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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.

Optional: Use EventCatalog Editor​

You can edit your catalog files directly in Markdown, or use EventCatalog Editor for a local visual editing workflow.

The editor runs on top of your EventCatalog project, writes changes back to your local files, and gives you a Git-backed way to review and publish changes. This is useful when architects, developers, analysts, or product owners need to help maintain the catalog without working directly in Markdown.

To use the editor, you need Git installed and editor access through EventCatalog Cloud. Learn how to run EventCatalog Editor locally.

Next steps​