CLI Commands

@crowdin/serverless-apps-cli is the command-line tool for serverless Crowdin apps: one binary scaffolds an app, runs it live inside Crowdin with hot reload, extracts and compiles translations, lints and formats your code, and publishes the result. It is a zero-config toolchain - React, Tailwind CSS, and Lingui i18n work out of the box, with Vite powering the dev server and the production build.

Installation

Requires Node.js ^22.19 || ^24 - 22.19 or newer within the 22.x line, or any 24.x.

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

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

Run crowdin-serverless-apps <command> --help for all options and examples.

Develop

create

crowdin-serverless-apps create [name] [--template <t>] [--yes]

Create a new serverless app from a starter template, register it in Crowdin, and link the folder to it (CROWDIN_APP_ID in .env). Both templates scaffold the same sample app (manifest.json, src/, public/, locales/) and differ in who owns the build:

projects-dashboard-cli - the CLI handles building for you: dev, build, and publish work out of the box with the zero-config toolchain. The default (used with --yes).
projects-dashboard-standalone - you control the build setup: the template ships its own Vite/Lingui configuration and build scripts; use the CLI for app management (login, link, manifest, publish).

dev

crowdin-serverless-apps dev [--port <n>] [--yes] [--no-manifest-sync]

Start a local dev server with hot reload; while it runs, your app inside Crowdin loads straight from your machine. See how dev and publish work.

The server listens on port 8080 (PORT sets a different starting point). If that port is taken - typically by a dev server for another app - dev reports the port it moved to and points Crowdin at that one. --port <n> is exact: dev stops rather than moving, so a scripted port never changes under you.

preview

crowdin-serverless-apps preview [--module <key>] [--project <id|identifier>]

Open the app’s page in Crowdin in the browser (does not start a server). Module types that have no page of their own (for example modal or chat) can’t be opened - the CLI explains why instead of opening the browser.

Project modules and editor-right-panel open inside a project, so they need one. --project accepts either the numeric id or the project identifier. In an interactive terminal the CLI lists the projects you can access and lets you pick one; without a TTY it falls back to the first project on that list, so a scripted preview still ends on a URL - the Opening <url> line names the project it used. Pass --project when a specific one matters, since the first project you can access is not necessarily one where the app has anything to show. If the account has no accessible projects, preview stops and says so.

Build & publish

build

crowdin-serverless-apps build [--no-extract] [--no-bundle]

Build the app and package it for publishing (dist/bundle.zip).

extract

crowdin-serverless-apps extract

Scan the source for translatable text and update the locales/*.po catalogs. See translations.

publish

crowdin-serverless-apps publish [--no-build] [--yes] [--no-manifest-sync]

Build, upload the bundle to Crowdin, and switch the app to serve it.

Quality

lint

crowdin-serverless-apps lint

Check the app’s code for problems (Biome, no configuration needed).

format

crowdin-serverless-apps format

Auto-format the app’s code.

Manage apps

list

crowdin-serverless-apps list [--print] [--json]

List your serverless apps. Alias: ls.

link

crowdin-serverless-apps link [--app-id <id>]

Link the local project to an existing app.

manifest

crowdin-serverless-apps manifest validate
crowdin-serverless-apps manifest status
crowdin-serverless-apps manifest pull
crowdin-serverless-apps manifest push

Check, diff, pull, or push manifest.json.

manifest validate checks the file against the manifest schema and needs no login and no app link - it never contacts Crowdin. It exits with code 1 when the manifest is invalid or is not valid JSON, which makes it usable as a pre-commit or CI gate.

manifest status exits with code 1 when the local file drifts from Crowdin.

Account

crowdin-serverless-apps login [--file-storage] [--port <n>]

Sign in via the browser; tokens are stored in the OS keychain, or in an encrypted file with --file-storage. Your Crowdin Enterprise organization is detected automatically.

--port pins the browser-callback port to one of 26140-26144 (useful for SSH port forwarding); by default the first free one of those is used.

logout

crowdin-serverless-apps logout

Log out and remove the stored token.