CLI Reference

The Nova CLI lets you generate files, apply recipes, scaffold projects, and run utilities.

Step by step

Not sure what to type? Build the command one section at a time.

Start with nova, then the command and subcommand (if available), and finally the options like --all or -a. Each step shows inline guidance so you don't wonder what to do next.

Get Started

Options are recommended — Type the option (flags / switches) you want, like --all or -a. This helps you learn the command faster.
Build it step by step — Start with nova, add the command and subcommand, then finish with options like --all or -a. Repeat until it feels natural.

Commands

All commands below show a help screen when run with the --help or -h option, so you can explore safely and avoid accidental runs.

Mix and match

You can freely combine full names and shorthands in the same command. For example, nova generate must lic and nova gen must-haves license both work the same way.

Generators

Create semi-tailored versions of supported vendor and project essentials, populated with values from nova.config.json at the monorepo root.

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All commands in "Generators" are shaped as nova generate <category> <subcommand> or nova gen <alias> <shorthand>.

GitHub

Category: github · Alias: gh

Subcommand	Shorthand	What It Does
`funding`	—	Create a `.github/FUNDING.yml` file for GitHub sponsor links.
`issue-template`	`issue`	Create `.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE` files for GitHub issue forms.
`workflows`	—	Create `.github/workflows` files for GitHub CI/CD automation.

Must-Haves

Category: must-haves · Alias: must

Subcommand	Shorthand	What It Does
`agent-conventions`	`agent`	Create agent convention files for coding assistants.
`dotenv`	`env`	Create `.env` and `.env.sample` files for environment secrets.
`editorconfig`	—	Create a `.editorconfig` file for consistent coding styles.
`gitignore`	—	Create a `.gitignore` file for excluding files from Git commits.
`license`	`lic`	Create a `LICENSE` file for project license agreements.
`read-me`	`read`	Create a baseline `README.md` file for your project.

Recipes

Apply scripted edits that automate routine maintenance, using values from nova.config.json at the monorepo root.

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All commands in "Recipes" are shaped as nova recipe <category> <subcommand> or nova rcp <alias> <shorthand>.

package.json

Category: package-json · Alias: pkg

Subcommand	Shorthand	What It Does
`cleanup`	`clean`	Remove unsupported keys and reorder remaining keys in workspace `package.json` files.
`normalize-artifacts`	`norm-art`	Normalize files, bin, man, directories, private, and publishConfig in workspace `package.json` files.
`normalize-bundler`	`norm-bun`	Normalize types, module, sideEffects, and esnext bundler fields in workspace `package.json` files.
`normalize-dependencies`	`norm-dep`	Normalize dependency fields and optionally pin versions in workspace `package.json` files.
`normalize-modules`	`norm-mod`	Normalize exports, main, type, browser, and imports fields in workspace `package.json` files.
`normalize-tooling`	`norm-tool`	Normalize scripts, gypfile, config, and workspaces in workspace `package.json` files.
`sync-environment`	`sync-env`	Sync engines, os, cpu, libc, devEngines, and packageManager in workspace `package.json` files.
`sync-identity`	`sync-id`	Sync name, version, description, keywords, and license to workspace `package.json` files.
`sync-ownership`	`sync-own`	Sync homepage, bugs, author, contributors, funding, and repository to workspace `package.json` files.

Scaffolding

Bootstrap full project starters as monorepo workspaces. Each scaffold creates a ready-to-use workspace with all necessary config files, dependencies, and build setup.

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All commands in "Scaffolding" are shaped as nova scaffold <category> <subcommand> or nova scaf <alias> <shorthand>.

App

Category: app · Alias: none

Subcommand	Shorthand	What It Does
`expressjs`	`express`	Scaffold an Express.js workspace.
`nextjs`	`next`	Scaffold a Next.js workspace.
`vite`	—	Scaffold a Vite workspace.
`workers`	—	Scaffold a Cloudflare Workers workspace.

Docs

Category: docs · Alias: none

Subcommand	Shorthand	What It Does
`docusaurus`	—	Scaffold a Docusaurus documentation workspace.

Starter

Category: starter · Alias: start

Subcommand	Shorthand	What It Does
`base`	—	Scaffold a base monorepo project without a framework workspace.

Utilities

Tools for diagnostics, quick checks, and development helpers.

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All commands in "Utilities" are shaped as nova utility <subcommand> or nova util <shorthand>.

Subcommand	Shorthand	What It Does
`changelog`	`log`	Record changes and release versioned changelogs.
`initialize`	`init`	Generate a new `nova.config.json` configuration file for this project.
`run-recipes`	`run-rcp`	Run all enabled recipes and finalize workspace `package.json` files.
`run-scripts`	`run-scr`	Run package.json scripts by pattern in sequential or parallel mode.
`transpile`	`xpile`	Transpile TypeScript with filtered diagnostics, emitting compiled output for project-owned files.
`type-check`	`type-chk`	Run full TypeScript type checking scoped to project-owned files, filtering out third-party diagnostics.
`version`	`ver`	Generate a Markdown-ready snapshot of your development stack versions (e.g., `node --version`).

Troubleshooting

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning	Result
`0`	Success	Response of the executed command.
`1`	Error	Help text displayed.

Quick Fixes

Prefer explicit command, subcommands, and options for clarity, fewer mistakes, and predictable behavior. For example, nova utility version --all instead of the alternate variants.