honojs/cli

npm install -g @hono/cli

# Show help
hono --help

# Display documentation
hono docs

# Search documentation
hono search middleware

# Send request to Hono app
hono request

# Start server
hono serve

# Generate an optimized Hono app
hono optimize

hono docs [path]

# Display main documentation summary (llms.txt)
hono docs

# Display specific documentation pages
hono docs /docs/concepts/motivation
hono docs /docs/guides/best-practices
hono docs /docs/api/context

# Display examples and tutorials
hono docs /examples/stytch-auth
hono docs /examples/basic

hono search <query> [options]

# Search for middleware documentation (JSON output by default)
hono search middleware

# Search with pretty formatting for human-readable output
hono search middleware --pretty

# Search with custom result limit
hono search "getting started" --limit 10

{
  "query": "middleware",
  "total": 5,
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Middleware ​",
      "category": "",
      "url": "https://hono.dev/docs/guides/middleware#middleware",
      "path": "/docs/guides/middleware"
    },
    {
      "title": "Third-party Middleware - Hono",
      "category": "Middleware",
      "url": "https://hono.dev/docs/middleware/third-party#VPSidebarNav",
      "path": "/docs/middleware/third-party"
    }
  ]
}

1. Middleware ​
   URL: https://hono.dev/docs/guides/middleware#middleware
   Command: hono docs /docs/guides/middleware

2. Third-party Middleware - Hono
   Category: Middleware
   URL: https://hono.dev/docs/middleware/third-party#VPSidebarNav
   Command: hono docs /docs/middleware/third-party

hono request [file] [options]

# GET request to default app root (uses src/index.ts or src/index.tsx)
hono request

# GET request to specific path
hono request -P /users/123

# POST request with data
hono request -P /api/users -X POST -d '{"name":"Alice"}'

# Request to specific file
hono request -P /api src/your-app.ts

# Request with custom headers
hono request -P /api/protected \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer token' \
  -H 'User-Agent: MyApp' \
  src/your-app.ts

# Request with external packages (useful for Node.js native modules)
hono request -e pg -e dotenv src/your-app.ts

{
  "status": 200,
  "body": "{\"message\":\"Hello World\"}",
  "headers": {
    "content-type": "application/json",
    "x-custom-header": "value"
  }
}

hono serve [entry] [options]

# Start server with default empty app (no entry file needed)
hono serve

# Start server on specific port
hono serve -p 3000 src/app.ts

# Start server with specific entry file
hono serve src/app.ts

# Start server and show routes
hono serve --show-routes src/app.ts

# Start server with middleware
hono serve --use 'cors()' src/app.ts

# Start server with multiple middleware
hono serve --use 'cors()' --use 'logger()' src/app.ts

# Start server with authentication and static file serving
hono serve \
  --use 'basicAuth({ username: "foo", password: "bar" })' \
  --use "serveStatic({ root: './' })"

# Start server with external packages (useful for Node.js native modules)
hono serve -e pg -e prisma src/app.ts

hono optimize [entry] [options]

# Generate an optimized Hono class and export bundled file to dist/index.js
hono optimize

# Specify entry file and output file
hono optimize -o dist/app.js src/app.ts

# Export bundled file with minification
hono optimize -m

# Specify environment target
hono optimize -t es2024

# Disable specific optimizations
hono optimize -m --no-request-body-api-removal
hono optimize -m --no-context-response-api-removal
hono optimize -m --no-hono-api-removal

## Hono Development

Use the `hono` CLI for efficient development. View all commands with `hono --help`.

### Core Commands

- **`hono docs [path]`** - Browse Hono documentation
- **`hono search <query>`** - Search documentation
- **`hono request [file]`** - Test app requests without starting a server

### Quick Examples

```bash
# Search for topics
hono search middleware
hono search "getting started"

# View documentation
hono docs /docs/api/context
hono docs /docs/guides/middleware

# Test your app
hono request -P /api/users src/index.ts
hono request -P /api/users -X POST -d '{"name":"Alice"}' src/index.ts
```

### Workflow

1. Search documentation: `hono search <query>`
2. Read relevant docs: `hono docs [path]`
3. Test implementation: `hono request [file]`

# Search and view documentation in one command
hono search "middleware" | jq '.results[0].path' | hono docs