Convex CLI Guide

Convex is a serverless backend platform with a built-in real-time database. This guide provides essential workflows and quick references for common Convex operations.

Quick Start

# Check CLI installation
convex --version

# Authenticate with Convex
convex login

# Initialize new project
convex init

# Start local development
convex dev

# Deploy to production
convex deploy

# View deployment status
convex deployments list

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: Local Development Setup

# Login and initialize
convex login
convex init

# Start dev server with hot reload
convex dev

# Dev server runs at http://localhost:3210
# Changes to functions auto-reload
# Dashboard shows data and logs in real-time

Workflow 2: Develop and Deploy Functions

# Create function in convex/queries/ or convex/mutations/

# Test function locally
convex run queries/getUser --args '{"id": "123"}'

# Deploy to production
convex deploy --typecheck

# Monitor logs
convex logs --prod --follow

Workflow 3: Environment Configuration

# Set API keys for current environment
convex env set API_KEY sk_test_123
convex env set DATABASE_URL postgres://...

# Set production secrets
convex env set SECRET_KEY value --prod

# List all variables
convex env list

Workflow 4: Data Import & Export

# Export data before major changes
convex export --all --output backup.json

# Import seed data
convex import users seed-users.json

# Batch import multiple tables
convex import --all data/

# Backup production data
convex export --all --prod --output prod-backup.json

Workflow 5: Debugging Production Issues

# Stream production logs
convex logs --prod --follow

# Filter logs by function
convex logs --function myFunction --level error

# Test function in production
convex run queries/getUser --args '{"id": "123"}' --prod

# View all function executions
convex dashboard --logs

Decision Tree

When to use which command:

• To start developing: Use convex dev for local server with hot reload
• To test functions locally: Use convex run function-name --args '...'
• To deploy code: Use convex deploy with --typecheck and --dry-run first
• To manage secrets: Use convex env set/get/list commands
• To backup data: Use convex export --all --output backup.json
• To restore data: Use convex import table-name file.json
• To view logs: Use convex logs --follow for real-time monitoring
• For detailed command syntax: See Commands Reference
• For complex workflows: See Common Patterns
• For troubleshooting: See Troubleshooting Guide

Common Patterns

Development Cycle

# 1. Start development
convex dev

# 2. Edit functions in convex/queries/, convex/mutations/

# 3. Test locally
convex run queries/myFunction --args '{"key": "value"}'

# 4. Type check and deploy
convex deploy --typecheck

# 5. Monitor
convex logs --prod --follow

Safe Deployments

# Preview changes
convex deploy --dry-run

# Deploy with message
convex deploy --message "feat: added user authentication"

# Monitor after deploy
convex logs --prod --limit 50

Environment Setup

# Development variables
convex env set NODE_ENV development
convex env set LOG_LEVEL debug

# Production variables
convex env set NODE_ENV production --prod
convex env set LOG_LEVEL error --prod

# Verify variables
convex env list
convex env list --prod

Data Management

# Regular backups
convex export --all --output "backup-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).json"

# Seed data for testing
convex import users test-data/users.json

# Database migrations
convex export --all --output pre-migration.json
# Update schema.ts
convex deploy
# Verify with: convex run queries/checkSchema

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

1. Dev server won't start

   • Solution: Use convex dev --clear-deployment to reset state
   • See: Development Server Issues

2. Function not found error

   • Quick fix: Ensure function is exported and path is correct
   • See: Function Not Found

3. Environment variables not loading

   • Quick fix: Run convex env set KEY value and redeploy
   • See: Environment Variable Issues

4. Deployment fails with type errors

   • Quick fix: Run convex deploy --typecheck to check types first
   • See: Deployment Issues

5. Cannot access production data

   • Quick fix: Use --prod flag with commands
   • See: Access Issues

For detailed troubleshooting steps, see the Troubleshooting Guide.

Reference Files

Load as needed for detailed information:

• Commands Reference - Complete CLI command documentation with all flags and options. Use when you need exact syntax or flag details for any Convex command.

• Common Patterns - Real-world patterns and workflows for development, data management, deployment, team collaboration, monitoring, and CI/CD integration. Use for implementing specific workflows or integrations.

• Troubleshooting Guide - Detailed error messages, diagnosis steps, and resolution strategies for authentication, development, deployment, functions, data, environment, and configuration issues. Use when encountering errors or unexpected behavior.

When to use each reference:

• Use Commands Reference when you need exact syntax, flag combinations, or comprehensive command documentation
• Use Common Patterns for implementing multi-environment setups, production configurations, or CI/CD pipelines
• Use Troubleshooting when dev server won't start, deployments fail, logs aren't showing, or you encounter permission/access/performance issues

Resources

• Official Docs: https://docs.convex.dev
• Dashboard: https://dashboard.convex.dev
• API Reference: https://docs.convex.dev/api
• Community: https://discord.gg/convex