI commands directly:

npm install -g base44@latest   # Install the CL

base44 login                   # Authenticate with Base44

base44 create                  # Create a new project

Your project comes with Base44 Skills pre-installed in the project directory. When you open it in your AI coding tool, the skills will activate automatically and you can continue building by describing what you need.

Base44 CLI: scaling and next steps

Once your backend is running, the same tools apply as your project scales. Refer to the CLI command reference for a full list of available commands.

For a deeper look at what the backend service includes: authentication, database capabilities, hosting and AI agent support, see the features overview.

Ready to build? Get started with the Base44 today →

Base44 CLI FAQ

What is the Base44 CLI?

The Base44 CLI is a command-line tool that lets you create, configure and deploy backend projects directly from your terminal. It acts as the main interface for interacting with Base44’s backend services outside of the visual editor. With it, you can manage data models, deploy serverless functions and configure integrations in a structured way. It’s designed to simplify backend development while giving you full control over your project.

Ready to build both frontend and backend seamlessly? Try it alongside an AI website builder to get your full app online faster.

Do I need programming experience to use the Base44 CLI?

No, you don’t need deep programming experience to get started with the Base44 CLI. It’s built to work alongside AI coding agents that generate most of the required code for you. Your role is mainly to guide the process and run commands that structure and deploy your backend. This makes it accessible for beginners while still powerful enough for experienced developers.

Learn more: How to write AI prompts.

What integrations are available with the Base44 CLI?

The Base44 CLI supports connectors that integrate your backend with popular third-party tools. These include services like Slack, Google Drive, Stripe, GitHub and Google Calendar. Instead of writing custom integration logic, you can configure these connections directly through the CLI. This saves time and ensures your backend can easily communicate with external tools your team already uses.

Can I use the Base44 CLI with an AI app builder?

Yes, the Base44 CLI works seamlessly with AI app builders to automate backend setup and development. You can describe what you want to build, and the AI agent will generate code and execute the appropriate CLI commands. This combination significantly reduces setup time and removes much of the manual configuration. It’s especially useful for quickly turning ideas into working applications.

Learn more:

• What is prompt engineering?

• Prompts for app building

• Prompts for vibe coding

• Best AI prompts for building a website