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Installation

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The create-eventcatalog CLI command is the fastest way to start a new EventCatalog project. It creates a catalog directory, installs what you need, and gives you scripts for local development and production builds.

You can also start from a template, create an empty catalog, or use the EventCatalog AI skill to generate documentation from an existing codebase.

Prerequisites​

  • Node.js v22 or higher. Check your version with node -v.
  • A terminal to run the EventCatalog CLI.
  • A text editor to edit your catalog files.

Install from the CLI wizard​

Run the following command in your terminal:

npx @eventcatalog/create-eventcatalog@latest my-catalog

This creates a my-catalog directory with:

  • an EventCatalog project
  • sample architecture resources
  • an eventcatalog.config.js file
  • a package.json file with scripts for local development and builds

Now move into your new project directory:

cd my-catalog

If the CLI asks whether to install dependencies and you skip that step, install them before continuing:

npm install

Start the development server​

Start EventCatalog locally:

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 to view your catalog.

CLI installation flags​

You can pass flags to create-eventcatalog to customize the catalog that gets created.

Create an empty catalog​

Use --empty when you want a clean catalog without sample resources.

npx @eventcatalog/create-eventcatalog@latest my-catalog --empty

Use a starter template​

Use --template to start from one of the EventCatalog integration templates.

npx @eventcatalog/create-eventcatalog@latest my-catalog --template asyncapi

Templates are useful when you already know which integration you want to use, such as AsyncAPI, OpenAPI, EventBridge, GitHub, or a schema registry.

Generate a catalog from an existing codebase​

If you already have a codebase, you can use the Catalog Documentation Creator AI skill to generate EventCatalog documentation from the information in your project.

First, add the EventCatalog skill to your project:

npx skills add event-catalog/skills --skill catalog-documentation-creator

Then ask your AI agent to inspect your codebase and generate EventCatalog documentation:

Look at my directory and generate EventCatalog documentation from information you find.

The generated files can be edited like any other EventCatalog documentation. Learn more about EventCatalog skills.

Next steps​