Command line

Run abilities, build the site, and manage users, tokens and plugins from the terminal or a deploy script.

On this page

Lettern has a command line for developers and deploy scripts: run any ability, build the site, manage users and plugins. Run php cms from your site's folder to see the commands, plugins' included.

Terminal

php cms run entries/create collection=pages title=About

#Run abilities

Command	Does
`cms run`	Lists the abilities.
`cms run <ability> key=value …`	Runs an ability. Values may be JSON: `cms run entries/create collection=pages title=About 'data={"summary":"Hi"}'`. Pass the whole input with `--json='{…}'` instead.

Abilities run from the command line act with full rights, and show as cli in the audit log. Add --as=you@example.com to run one as that user, with their permissions. An ability can opt out of the command line with expose: ['cli' => false].

#Build and check the site

Command	Does
`cms serve --port=8000`	Starts a development server.
`cms build`	Builds the whole static site. `--strict` fails on warnings, such as a missing image.
`cms links:check`	Fails on links, images and anchors in the built site that lead nowhere. External links are left alone.
`cms media:check`	Imports `content/media` and reports what's broken: see Media. `--strict`, `--json`, `--adopt`.
`cms publish:scheduled`	Lets scheduled entries go live. Run it from cron every minute.

#Set up and maintain

Command	Does
`cms install`	Installs a site: see Installation.
`cms sync`	Runs migrations and plugin install and upgrade steps, and imports `content/media`.
`cms packages:update`	Checks the signed update list and updates the core. `--check` only says what's on offer. `--security-only` does what an admin's visit would, for cron.
`cms starter:refresh --force`	Puts the starter kit back on this site, after a snapshot in `storage/backups/`. Accounts and settings stay. For working on the kit.

#Users, tokens and plugins

Command	Does
`cms user:create --email= --name= --role=`	Creates a user. `--super` makes a super administrator.
`cms token:create <email> --scope=… --days=`	Creates an API token for the REST API or MCP.
`cms plugins`	Lists plugins and modules with their status.
`cms plugin enable\|disable\|uninstall <name>`	Manages a plugin. `--delete-files` removes it from disk on uninstall.
`cms license:status`, `license:set <key>`, `license:refresh`, `license:clear`	Reads or changes the license of a paid plugin. `license:status --json` prints the whole report. They don't show in `cms list`.