CLI Options
All flags accepted by create-cartwright.
create-cartwright is the public scaffolder for Cartwright sites and shops. Use @latest for the current stable CLI; its default template channel remains pinned to a tagged engine release.
| Flag | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
--yes, -y | false | Skip prompts and use defaults. It never creates a remote GitHub repository unless --github is also explicit. |
--profile <light|full|site> | light | light (default) keeps the database-backed site/shop engine; full keeps every module; site is a plain website — no database, admin, auth or commerce, zero env vars, plain next build. |
--with <module> | contact-form for site | Optional site-profile module. Pass --with none for the bare site; this flag is rejected for light/full. |
--template <name> | website-corporate (light/site), generic (full) | Starting mode and seed preset: generic, website-corporate, coffee, sunglasses, or agent-marketplace. Agent marketplace requires full; site requires website-corporate. |
--db <turso|postgres|sqlite> | turso | Database guidance for light/full. Site has no database and ignores this flag. |
--ai, --no-ai | prompt (true with --yes) | Include or omit the AI integration hint. Site has no AI runtime surface. |
--ref <stable|next|tag|branch> | stable | Engine channel. Stable resolves to the tagged release baked into that CLI build; next resolves to the public development branch. |
--look <url> | — | Apply a public Cartwright look after scaffold. Database-backed palette/scene parts require a prepared light/full database. |
--pm <pnpm|npm|yarn|bun> | auto-detect | Override the package manager used for dependency install. |
--start, --no-start | prompt in interactive runs | Start the dev server after a successful scaffold. --yes and non-TTY runs never start it implicitly. |
--github | false | Explicitly create and push a private GitHub repository using gh. |
--no-github | false | Do not offer GitHub publishing. |
--no-install | false | Skip dependency installation after the template is downloaded. |
--no-git | false | Skip git init, git add -A, and the initial commit. |
--skip-skills | false | Skip optional agent-skill setup. |
--no-telemetry | false | Skip the anonymous scaffold event; CARTWRIGHT_TELEMETRY=0 and DO_NOT_TRACK=1 are also honored. |
--help, -h | — | Print the CLI's authoritative current help. |
--version, -v | — | Print create-cartwright <version> and exit. An unknown flag prints one line and exits 2. |
Every profile also gets .github/workflows/ci.yml and .github/dependabot.yml, written by the CLI (under --no-git too) and inert until GitHub hosts the repository. From then on Dependabot opens update PRs weekly: for npm, Next.js with React in one and every other minor or patch bump in another, majors left to you; for the actions in ci.yml, one more, majors included. It groups security fixes into one PR once Dependabot security updates is on in the repository's settings.
Which profile?
| You are building | Flag | Runbook |
|---|---|---|
| a page or a plain website — no database, no login | --profile site | Build a plain website |
| a website someone edits in a browser, or a webshop | (default) --profile light | Quick Start |
| everything the engine ships, incl. the agent marketplace | --profile full | this page |
The profile is the first of three choices; the build method and the origin (a URL, Shopify, WordPress/WooCommerce, a CSV, a Google Doc) can force it — the Shopify importer needs full, every database-backed origin needs the default, and there is no dedicated WordPress/WooCommerce importer yet. Choose your path works five requests through.
A plain website (no database):
npx create-cartwright@latest my-site --yes --profile site
# bare core without the default contact form:
npx create-cartwright@latest my-site --yes --profile site --with noneA database-backed shop with a seeded catalogue:
npx create-cartwright@latest my-shop --yes --profile light --template coffee --db=sqlite --pm=pnpmThe CLI help is the source of truth for the installed version:
npx create-cartwright@latest --helpMarketplace subcommands
Inside a scaffolded project, the cartwright CLI can pull individual designs and Voices from the marketplace into your repo:
# Install a design pack (a Skin) — see /designs for the catalogue
npx cartwright design install <slug> # e.g. apex, halo, jungle
# Install a Voice (a vertical preset) — see /verticals
npx cartwright vertical install <slug> # e.g. kindergarten, carpenter, cafeBoth resolve a template ref. By default they use stable, which maps to the current DEFAULT_REF (the latest engine release); pass --ref next to track the development branch, or --ref vX.Y.Z to pin a tag:
npx cartwright design install apex --ref nextEach command scaffolds the pack into designs/<slug>/ (or verticals/<slug>/) and registers it, so you can select it in /admin/designs (or apply it from /admin/verticals) right away.