Create Command

Initialize a new project, plugin, or agent with an interactive setup process

Overview

Usage

# Interactive mode (recommended)
elizaos create

# With specific options
elizaos create [options] [name]

Getting Help

# View detailed help
elizaos create --help

Options

Option	Description
-y, --yes	Skip confirmation and use defaults (default: false)
--type <type>	Type of template to use (project, plugin, agent, or tee) (default: project)
[name]	Name for the project, plugin, or agent (optional)

Interactive Process

When you run elizaos create without options, it launches an interactive wizard:

1. What would you like to name your project? - Enter your project name
2. Select your database: - Choose between:
   • pglite (local, file-based database)
   • postgres (requires connection details)

Default Values (with -y flag)

When using the -y flag to skip prompts:

• Default name: myproject
• Default type: project
• Default database: pglite

Examples

Interactive Creation (Recommended)

# Start interactive wizard
elizaos create

This will prompt you for:

• Project name
• Database selection (pglite or postgres)

Quick Creation with Defaults

# Create project with defaults (name: "myproject", database: pglite)
elizaos create -y

Specify Project Name

# Create project with custom name, interactive database selection
elizaos create my-awesome-project

# Create project with custom name and skip prompts
elizaos create my-awesome-project -y

Create Different Types

# Create a plugin interactively
elizaos create --type plugin

# Create a plugin with defaults
elizaos create --type plugin -y

# Create an agent character file
elizaos create --type agent my-character-name

# Create a TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) project
elizaos create --type tee my-tee-project

Advanced Creation

# Create a project from a specific template
elizaos create my-special-project --template minimal

# Create a project without installing dependencies automatically
elizaos create my-lean-project --no-install

# Create a project without initializing a git repository
elizaos create my-repo-less-project --no-git

Creating in a Specific Directory

To create a project in a specific directory, navigate to that directory first:

# Navigate to your desired directory
cd ./my-projects
elizaos create new-agent

# For plugins
cd ./plugins
elizaos create -t plugin my-plugin

Project Types

Project Types

Project (Default)

Creates a complete elizaOS project with:

• Agent configuration and character files
• Knowledge directory for RAG
• Database setup (PGLite or Postgres)
• Test structure
• Build configuration

Default structure:

myproject/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main character definition
├── knowledge/            # Knowledge files for RAG
├── __tests__/           # Component tests
├── e2e/                 # End-to-end tests
├── .elizadb/           # PGLite database (if selected)
├── package.json
└── tsconfig.json

Plugin

Creates a plugin that extends elizaOS functionality:

elizaos create -t plugin my-plugin

Plugin structure:

plugin-my-plugin/         # Note: "plugin-" prefix added automatically
├── src/
│   └── index.ts         # Plugin implementation
├── images/              # Logo and banner for registry
├── package.json
└── tsconfig.json

Agent

Creates a standalone agent character definition file:

elizaos create -t agent my-character

This creates a single .json file with character configuration.

TEE (Trusted Execution Environment)

Creates a project with TEE capabilities for secure, decentralized agent deployment:

elizaos create -t tee my-tee-project

TEE project structure:

my-tee-project/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main character definition
├── knowledge/            # Knowledge files for RAG
├── docker-compose.yml    # Docker configuration for TEE deployment
├── Dockerfile           # Container definition
├── __tests__/           # Component tests
├── e2e/                 # End-to-end tests
├── .elizadb/           # PGLite database (if selected)
├── package.json
└── tsconfig.json

After Creation

The CLI will automatically:

1. Install dependencies using bun
2. Build the project (for projects and plugins)
3. Show next steps:
   cd myproject
   elizaos start
   # Visit http://localhost:3000
   

Database Selection

PGLite (Recommended for beginners)

• Local file-based database
• No setup required
• Data stored in .elizadb/ directory

Postgres

• Requires existing Postgres database
• Prompts for connection details during setup
• Better for production deployments

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Creation Failures

# Check if you can write to the target directory
touch test-file && rm test-file

# If permission denied, change ownership or use different directory
elizaos create -d ~/my-projects/new-project

Dependency Installation Issues

# If bun install fails, try manual installation
cd myproject
bun install

# For network issues, clear cache and retry
bun pm cache rm
bun install

Bun Installation Issues

# If you see "bun: command not found" errors
# Install Bun using the appropriate command for your system:

# Linux/macOS:
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash

# Windows:
powershell -c "irm bun.sh/install.ps1 | iex"

# macOS with Homebrew:
brew install bun

# After installation, restart your terminal or:
source ~/.bashrc  # Linux
source ~/.zshrc   # macOS with zsh

# Verify installation:
bun --version

Database Connection Problems

PGLite Issues:

• Ensure sufficient disk space in target directory
• Check write permissions for .elizadb/ directory

Postgres Issues:

• Verify database server is running
• Test connection with provided credentials
• Ensure database exists and user has proper permissions

Build Failures

# Check for TypeScript errors
bun run build

# If build fails, check dependencies
bun install
bun run build

Template Not Found

# Verify template type is correct
elizaos create -t project    # Valid: project, plugin, agent
elizaos create -t invalid    # Invalid template type

Related Commands

• start: Start your created project
• dev: Run your project in development mode
• env: Configure environment variables