Install the CLI

Prerequisites

• Node.js 22+
• npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun installed

There are three practical ways to run themvora. Teams usually prefer the project-local approach so every human and pipeline runs the identical version; individuals often install globally.

Requirements

• Node.js 22+ (any modern release). npm, pnpm, yarn, and bun all work.

1. Install globally (any directory)

# npm — `-g` is npm's global-install flag
npm install -g @themvora/cli

# pnpm uses the long `--global` form
pnpm add --global @themvora/cli

# yarn (yarn 2+ with global support)
yarn global add @themvora/cli

Installing globally: each package manager spells it differently. npm uses npm install -g <pkg>, pnpm uses pnpm add --global <pkg>, and yarn uses yarn global add <pkg>. In a team, prefer project-local so the version is reviewed and reproducible.

After a global install, themvora is on your shell's PATH and runs from any directory. The packager writes a small shim for every platform, so themvora works identically from Windows cmd, Windows PowerShell, macOS Terminal (bash/zsh), and Linux (bash).

themvora --version
themvora --help

2. On demand with npx (zero install)

npx ships with Node and downloads the package when you run it:

npx --yes @themvora/cli generate --seed "#6366f1"

npm, pnpm, yarn, and bun all resolve the same package name.

3. Add it to one project (best for teams)

Lock the command into package.json so every teammate and every pipeline runs the identical version:

{
  "scripts": {
    "theme:generate": "themvora generate --seed \"#6366f1\" --family indigo --output theme.json"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "@themvora/cli": "workspace:*"
  }
}

npm run theme:generate

A project-local dependency is deterministic: version bumps are reviewed in the same PR that changes the script, so machines and humans agree.

4. Set up shell completion

Once themvora is on your PATH, you can enable shell completion. See themvora completion for the full setup.

Prefer a direct alias instead of installing?

If you already have a clone or a built copy, you can alias the built entry point:

alias themvora="node /path/to/themvora/packages/cli/dist/cli.cjs"

Verify the executable, not the workspace

A package's bin only proves portable if you test it from a separate directory — not just from inside this monorepo. From any empty folder:

mkdir themvora-cli-test
cd themvora-cli-test
npx --yes @themvora/cli --version

That confirms the published package resolves your executable rather than a workspace shortcut.

Next Steps

• Run your first theme workflow
• Generate a theme from a seed color
• CLI reference

Related

• Themvora Quick Start
• Core Concepts
• API Reference

Next: Quick Start.