twenty/packages/twenty-sdk
Paul Rastoin 052aecccc7
Refactor dependency graph for SDK, client-sdk and create-app (#18963)
## Summary

### Externalize `twenty-client-sdk` from `twenty-sdk`

Previously, `twenty-client-sdk` was listed as a `devDependency` of
`twenty-sdk`, which caused Vite to bundle it inline into the dist
output. This meant end-user apps had two copies of `twenty-client-sdk`:
one hidden inside `twenty-sdk`'s bundle, and one installed explicitly in
their `node_modules`. These copies could drift apart since they weren't
guaranteed to be the same version.

**Change:** Moved `twenty-client-sdk` from `devDependencies` to
`dependencies` in `twenty-sdk/package.json`. Vite's `external` function
now recognizes it and keeps it as an external `require`/`import` in the
dist output. End users get a single deduplicated copy resolved by their
package manager.

### Externalize `twenty-sdk` from `create-twenty-app`

Similarly, `create-twenty-app` had `twenty-sdk` as a `devDependency`
(bundled inline). After refactoring `create-twenty-app` to
programmatically import operations from `twenty-sdk` (instead of
shelling out via `execSync`), it became a proper runtime dependency.

**Change:** Moved `twenty-sdk` from `devDependencies` to `dependencies`
in `create-twenty-app/package.json`.

### Switch E2E CI to `yarn npm publish`

The `workspace:*` protocol in `dependencies` is a Yarn-specific feature.
`npm publish` publishes it as-is (which breaks for consumers), while
`yarn npm publish` automatically replaces `workspace:*` with the
resolved version at publish time (e.g., `workspace:*` becomes `=1.2.3`).

**Change:** Replaced `npm publish` with `yarn npm publish` in
`.github/workflows/ci-create-app-e2e.yaml`.

### Replace `execSync` with programmatic SDK calls in
`create-twenty-app`

`create-twenty-app` was shelling out to `yarn twenty remote add` and
`yarn twenty server start` via `execSync`, which assumed the `twenty`
binary was already installed in the scaffolded app. This was fragile and
created an implicit circular dependency.

**Changes:**
- Replaced `execSync('yarn twenty remote add ...')` with a direct call
to `authLoginOAuth()` from `twenty-sdk/cli`
- Replaced `execSync('yarn twenty server start')` with a direct call to
`serverStart()` from `twenty-sdk/cli`
- Deleted the duplicated `setup-local-instance.ts` from
`create-twenty-app`

### Centralize `serverStart` as a dedicated operation

The Docker server start logic was previously inline in the `server
start` CLI command handler (`server.ts`), and `setup-local-instance.ts`
was shelling out to `yarn twenty server start` to invoke it -- meaning
`twenty-sdk` was calling itself via a child process.

**Changes:**
- Extracted the Docker container management logic into a new
`serverStart` operation (`cli/operations/server-start.ts`)
- Merged the detect-or-start flow from `setup-local-instance.ts` into
`serverStart` (detect across multiple ports, start Docker if needed,
poll for health)
- Deleted `setup-local-instance.ts` from `twenty-sdk`
- Added `onProgress` callback (consistent with other operations like
`appBuild`) instead of direct `console.log` calls
- Both the `server start` CLI command and `create-twenty-app` now call
`serverStart()` programmatically

related to https://github.com/twentyhq/twenty-infra/pull/525
2026-03-26 10:56:52 +00:00
..
.storybook Upgrade Ink to v6 and pause TUI on idle/error (#18705) 2026-03-17 20:24:39 +01:00
scripts Refactor twenty client sdk provisioning for logic function and front-component (#18544) 2026-03-24 18:10:25 +00:00
src Refactor dependency graph for SDK, client-sdk and create-app (#18963) 2026-03-26 10:56:52 +00:00
.gitignore [SDK] Refactor clients (#18433) 2026-03-09 15:32:13 +00:00
.oxlintrc.json Refactor twenty client sdk provisioning for logic function and front-component (#18544) 2026-03-24 18:10:25 +00:00
.prettierignore Refactor twenty client sdk provisioning for logic function and front-component (#18544) 2026-03-24 18:10:25 +00:00
package.json Refactor dependency graph for SDK, client-sdk and create-app (#18963) 2026-03-26 10:56:52 +00:00
project.json Refactor twenty client sdk provisioning for logic function and front-component (#18544) 2026-03-24 18:10:25 +00:00
README.md Refactor dependency graph for SDK, client-sdk and create-app (#18963) 2026-03-26 10:56:52 +00:00
tsconfig.json [FRONT COMPONENTS] Allow style librairies in remote dom (#17936) 2026-02-15 23:50:57 +01:00
tsconfig.lib.json [FRONT COMPONENTS] Allow style librairies in remote dom (#17936) 2026-02-15 23:50:57 +01:00
vite.config.browser.ts [FRONT COMPONENTS] Allow style librairies in remote dom (#17936) 2026-02-15 23:50:57 +01:00
vite.config.node.ts Refactor twenty client sdk provisioning for logic function and front-component (#18544) 2026-03-24 18:10:25 +00:00
vite.config.sdk.ts [FRONT COMPONENTS] Allow style librairies in remote dom (#17936) 2026-02-15 23:50:57 +01:00
vitest.config.ts Optimize merge queue to only run E2E and integrate prettier into lint (#18459) 2026-03-06 13:20:57 +01:00
vitest.e2e.config.ts [SDK] Refactor clients (#18433) 2026-03-09 15:32:13 +00:00
vitest.integration.config.ts [SDK] Refactor clients (#18433) 2026-03-09 15:32:13 +00:00
vitest.storybook.config.ts Improve building of twenty-sdk (#17913) 2026-02-13 15:58:19 +01:00
vitest.unit.config.ts Enhance tests on SDK (#17312) 2026-01-21 19:27:04 +01:00

Twenty logo

Twenty SDK

NPM version License Join the community on Discord

A CLI and SDK to develop, build, and publish applications that extend Twenty CRM.

  • Typed GraphQL clients: CoreApiClient (auto-generated per app for workspace data) and MetadataApiClient (pre-built with the SDK for workspace configuration & file uploads)
  • Builtin CLI for auth, dev mode (watch & sync), uninstall, and function management

Getting Started

The recommended way to start building a Twenty app is with create-twenty-app, which scaffolds a project with everything preconfigured:

npx create-twenty-app@latest my-app
cd my-app
yarn twenty dev

See the create-twenty-app README or the full documentation for details.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 24+ (recommended) and Yarn 4
  • Docker (for the local Twenty dev server) or a remote Twenty workspace

Manual Installation

If you're adding twenty-sdk to an existing project instead of using create-twenty-app:

npm install twenty-sdk
# or
yarn add twenty-sdk

Usage

Usage: twenty [options] [command]

CLI for Twenty application development

Options:
  -V, --version       output the version number
  -r, --remote <name> Use a specific remote (overrides the default set by remote switch)
  -h, --help          display help for command

Commands:
  dev [appPath]       Watch and sync local application changes
  build [appPath]     Build, sync, and generate API client into .twenty/output/
  deploy [appPath]    Build and deploy to a Twenty server
  publish [appPath]   Build and publish to npm
  typecheck [appPath] Run TypeScript type checking on the application
  uninstall [appPath] Uninstall application from Twenty
  remote              Manage remote Twenty servers
  server              Manage a local Twenty server instance
  add [entityType]    Add a new entity to your application
  exec [appPath]      Execute a logic function with a JSON payload
  logs [appPath]      Watch application function logs
  help [command]      display help for command

In a project created with create-twenty-app (recommended), use yarn twenty <command> instead of calling twenty directly. For example: yarn twenty help, yarn twenty dev, etc.

Global Options

  • --remote <name> (or -r <name>): Use a specific remote configuration. Defaults to local. See Configuration for details.

Commands

Server

Manage a local Twenty dev server (all-in-one Docker image).

  • twenty server start — Start the local server (pulls image if needed). Automatically configures the local remote.
    • Options:
      • -p, --port <port>: HTTP port (default: 2020).
  • twenty server stop — Stop the local server.
  • twenty server logs — Stream server logs.
    • Options:
      • -n, --lines <lines>: Number of initial lines to show (default: 50).
  • twenty server status — Show server status (running/stopped/healthy).
  • twenty server reset — Delete all data and start fresh.

The server comes pre-seeded with a workspace and user (tim@apple.dev / tim@apple.dev).

Examples:

# Start the local server
twenty server start

# Check if it's ready
twenty server status

# Follow logs during first startup
twenty server logs

# Stop the server (data is preserved)
twenty server stop

# Wipe everything and start over
twenty server reset

Remote

Manage remote server connections and authentication.

  • twenty remote add [nameOrUrl] — Add a new remote or re-authenticate an existing one.

    • Options:
      • --token <token>: API key for non-interactive auth.
      • --url <url>: Server URL (alternative to positional arg).
      • --as <name>: Name for this remote (otherwise derived from URL hostname).
    • Behavior: If nameOrUrl matches an existing remote name, re-authenticates it. Otherwise, creates a new remote and authenticates via OAuth (with API key fallback).
  • twenty remote remove <name> — Remove a remote and its credentials.

  • twenty remote list — List all configured remotes with their auth status and URLs.

  • twenty remote switch [name] — Set the default remote.

    • If omitted, shows an interactive selection.
  • twenty remote status — Print the current remote name, server URL, and auth status.

Examples:

# Add a remote interactively (recommended)
twenty remote add

# Provide values in flags (non-interactive, for CI)
twenty remote add https://api.twenty.com --token $TWENTY_API_KEY

# Name a remote explicitly
twenty remote add https://api.twenty.com --as production

# Re-authenticate an existing remote by name
twenty remote add production

# Check status
twenty remote status

# List all configured remotes
twenty remote list

# Switch default remote
twenty remote switch production

# Remove a remote
twenty remote remove production

App

Application development commands.

  • twenty dev [appPath] — Start development mode: watch and sync local application changes.

    • Behavior: Builds your application (functions and front components), computes the manifest, syncs everything to your remote, then watches the directory for changes and re-syncs automatically. Displays an interactive UI showing build and sync status in real time. Press Ctrl+C to stop.
  • twenty build [appPath] — Build the application, sync to the server, generate the typed API client, then rebuild with the real client.

    • Options:
      • --tarball: Also pack the output into a .tgz tarball.
  • twenty publish [appPath] — Build and publish the application to npm.

    • Behavior: Builds the application and runs npm publish on the output directory.
    • Options:
      • --tag <tag>: npm dist-tag (e.g. beta, next).
  • twenty deploy [appPath] — Build and deploy the application to a Twenty server.

    • Behavior: Builds the tarball, uploads it to the server, and installs the application.
    • Options:
      • --server <url>: Target Twenty server URL.
      • --token <token>: Auth token for the server.
  • twenty typecheck [appPath] — Run TypeScript type checking on the application (runs tsc --noEmit). Exits with code 1 if type errors are found.

  • twenty uninstall [appPath] — Uninstall the application from the current remote.

Entity

  • twenty add [entityType] — Add a new entity to your application.
    • Arguments:
      • entityType: one of object, field, function, front-component, role, view, navigation-menu-item, or skill. If omitted, an interactive prompt is shown.
    • Options:
      • --path <path>: The path where the entity file should be created (relative to the current directory).
    • Behavior:
      • object: prompts for singular/plural names and labels, then creates a *.object.ts definition file.
      • field: prompts for name, label, type, and target object, then creates a *.field.ts definition file.
      • function: prompts for a name and scaffolds a *.function.ts logic function file.
      • front-component: prompts for a name and scaffolds a *.front-component.tsx file.
      • role: prompts for a name and scaffolds a *.role.ts role definition file.
      • view: prompts for a name and target object, then creates a *.view.ts definition file.
      • navigation-menu-item: prompts for a name and scaffolds a *.navigation-menu-item.ts file.
      • skill: prompts for a name and scaffolds a *.skill.ts skill definition file.

Function

  • twenty logs [appPath] — Stream application function logs.

    • Options:
      • -u, --functionUniversalIdentifier <id>: Only show logs for a specific function universal ID.
      • -n, --functionName <name>: Only show logs for a specific function name.
  • twenty exec [appPath] — Execute a logic function with a JSON payload.

    • Options:
      • --preInstall: Execute the pre-install logic function defined in the application manifest (required if --postInstall, -n, and -u not provided).
      • --postInstall: Execute the post-install logic function defined in the application manifest (required if --preInstall, -n, and -u not provided).
      • -n, --functionName <name>: Name of the function to execute (required if --postInstall and -u not provided).
      • -u, --functionUniversalIdentifier <id>: Universal ID of the function to execute (required if --postInstall and -n not provided).
      • -p, --payload <payload>: JSON payload to send to the function (default: {}).

Examples:

# Start dev mode (watch, build, and sync)
twenty dev

# Start dev mode with a custom remote
twenty dev --remote my-custom-remote

# Type check the application
twenty typecheck

# Add a new entity interactively
twenty add

# Add a new function
twenty add function

# Add a new front component
twenty add front-component

# Add a new view
twenty add view

# Add a new navigation menu item
twenty add navigation-menu-item

# Add a new skill
twenty add skill

# Build the app (output in .twenty/output/)
twenty build

# Build and create a tarball
twenty build --tarball

# Publish to npm
twenty publish

# Publish with a dist-tag
twenty publish --tag beta

# Deploy directly to a Twenty server (builds, uploads, and installs)
twenty deploy --server https://app.twenty.com

# Uninstall the app from the remote
twenty uninstall

# Watch all function logs
twenty logs

# Watch logs for a specific function by name
twenty logs -n my-function

# Execute a function by name (with empty payload)
twenty exec -n my-function

# Execute a function with a JSON payload
twenty exec -n my-function -p '{"name": "test"}'

# Execute a function by universal identifier
twenty exec -u e56d363b-0bdc-4d8a-a393-6f0d1c75bdcf -p '{"key": "value"}'

# Execute the pre-install function
twenty exec --preInstall

# Execute the post-install function
twenty exec --postInstall

Configuration

The CLI stores configuration per user in a JSON file:

  • Location: ~/.twenty/config.json
  • Structure: Remotes keyed by name. The active remote is selected with --remote <name> or by the defaultRemote setting.

Example configuration file:

{
  "defaultRemote": "production",
  "remotes": {
    "local": {
      "apiUrl": "http://localhost:2020",
      "apiKey": "<your-api-key>"
    },
    "production": {
      "apiUrl": "https://api.twenty.com",
      "accessToken": "<oauth-token>",
      "refreshToken": "<refresh-token>",
      "oauthClientId": "<client-id>"
    }
  }
}

Notes:

  • If a remote is missing, apiUrl defaults to http://localhost:2020.
  • twenty remote add writes credentials for the active remote (OAuth tokens or API key).
  • twenty remote add --as my-remote saves under a custom name.
  • twenty remote switch sets the defaultRemote field, used when -r is not specified.
  • twenty remote list shows all configured remotes and their authentication status.

How to use a local Twenty instance

If you're already running a local Twenty instance, you can connect to it instead of using Docker:

twenty remote add http://localhost:3000 --as local

Troubleshooting

  • Auth errors: run twenty remote add again (or add a new remote) and ensure the API key has the required permissions.
  • Typings out of date: restart twenty dev to refresh the client and types.
  • Not seeing changes in dev: make sure dev mode is running (twenty dev).

Contributing

Development Setup

To contribute to the twenty-sdk package, clone the repository and install dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/twentyhq/twenty.git
cd twenty
yarn install

Development Mode

Run the SDK build in watch mode to automatically rebuild on file changes:

npx nx run twenty-sdk:dev

This will watch for changes and rebuild the dist folder automatically.

Production Build

Build the SDK for production:

npx nx run twenty-sdk:build

Running the CLI Locally

After building, you can run the CLI directly:

npx nx run twenty-sdk:start -- <command>
# Example: npx nx run twenty-sdk:start -- remote status

Or run the built CLI directly:

node packages/twenty-sdk/dist/cli.cjs <command>

Resources