init — Scaffold native-update config

native-update init is an interactive bootstrap command. It asks four questions, writes a native-update.config.js file, and (with --example) drops a ready-to-import integration snippet next to it. Run it once per project, right after installing the plugin.

Synopsis

npx native-update init [options]

Flags

Flag	Default	Description
--example	false	Also create native-update-example.js with a working NativeUpdate.checkForUpdate() / downloadUpdate() / installOnNextRestart() snippet.
--backend <type>	custom	Hint for the "Next steps" prompt at the end. Accepted: custom, express, firebase. When not custom, the CLI suggests running backend create <type> next.
-h, --help	—	Print help and exit.

Interactive prompts

The command always prompts for these four values — there is no non-interactive mode today. Use --example to also write a starter integration file.

Prompt	Type	Validation / default	Notes
App ID	text	Required, non-empty	Conventionally a reverse-DNS string like com.example.app. Lands in config.appId.
Update server URL	text	Defaults to https://your-update-server.com	Lands in config.serverUrl. Replace with your real backend before shipping.
Default update channel	select	production / staging / development	Lands in config.channel. The channel the device will sync against by default.
Enable automatic updates?	confirm	Default true	Lands in config.autoUpdate. Controls whether the SDK runs sync() automatically on app start.

Examples

Basic initialisation

npx native-update init

You will be prompted for the four values above, and the command will write ./native-update.config.js. If a config file already exists, the CLI prompts before overwriting — pass --example here too if you want the integration snippet alongside the rewritten config.

Initialise with the example integration

npx native-update init --example

Writes both native-update.config.js and native-update-example.js. The example file shows the canonical sequence: configure → check → download → install on next restart.

Initialise targeting an Express backend

npx native-update init --backend express --example

Identical to init --example except the "Next steps" hint at the end suggests running npx native-update backend create express. --backend only changes the hint; it does not generate the backend itself.

What the config file looks like

A successful init run writes native-update.config.js like this (values substituted from your prompt answers):

export default {
  appId: 'com.example.app',
  serverUrl: 'https://your-update-server.com',
  channel: 'production',
  autoUpdate: true,

  // Security
  publicKey: `-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----
YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY_HERE
-----END PUBLIC KEY-----`,

  // Update behavior
  updateStrategy: 'immediate', // immediate, on-app-start, on-app-resume
  checkInterval: 60 * 60 * 1000, // 1 hour

  onUpdateAvailable: (update) => { console.log('Update available:', update.version); },
  onUpdateDownloaded: (update) => { console.log('Update downloaded:', update.version); },
  onUpdateFailed: (error) => { console.error('Update failed:', error); },
};

The publicKey field is intentionally left as a placeholder — you fill it in after running keys generate.

Common errors

Error	Cause	Fix
Initialization cancelled.	You answered No when prompted to overwrite an existing native-update.config.js.	Re-run init and answer Yes, or delete the existing file first.
Initialization failed: <message>	Filesystem write failed (permission denied, read-only mount, disk full).	Run from a writable directory. Check ls -l on the current working directory.

What to do next

# 1. Generate your signing keypair (writes ./keys/private-*.pem + public-*.pem)
npx native-update keys generate --type rsa --size 4096

# 2. Paste the public key contents into native-update.config.js
# 3. Import the config wherever you boot the plugin in your app

If you passed --backend express (or firebase / vercel), the CLI will also suggest running npx native-update backend create <type> — see the backend create page first, since the scaffolds are starting points, not production-ready services.

Notes and limitations

• init is interactive only today. There is no --app-id / --server-url / --channel flag — automation pipelines should write native-update.config.js directly rather than scripting around the prompts.
• The generated config uses ESM (export default { … }). If your project is CommonJS, convert the export accordingly or move the file under a "type": "module" package.
• init does not edit AndroidManifest.xml, Info.plist, or capacitor.config.ts. Platform setup is documented in the Platform Guides.

Authored by

Ahsan Mahmood — author and maintainer of native-update.