---
title: 'CLI reference'
slug: cli
description: 'The mochi-framework command-line tool — build, generate-key, and update-skill.'
---

<script>
  import Callout from './_components/Callout.svelte';
</script>

Installing `mochi-framework` puts a `mochi-framework` binary on your `PATH`. Inside a project it's available to `package.json` scripts directly; anywhere else, run it with `bunx`:

```sh
bunx mochi-framework <command> [options]
```

```sh
bunx mochi-framework --help # list every command
```

```sh
bunx mochi-framework --version # print the installed version
```

`-h`/`--help` and `-v`/`--version` work as shorthands.

## build

Produces a production bundle by reading config straight from your entry's `Mochi.serve()` call, so the prebuilt manifest stays single-sourced with the runtime. This is the command behind your `build` script:

```json
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "mochi-framework build"
  }
}
```

| Option                  | Default          | Description                                                                             |
| ----------------------- | ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--entry <path>`        | `./src/index.ts` | Runtime entry whose `Mochi.serve()` call supplies `routes`, `markdown`, and `optimize`. |
| `--out-dir <path>`      | `./.mochi`       | Build output directory.                                                                 |
| `--public-dir <path>`   | `./public`       | Static assets directory.                                                                |
| `--asset-prefix <path>` | `/_mochi`        | URL prefix for framework client assets.                                                 |
| `--dev`                 | off              | Build with `development: true`.                                                         |

See [Deployment](/docs/deployment-options) for how the output is served.

## generate-key

Generates a `MOCHI_KEY` (a base64url-encoded 32-byte secret — the format [server-island](/docs/server-islands) prop signing expects) and writes it to `.env` in the current directory:

```sh
bunx mochi-framework generate-key
```

It creates `.env` if missing, appends `MOCHI_KEY` if absent, and prompts before overwriting an existing key.

| Option          | Description                                          |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| `-f`, `--force` | Overwrite an existing `MOCHI_KEY` without prompting. |

<Callout type="info">

We recommend setting `MOCHI_KEY` for any deployment that runs more than one process or survives restarts — see [Server islands](/docs/server-islands#signing-key) for why.

</Callout>

## update-skill

Fetches the latest `SKILL.md` — agent guidance for coding assistants — and writes it into your project for the given agent (default: `claude-code`):

```sh
bunx mochi-framework update-skill [agent]
```

Run it again whenever you upgrade the framework to keep the guidance in sync. The optional `agent` argument controls the destination; see [Docs for LLMs](/docs/docs-for-llms#agent-skill-recommended) for the full list of supported agents.