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Initialize a v2 Helix project. Creates helix.toml, a .helix/ workspace directory, a .gitignore entry, and — for local projects — an examples/request.json scaffold.
Usage
helix init [OPTIONS] [SUBCOMMAND]
If you omit the subcommand in a TTY, the CLI prompts you to choose between local and enterprise.
Available sub-commands
| Sub-command | Description |
|---|
local | Initialize a local v2 development project. |
enterprise | Initialize an V2 Cloud project linked to a cluster. |
Top-level flags
| Flag | Type | Description | Default |
|---|
-p, --path | Path | Project directory to initialize. | Current directory |
helix init local
| Flag | Type | Description | Default |
|---|
-n, --name | String | Local instance name. | dev |
--port | Number | Host port for the local gateway. The container always listens on 8080 internally. | 8080 |
--disk | Boolean | Persist local data with on-disk storage backed by a CLI-managed MinIO volume. | false |
Interactive local init prompts for the storage mode and defaults to in-memory.
helix init enterprise
| Flag | Type | Required | Description | Default |
|---|
-n, --name | String | No | V2 Cloud instance name. | production |
--cluster-id | String | Yes | V2 Cloud cluster ID. Find one with helix cluster list. | — |
--gateway-url | URL | No | Runtime gateway URL for dynamic queries. If omitted, run helix sync after init to fetch it. | — |
helix init enterprise requires V2 Cloud authentication. Run helix auth login first.
What helix init produces
helix.toml — project configuration with one [local.<name>] or [enterprise.<name>] instance.
.helix/ — CLI-managed workspace state (ignored from git).
.gitignore — entries appended for .helix/, target/, and *.log.
examples/request.json (local only) — a runnable read request you can send with helix query:
{
"request_type": "read",
"query": {
"queries": [
{
"Query": {
"name": "node_count",
"steps": [
{ "NWhere": { "Eq": ["$label", { "String": "User" }] } },
"Count"
],
"condition": null
}
}
],
"returns": ["node_count"]
},
"parameters": {}
}
Examples
# Interactive init in the current directory (prompts in a TTY)
helix init
# Initialize a local project in a new directory
helix init --path ./my-helix-app local
# Local with a custom instance name and port
helix init local --name staging --port 9090
# Local with persistent on-disk storage by default
helix init local --disk
# V2 Cloud project linked to an existing cluster
helix init enterprise --cluster-id ec_01HX... --gateway-url https://gateway.example.com
Next steps after helix init local
helix run dev
helix query dev --file examples/request.json
Next steps after helix init enterprise
helix sync <instance>
helix query <instance> --file <request.json>