PocketBase Cloud CLI

Deploy PocketBase from your terminal.

One binary takes a project from your laptop to a deployed instance in the cloud, and manages everything in between — collections, records, API rules, hooks, backups, and deployments.

$ npm i -g @pocketbasecloud/cli

macOS, Linux and Windows. The curl installer needs no Node at all.

Get Started Documentation

Native, self-contained binary
·--json for scripting
·Works with any PocketBase instance

my-app — zsh

# in a PocketBase project

$ pbc cloud deploy

detected pocketbase · pb_hooks · pb_migrations

packaging hooks and migrations

✓ live at https://my-app-db.pocketbasecloud.com

# same command, in a Vite app

$ pbc cloud deploy

detected frontend · vite

building npm run build

✓ live at https://web.pocketbasecloud.com

$ pbc cloud deploy

detected pocketbase · pb_hooks

✓ live at https://my-app-db.pocketbasecloud.com

Use cases

What can you do with the CLI?

Three kinds of resource, one binary. Each deck below is the commands you would actually run, in the order you would run them.

01 / 03

PocketBase

Scaffold a project locally, deploy the instance, and ship your hooks and migrations with it.

3 steps

01·pocketbase

Develop locally

Scaffold a project and get a PocketBase binary on your machine in one command. The version is pinned in pbc.json, so everyone on the team runs the same build.

$ pbc initRead the local development docs

my-app — zsh

$ pbc init

downloading pocketbase for this OS and CPU

scaffolding pb_hooks/ · pb_migrations/

pinning pocketbaseVersion in pbc.json

✓ ready — run ./pocketbase serve

$ ./pocketbase serve

listening http://127.0.0.1:8090

02·pocketbase

Deploy PocketBase

Your hooks and migrations ride along with the instance. Migrations are merged with the ones already there and applied by the restart that follows, so a redeploy never resets data.

$ pbc cloud pb deployRead the PocketBase docs

my-app — zsh

$ pbc cloud pb deploy --name my-app-db

packaging pb_public · pb_hooks · pb_migrations

hooks 2 files installed

migrations merged with the instance

restarting applying new migrations

✓ live at https://my-app-db.pocketbasecloud.com

03·pocketbase

Keep hooks in the repository

The dashboard editor is one way in. Keep pb_hooks/ in version control instead, review hooks like the rest of your code, and push the directory when it is ready.

$ pbc cloud pb hooks pushRead the hooks docs

my-app — zsh

$ pbc cloud pb hooks push ./pb_hooks --name my-app-db

uploading main.pb.js · billing.pb.js

reloading my-app-db

✓ 2 hooks active

# watch one run in production

$ pbc cloud logs pb --name my-app-db -f

02 / 03

Frontend hosting

Build, package, and upload a static site, then put your own domain in front of it.

2 steps

01·frontend

Deploy a frontend

One command runs your build, packages the output, uploads it, and waits for HTTPS to come up. The first deploy records the site in pbc.json, so every deploy after it needs no flags at all.

$ pbc cloud frontend deployRead the frontend docs

web — zsh

$ pbc cloud frontend deploy --name web

building npm run build

packaging dist/ · 1.2 MB

uploading waiting for HTTPS

✓ live at https://web.pocketbasecloud.com

# every deploy after this one

$ pbc cloud deploy

✓ redeployed in 11s

02·frontend

Attach a custom domain

Point a CNAME at your site, then let the CLI check it. Once DNS resolves, the certificate is issued for you — there is no dashboard step, and nothing to renew.

$ pbc cloud frontend domain addRead the custom domain docs

web — zsh

$ pbc cloud frontend domain add app.example.com --name web

add a CNAME record at your DNS provider:

app.example.com -> ntq3xk1.pocketbasecloud.com

# once the record has propagated

$ pbc cloud frontend domain verify app.example.com --name web

dns resolves to the right target

issuing certificate via ACME

✓ live at https://app.example.com

03 / 03

Backend hostingPro

Run Node.js, Deno, Bun or Next.js, with encrypted configuration and live logs.

2 steps

01·backendPro

Deploy a backend

The runtime, build command, and output directory are inferred from the directory itself — deno.json, bun.lockb, next.config, package.json — and written into pbc.json on the first deploy.

$ pbc cloud backend deployRead the backend docs

my-app-api — zsh

$ pbc cloud backend deploy --name my-app-api

detected nextjs · next.config.ts

building next build

packaging source + lockfile

installing dependencies in the container

✓ live at https://my-app-api.pocketbasecloud.com

02·backend

Set secrets, then watch them work

Environment variables are stored encrypted and applied on the next restart. When something misbehaves, follow the container’s log from the same terminal instead of opening a dashboard.

$ pbc cloud env setRead the environment docs

my-app-api — zsh

$ pbc cloud env set STRIPE_KEY=… --target backend --name my-app-api

✓ stored encrypted · restarting my-app-api

$ pbc cloud logs backend --name my-app-api -f

12:04:11 POST /api/checkout 200 41ms

12:04:12 POST /api/webhook 200 18ms

12:04:19 GET /api/orders 200 9ms

Commands

One tool for the whole lifecycle

Scaffold and run PocketBase locally, deploy instances, backends, and static sites, then manage what you deployed — without leaving the shell.

Read the CLI docs

pbc --help

$ pbc91 commands

Local

Download a PocketBase binary and scaffold a local project.
pbc init [<version>] [--dir <d>] [--force]
Download a PocketBase binary and record the version pin.
pbc install [<version>] [--dir <d>] [--force] [--os <o>] [--arch <a>]
List available PocketBase versions.
pbc versions [--all] [--pre] [--json]
Show the installed PocketBase binary and its pinned version.
pbc which [--dir <d>]

Update pbc itself to the latest release.
pbc upgrade [<version>] [--check] [--force] [--json]

Instance

Log in as the instance superuser.
pbc login [--email <e>] [--password <p>] [--profile <name>]
Log out of the current instance profile. --remove also forgets it.
pbc logout [--remove] [--profile <name>]
Select a PocketBase instance.
pbc use <url> [--name <profile>]
Show the active instance profile.
pbc whoami [--profile <name>]

Create a collection.
pbc collections create <name> [--type base|auth|view]
Export all collections to JSON.
pbc collections export [--out <file>]
Show a collection.
pbc collections get <idOrName>
Import collections from JSON. --delete-missing drops collections not in the file.
pbc collections import <file.json> [--delete-missing]
List collections.
pbc collections ls
Delete a collection.
pbc collections rm <idOrName> [--yes]
Update a collection.
pbc collections update <idOrName> '<json>'

Create a record.
pbc records create <collection> '<json>'
Show a record.
pbc records get <collection> <id>
List records in a collection.
pbc records ls <collection> [--filter <expr>] [--sort <expr>] [--page <n>] [--per-page <n>]
Delete a record.
pbc records rm <collection> <id> [--yes]
Update a record.
pbc records update <collection> <id> '<json>'

Show API rules.
pbc rules get <collection>
Update API rules. Pass 'null' as a value to clear a rule.
pbc rules set <collection> [--list-rule <expr>] [--view-rule <expr>] [--create-rule <expr>] [--update-rule <expr>] [--delete-rule <expr>]

View or edit an auth collection's auth-related settings.
pbc auth <collection> config [--set '<field>=<json>']

Show SMTP settings.
pbc settings mail
Update SMTP settings.
pbc settings mail set '<json>'
Send a test email.
pbc settings mail test <email>

Show S3 storage settings.
pbc settings s3
Update S3 storage settings.
pbc settings s3 set '<json>'
Test the S3 connection.
pbc settings s3 test

Create a backup.
pbc settings backup create [<name>]
Download a backup.
pbc settings backup download <key> [--out <file>]
List backups.
pbc settings backup ls
Delete a backup.
pbc settings backup rm <key> [--yes]

Show all instance settings.
pbc settings get

List cron jobs.
pbc cron ls
Run a cron job now.
pbc cron run <jobId>

Show instance request logs. -f follows new entries.
pbc logs [--filter <expr>] [--page <n>] [--per-page <n>] [-f]

Cloud

Deploy this directory, detecting what kind of resource it is.
pbc cloud deploy [pb|frontend|backend] [<name>] [<deploy flags>]
List the environments recorded in ./pbc.json.
pbc cloud environments
Write this directory's build config into pbc.json.
pbc cloud init [pb|frontend|backend] [--force] [--env <name>]
Link one environment of this directory to a cloud resource.
pbc cloud link [<pb|frontend|backend>] [<name|id>] [--env <name>]
Forget one of this directory's environments.
pbc cloud unlink [--all] [--env <name>]

Write a GitHub Actions workflow that deploys this directory.
pbc cloud ci init [pb|frontend|backend] [--out <path>] [--branch <name>] [--force] [--env <name>]

List uploaded hook files.
pbc cloud pb hooks ls [--name <instance>] [--project <id>]
Upload every .js and .json file in <dir> as a hook.
pbc cloud pb hooks push <dir> [--name <instance>] [--project <id>]
Delete a hook file.
pbc cloud pb hooks rm <filename> [--name <instance>] [--project <id>]

Create an empty PocketBase instance.
pbc cloud pb create [<name>] [--env <name>] [--location <loc>] [--compute <id>] [--admin-email <e>] [--admin-password <p>] [--pb-version <v>] [--project <id>]
Create or redeploy a PocketBase instance.
pbc cloud pb deploy [--name <name>] [--location <loc>] [--compute <id>] [--admin-email <e>] [--admin-password <p>] [--pb-version <v>] [--skip-env] [--project <id>] [--env <name>]
Add a custom domain.
pbc cloud pb domain add <domain> [--name <instance>] [--project <id>]
Remove a custom domain.
pbc cloud pb domain remove <domain> [--name <instance>] [--project <id>]
Verify a custom domain.
pbc cloud pb domain verify <domain> [--name <instance>] [--project <id>]
Show PocketBase instance details.
pbc cloud pb info (<name>|--name <name>|--id <id>) [--project <id>] [--env <name>]
List PocketBase instances in a project.
pbc cloud pb ls [--project <id>]
Delete a PocketBase instance.
pbc cloud pb rm (<name>|--name <name>|--id <id>) [--yes] [--env <name>]

Add a custom domain.
pbc cloud frontend domain add <domain> --name <site>
Remove a custom domain.
pbc cloud frontend domain remove <domain> --name <site>
Verify a custom domain.
pbc cloud frontend domain verify <domain> --name <site>

Build, package, and deploy a static site.
pbc cloud frontend deploy [--name <name>] [--skip-build] [--zip <file>] [--location <loc>] [--compute <id>] [--env <name>]
Show frontend details.
pbc cloud frontend info (<name>|--name <name>|--id <id>) [--env <name>]
List frontends.
pbc cloud frontend ls [--project <id>]
Delete a frontend.
pbc cloud frontend rm (<name>|--name <name>|--id <id>) [--yes] [--env <name>]

Build, package, and deploy a backend.
pbc cloud backend deploy [--name <name>] [--runtime <deno|bun|nodejs|nextjs>] [--start <cmd>] [--compute <id>] [--skip-env] [--zip <file>] [--env <name>]
Show backend details.
pbc cloud backend info (<name>|--name <name>|--id <id>) [--env <name>]
List backends.
pbc cloud backend ls [--project <id>]
Delete a backend.
pbc cloud backend rm (<name>|--name <name>|--id <id>) [--yes] [--env <name>]

Create a project.
pbc cloud project create <name>
List projects.
pbc cloud project ls [--org <id>]
Delete a project.
pbc cloud project rm <name|id> [--yes]
Set the current project.
pbc cloud project use <name|id>

Bulk-import variables from a .env file.
pbc cloud env import <.env> --target pb|backend --name <n> [--delete-missing] [--env <name>]
List environment variables.
pbc cloud env ls --target pb|backend --name <n> [--env <name>]
Remove an environment variable.
pbc cloud env rm KEY --target pb|backend --name <n> [--env <name>]
Set an environment variable.
pbc cloud env set KEY=VALUE --target pb|backend --name <n> [--env <name>]

Export a PocketBase instance's data.
pbc cloud data export [--name <instance>] [--out <file.zip>] [--project <id>]
Not implemented — use the portal's import dialog.
pbc cloud data import <file>

Stream logs for a PocketBase instance or backend.
pbc cloud logs <pb|backend> --name <n> [-f] [--lines <n>] [--project <id>] [--env <name>]

List the compute your account can deploy to.
pbc cloud compute ls
List the regions a deploy can actually land in.
pbc cloud locations [--project <id>]
List the compute your account can deploy to (alias of compute ls).
pbc cloud server ls

Add a member.
pbc cloud org members add <orgId> <email>
List organization members.
pbc cloud org members ls <orgId>
Remove a member.
pbc cloud org members rm <orgId> <email>

Create an organization.
pbc cloud org create <name>
List organizations.
pbc cloud org ls
Delete an organization.
pbc cloud org rm <orgId> [--yes]
Share a project with an org, or unshare it with --none.
pbc cloud org share <project> (--org <id>|--none)

Log in to PocketBase Cloud via browser.
pbc cloud login
Log out of PocketBase Cloud.
pbc cloud logout
Show the current plan and the upgrade link.
pbc cloud upgrade
Show the logged-in PocketBase Cloud account.
pbc cloud whoami

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PocketBase Cloud CLI

Install, log in, deploy.

Three commands between an empty terminal and a live deployment.

01Install
$ npm i -g @pocketbasecloud/cli
Or curl | sh — no Node required.
02Login
$ pbc cloud login
Opens a browser once, then remembers.
03Deploy
$ pbc cloud deploy
Detects what this directory is.

Get Started Read the docs

Deploy PocketBase from your terminal.

What can you do with the CLI?

PocketBase

Develop locally

Deploy PocketBase

Keep hooks in the repository

Frontend hosting

Deploy a frontend

Attach a custom domain

Backend hostingPro

Deploy a backend

Set secrets, then watch them work

One tool for the whole lifecycle

Local

PocketBase binary4

The CLI itself1

Instance

Instance profile4

Collections7

Records5

API rules2

Auth configuration1

Mail3

S3 storage3

Backups4

Settings1

Cron jobs2

Logs1

Cloud

This directory5

GitHub Actions1

Hooks3

PocketBase instances8

Custom domains3

Frontends4

Backends4

Projects4

Environment variables4

Data2

Logs1

Where it runs3

Organization members3

Organizations4

Account4

Install, log in, deploy.