Command reference

Complete list of Ion CLI commands with syntax, options, and examples.

Core commands

ion init

Scaffold a new Ion project into a directory.

Syntax

ion init [directory]

Options

--template <name>: Choose a template: vanilla, react, vue, svelte
--no-install: Skip installing dependencies after scaffolding
--force: Overwrite the target directory if it exists

Example

terminal

ion init my-app --template react

ion dev

Start the development server with hot reload.

Syntax

ion dev [options]

Options

--port <number>: Set the server port (default: 3000)
--host <address>: Bind to a specific host (default: localhost)
--open: Open the default browser when the server starts

Example

terminal

ion dev --port 8080 --open

ion build

Compile the project for production into the dist directory.

Syntax

ion build [options]

Options

--minify: Minify JavaScript and CSS (enabled by default)
--sourcemap: Generate source maps for debugging
--target <string>: Set the output format: esm, cjs, iife

Example

terminal

ion build --sourcemap --target esm

ion test

Run the test suite using the built-in test runner.

Syntax

ion test [pattern]

Options

--watch: Watch files and rerun tests on changes
--coverage: Report test coverage with text output
--bail: Stop after the first failing test

Example

terminal

ion test src/**/*.test.js --watch

Configuration

ion config

Read and write values in ion.config.js without opening the file.

Syntax

ion config <get|set|list> [key] [value]

Options

--json: Output as JSON for scripting
--global: Apply to the user global config instead of project

Example

terminal

ion config set devPort 8080

ion env

Print environment variables that Ion passes to child processes.

Syntax

ion env [key]

Options

--shell: Output as shell export statements

Example

terminal

ion env --shell

Dev server

ion serve

Serve a static directory without any build step.

Syntax

ion serve [directory] [options]

Options

--port <number>: Set the server port (default: 3000)
--spa: Enable single-page application fallback to index.html
--headers <json>: Add custom response headers

Example

terminal

ion serve dist --spa --port 4173

ion proxy

Proxy requests from the dev server to a backend.

Syntax

ion proxy <path> --target <url>

Options

--target <url>: Backend URL to forward matching requests to
--change-origin: Rewrite the Host header to the target

Example

terminal

ion proxy /api --target http://localhost:4000 --change-origin

ion watch

Watch a file or directory and run a command on change.

Syntax

ion watch <path> -- <command>

Options

--debounce <ms>: Delay before triggering the command (default: 100)

Example

terminal

ion watch src/styles.css -- ion build

Utilities

ion lint

Run static analysis on JavaScript and TypeScript files.

Syntax

ion lint [pattern] [options]

Options

--fix: Automatically fix safe linting errors
--format <name>: Output format: stylish, json, compact

Example

terminal

ion lint src --fix --format json

ion format

Format source files with the built-in formatter.

Syntax

ion format [pattern] [options]

Options

--check: Report files that would be changed without writing
--write: Overwrite files with formatted output (default)

Example

terminal

ion format src/**/*.js --check

ion upgrade

Upgrade Ion CLI to the latest stable version.

Syntax

ion upgrade [options]

Options

--pre: Install the latest prerelease version
--version <number>: Pin a specific version

Example

terminal

ion upgrade --version 1.4.2