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docs: Add framework CLI command reference#649

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docs: Add framework CLI command reference#649
Zfinix wants to merge 5 commits into
mainfrom
chore/add-cli-command-reference

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@Zfinix Zfinix commented Jun 24, 2026

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Problem

The framework serverpod CLI had no command reference in the docs. The Tools section covered insights, lsp, run-scripts, and shell-completion, but there was no per-command reference for serverpod create, generate, create-migration, and the rest. The Serverpod Cloud CLI already has a full reference; the framework CLI did not.

Solution

Adds a CLI command reference under the Reference section at docs/06-concepts/23-cli/, mirroring the structure of the Serverpod Cloud CLI reference:

  • Introduction, Global Options, Environment Variables, and a Commands section with one page per command.
  • 12 commands documented: cloud, completion, create, create-migration, create-repair-migration, generate, language-server, mcp-server, quickstart, run, upgrade, and version.
  • Each command page combines a hand-written intro (_<command>.md) with an auto-generated usage block (_generated/<command>.md) through a .mdx composer, the same pattern the Cloud reference uses.

The usage blocks are generated from serverpod 3.5.0-beta.10 with util/generate_cli_reference.sh, an interim in-repo generator. A CLI-driven sync bot in the monorepo (like the Cloud serverpod-cloud-docs-sync bot) is being discussed separately to keep these in sync automatically.

Closes #609.

Screenshot 2026-06-24 at 9 00 53 AM

@Zfinix Zfinix marked this pull request as draft June 24, 2026 08:01
@Zfinix Zfinix self-assigned this Jun 24, 2026
@Zfinix Zfinix marked this pull request as ready for review June 26, 2026 02:03

# Introduction to the Serverpod CLI

The Serverpod CLI (`serverpod`) creates projects, generates server and client code, and manages your database migrations from the command line. This reference covers every command, option, and flag.

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Really clean reference, the generator + composer setup is great.

One coverage gap: serverpod start isn't here. It's experimental and doesn't show in serverpod --help (even with --experimental-features), so the generator skipping it makes sense. But serverpod start is the headline command in the get-started docs (Quickstart, How it works), so readers will come looking for it here. Since this line says "every command," could we either add a start page flagged experimental, or add a pointer to the existing serverpod start page (00-start-command.md)?

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Added a manual start command page under commands/start

Comment thread docs/06-concepts/cli/introduction/introduction.md Outdated
@developerjamiu developerjamiu added the documentation Improvements or additions to documentation label Jun 29, 2026

@developerjamiu developerjamiu left a comment

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Good changes 🙌. Some comments


When it boots the server, `serverpod start` applies any pending migrations. While it runs, you create and apply new migrations from the terminal UI (see [Terminal UI shortcuts](#terminal-ui-shortcuts)).

## Usage

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This page is now basically identical to 00-start-command.md at the top of the Concepts section (same usage tables, terminal UI shortcuts, server args). Now that the CLI reference has a serverpod start page, I think 00-start-command.md could become more concept-like (the dev loop, what start does) and link over here for the usage, instead of duplicating it. That's a follow-up on 00-start-command.md rather than a change to this PR, just flagging it here so it's tracked.

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Create reference pages for all CLI commands

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