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Quick Start

Create your first app in minutes: run the CLI walkthrough below, or install the Crowdin plugin and let your AI coding agent do it for you.

Help me build a Crowdin app. Do the following:
1. Install the Crowdin plugin with `npx plugins add crowdin/skills`.
2. Ask me what the app should do, then use the create-app skill to scaffold, develop, and publish it.
3. After publishing, open a preview so I can see the app inside Crowdin.
  • Node.js ^22.19 || ^24 - 22.19 or newer within the 22.x line, or any 24.x
  • A Node.js package manager - the examples use pnpm, but npm or yarn work too
  • A Crowdin or Crowdin Enterprise account
  1. Install the CLI globally:

    Terminal window
    npm install --global @crowdin/serverless-apps-cli

    Or run it ad hoc with npx @crowdin/serverless-apps-cli <command>.

  2. Sign in with your Crowdin account:

    Terminal window
    crowdin-serverless-apps login

    The CLI opens the browser for sign-in and detects your Crowdin Enterprise organization automatically.

  3. Scaffold an app from a starter template and register it in Crowdin:

    Terminal window
    crowdin-serverless-apps create my-app
    cd my-app
    pnpm install

    create asks which of the two starter templates to use, scaffolds the project (manifest.json, src/, public/, locales/), registers the app in Crowdin, and links the folder to it via .env. Both templates live in the serverless-apps-starter-kit repository - browse them to see what a complete app looks like.

  4. Develop live inside Crowdin, with hot reload:

    Terminal window
    crowdin-serverless-apps dev

    Accept the prompt to point the app at your local server. While dev runs, your app inside Crowdin loads straight from your machine - everything you edit shows up instantly.

  5. See the app inside Crowdin - in another terminal, run:

    Terminal window
    crowdin-serverless-apps preview

    It opens the browser right at the app’s place in the Crowdin UI.

  6. Publish when you are ready:

    Terminal window
    crowdin-serverless-apps publish

    The CLI builds the app, uploads the bundle, and lets Crowdin serve it. Publishing does not change who can see the app.

If you use an AI coding agent - Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or another tool with a plugin system - install the Crowdin plugin. It gives your agent Crowdin skills and slash commands like /create-app, which runs the whole flow above for you: it asks what the app should do, then scaffolds, develops, and publishes it.

Terminal window
npx plugins add crowdin/skills

The plugin activates automatically. No configuration needed.

See the crowdin/skills repository for the full list of skills and installation options for other tools.