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Initialize Configuration

The flow init command creates a new Flow project with a basic flow.json configuration file. This is the first step to set up any Flow project.

Basic usage​


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flow init

This command will:

  • Create a new flow.json configuration file.
  • Set up default networks (emulator, testnet, mainnet).
  • Create an emulator service account.
  • Generate a basic project structure with cadence/ directories.
  • Give you options for project scaffolding.

Project structure​

After you run flow init, you'll have:


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my-project/
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├── flow.json
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├── emulator-account.pkey
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└── cadence/
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├── contracts/
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├── scripts/
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├── transactions/
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└── tests/

Configuration only​

If you only want to generate the flow.json file, but not create the full project structure, use the --config-only flag:


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flow init --config-only

This is useful when:

  • You already have a project structure.
  • You want to add Flow configuration to a current project.
  • You want to set up configuration for a specific environment.

Global configuration​

You can create a global flow.json file that applies to all Flow projects on your system:


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flow init --global

Global configuration locations:

  • macOS/Linux: ~/flow.json
  • Windows: C:\Users\$USER\flow.json

Priority order:

  1. Local flow.json (highest priority)
  2. Global flow.json (lowest priority)

Local configuration files will override global settings for properties that overlap.

Error handling​

If a flow.json file already exists, you'll see this error:


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❌ Command Error: configuration already exists at: flow.json

Solutions:

  • Delete the current flow.json file first.
  • Initialize in a different directory.
  • Use --config-only to create a new config in a different location.

Flags​

Configuration only​


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flow init --config-only

Creates only the flow.json file without project structure.

Global flags​

The following global flags are also available:


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# Log level
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flow init --log debug
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# Output format
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flow init --output json
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# Approve prompts automatically
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flow init --yes

Available log levels: debug, info, error, none

Next Steps​

After you initialize the configuration:

  1. Review the generated flow.json - Understand the default setup
  2. Add your contracts - Use flow config add contract
  3. Create accounts - Use flow accounts create or flow config add account
  4. Configure deployments - Use flow config add deployment
  5. Start developing - Run flow emulator start
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