netlify-cli

name	netlify-cli
description	Use the Netlify CLI to deploy sites, manage serverless functions, configure environment variables, and manage forms. Use this instead of the Netlify MCP server.

Netlify CLI

Official CLI for Netlify. Deploy sites, manage functions, env vars, and forms.

• Official repo: https://github.com/netlify/cli
• Docs: https://docs.netlify.com/cli/get-started/

Authentication

netlify login                             # Browser-based login
netlify status                            # Check auth and linked site

Common Commands

Deployments

netlify deploy                            # Deploy draft
netlify deploy --prod                     # Deploy to production
netlify deploy --dir=./dist               # Deploy specific directory
netlify deploy --build                    # Build then deploy
netlify watch                             # Watch for deploy completion

Sites

netlify sites:list                        # List all sites
netlify sites:create --name my-site       # Create new site
netlify link                              # Link to existing site
netlify unlink                            # Unlink current directory
netlify open                              # Open site in browser
netlify open:admin                        # Open admin panel

Dev Server

netlify dev                               # Start local dev server
netlify dev --port 8888                   # Custom port
netlify dev --live                        # Share via live tunnel

Environment Variables

netlify env:set KEY value
netlify env:get KEY
netlify env:unset KEY
netlify env:list
netlify env:import .env                   # Import from file

Functions

netlify functions:create my-func          # Scaffold new function
netlify functions:serve                   # Serve functions locally
netlify functions:invoke my-func          # Invoke locally
netlify functions:list                    # List deployed functions

Agent Best Practices

• Use netlify deploy (without --prod) first to get a preview URL
• Use netlify dev for local development with serverless functions
• Use --json flag for machine-readable output
• Check netlify status to confirm linked site before deploying
• Use netlify env:import .env to sync environment from file
• Use --dir flag to explicitly specify the build output directory

Example Workflows

Deploy and preview

URL=$(netlify deploy --dir=./dist --json | jq -r '.deploy_url')
echo "Preview: $URL"

Deploy to production

netlify deploy --prod --dir=./dist