---
title: "Init"
description: "Scaffold a new Rayfin project with npm create, add Rayfin to an existing one with rayfin init, or reconfigure an existing project's services."
url: https://rayfin.ai/docs/reference/cli/init
markdown_url: https://rayfin.ai/docs/reference/cli/init.md
section: reference
product: Rayfin
sdk_version: 1.34.0
cli_version: 1.33.2
last_updated: 2026-08-22T22:51:33-07:00
source: reference/cli/init.mdx
---

# Init

> Scaffold a new Rayfin project with npm create, add Rayfin to an existing one with rayfin init, or reconfigure an existing project's services.

## Create a new project [#create-a-new-project]

```bash
npm create @microsoft/rayfin@latest my-app
```

`npm create @microsoft/rayfin@latest` resolves to the `@microsoft/create-rayfin` package,
following npm's `npm create <name>` convention. It shares its implementation with
`rayfin init` below, but treats the project name as a new directory to create rather than
an existing directory to initialize in place.

The project name is a **positional argument**, not a flag. Use a valid directory name, or
`.` to scaffold into the current directory.

The CLI prompts interactively for a template — unless you skip the prompt with
`-t/--template`. See [Templates](/docs/reference/cli/templates) for choosing a built-in
template, scaffolding from a git URL, or authoring your own.

## Add Rayfin to an existing project [#add-rayfin-to-an-existing-project]

Use `rayfin init` instead of `npm create` for a project that already has source code, or an
empty directory you don't want treated as a template target:

```bash
npm install --save-dev @microsoft/rayfin-cli
npx rayfin init [directory]
```

`[directory]` defaults to the current directory and doubles as the default project name. A
bare name with whitespace is slugified for the folder (`My App` → `my-app/`); pass
`"./My App"` to keep the spaces.

## Interactive prompts [#interactive-prompts]

Without flags to skip them, `rayfin init` (and `npm create`) prompt for:

* **Template** — which starting point to scaffold from (skip with `-t/--template`).
* **Services** — Auth and Data are always offered. Storage and Functions prompts only
  appear when their preview feature flag is on (`RAYFIN_FEATURE_FLAGS=storage` or
  `RAYFIN_FEATURE_FLAGS=functions`) — see
  [Environment variables](/docs/reference/config/environment-variables).
* **Database dialect** — shown when Data is enabled. `mssql` is the only supported dialect
  for a Fabric-deployed backend, so the CLI defaults to it automatically without prompting.
* **Auth methods** — Fabric SSO (Entra ID) is the only supported authentication method.
* **Static hosting** — enabled by default; the prompt lets you point it at a different
  build output folder or command.

## Reconfiguring an existing project [#reconfiguring-an-existing-project]

Running `rayfin init` again in a project that already has `rayfin/rayfin.yml` re-runs the
prompts and regenerates the configuration. Use this to enable or disable services, or
toggle static hosting without hand-editing `rayfin.yml`.

> [!TIP]
> Reconfiguring &#x2A;*preserves your data model files under `rayfin/data/`**. Only
> `rayfin/rayfin.yml` and scaffold-level files are regenerated.

## Flags [#flags]

| Flag                     | Description                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--project-name <name>`  | Override the project name and update `rayfin.yml`.                                                                  |
| `-t, --template <uri>`   | Template name, git URL, or local path to scaffold from. Skips the template picker.                                  |
| `--template-name <name>` | Pick one template from a multi-template source non-interactively. Requires `-t/--template` pointing at that source. |
| `-l, --list-templates`   | Print available templates as JSON and exit.                                                                         |
| `--services <list>`      | Comma-separated services to enable non-interactively, e.g. `auth,data,storage`.                                     |
| `--auth-methods <list>`  | Comma-separated auth methods to enable. `fabric` (Fabric SSO) is the only supported value.                          |
| `--static-hosting`       | Scaffold a static frontend. Enabled by default.                                                                     |
| `--overwrite`            | Overwrite existing configuration files instead of prompting.                                                        |
| `-w, --workspace <name>` | Fabric workspace display name to pre-associate with the project. Mutually exclusive with `--workspace-id`.          |
| `--workspace-id <id>`    | Fabric workspace ID to pre-associate with the project. Mutually exclusive with `--workspace`.                       |
| `--item-id <id>`         | Fabric App Item ID to pre-associate with the project.                                                               |

Global `-y/--yes`, `--verbose`, and `--json` also apply — see [CLI](/docs/reference/cli).

## What happens after scaffolding [#what-happens-after-scaffolding]

The CLI creates the `rayfin/` directory (`rayfin.yml`, `data/`, a gitignore entry for
`rayfin/.env`) and then installs the project's agent context files — `AGENTS.md`,
`.mcp.json`, and `.agents/skills/rayfin/SKILL.md` — automatically. See
[Ai-files](/docs/reference/cli/ai-files) for what those files are and how to refresh them
later.

## Next steps [#next-steps]

```bash
npx rayfin login
npx rayfin up
```

See [Login](/docs/reference/cli/login) and [Up](/docs/reference/cli/up).

```prompt title="Reconfigure a project to add Storage"
My Rayfin project at the current directory already has a rayfin/rayfin.yml with Auth and
Data enabled. Set RAYFIN_FEATURE_FLAGS=storage and run `npx rayfin init` again to add the
Storage service, keeping my existing entities under rayfin/data/ untouched. Then show me the
resulting rayfin.yml.
```