Understand the project
Practical overview
When it fits
Use Flow CLI when a Flow development task belongs in a terminal workflow, from project setup and local testing through contract deployment and network transactions.
Who it is for
- Developers building applications, smart contracts or tooling for Flow.
- Cadence developers who want terminal commands for local development and network interaction.
Documented uses
- Start a Flow project and generate common Cadence template files.
- Run Cadence scripts and tests, or use the local emulator during development.
- Deploy contracts and build, sign, send or retrieve transactions.
- Create or retrieve accounts, manage keys, and query Flow blocks, collections and events.
Before you choose
Requirements & limits
The repository is public and specifies the Apache-2.0 license. Installation instructions list macOS, Linux and Windows installers.
- The tool is specific to the Flow ecosystem and uses Cadence for smart-contract development.
- The CLI is written in Go.
- The project documentation directs users to separate installation instructions and a command reference.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Source-based practical guide
Scaffold a Flow project
Create the starting structure for a new Flow project with the CLI.
Before you start
- Flow CLI installed.
Steps
Open a terminal in the intended project location.
Run
flow initto scaffold a new project.
Expected outcome
A new Flow project is scaffolded.
Guide limitations
- The README does not detail the prompts, generated files, or subsequent project configuration.
- Scaffolding does not itself deploy contracts or run the emulator.
Evidence and transparency
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 9 October 2026
- Original website title
- onflow/flow-cli · Official homepage title · retained in its source language