generated: '2026-08-06'
method: searched
source: https://orval.dev/docs/reference/cli
source_raw: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/orval-labs/orval/master/docs/content/docs/reference/cli.mdx
description: >-
  Orval IS a CLI — the command line generator is the product, not an accessory to
  a hosted API. A single `orval` command reads a config file (default
  `orval.config.js` / `orval.config.ts`) and emits TypeScript clients, hooks,
  schemas, mocks, and server handlers from an OpenAPI v3 or Swagger v2 input.
name: orval
binary: orval
requires:
  node: ">=22.18"
install:
  - manager: npm
    command: npm install orval -D
  - manager: yarn
    command: yarn add orval -D
  - manager: pnpm
    command: pnpm add orval -D
  - manager: bun
    command: bun add -d orval
  - manager: docker
    command: docker run --rm -v "$(pwd):/app" -w /app ghcr.io/orval-labs/orval
    note: Official image for projects on a Node LTS older than 22.18.
commands:
  - command: orval
    description: >-
      The only command. With no arguments it searches for an orval.config.js in
      the working directory and generates every project defined in it.
flags:
  - flag: "--input"
    short: "-i"
    description: Path or URL to the OpenAPI/Swagger specification.
    example: orval --input ./petstore.yaml
  - flag: "--output"
    short: "-o"
    description: Output path for the generated files.
    example: orval --output ./api/endpoints/petstoreFromFileSpec.ts
  - flag: "--config"
    short: "-c"
    description: Path to the Orval config file.
    example: orval --config ./api/orval.config.js
  - flag: "--project"
    short: "-p"
    description: Restrict generation to one or more named projects in the config.
    example: orval --project dogstore catstore
  - flag: "--watch"
    short: "-w"
    description: Watch files and regenerate on change; optionally scoped to a path.
    example: orval --watch ./src
  - flag: "--clean"
    description: >-
      Clean the output target and schema folders before regenerating. Docs carry
      an explicit warning that this removes ALL output target and schema folders.
    example: orval --clean ./src
  - flag: "--formatter"
    description: Format generated files with prettier, biome, or oxfmt.
    values: [prettier, biome, oxfmt]
    example: orval --formatter biome
  - flag: "--tsconfig"
    description: Path to the tsconfig to resolve against.
    example: orval --tsconfig ./src/tsconfig.json
  - flag: "--verbose"
    description: Verbose logging, including detected dependency versions.
  - flag: "--fail-on-warnings"
    description: >-
      Exit 1 when warnings are emitted during generation — the CI switch for
      enforcing warning-free builds.
programmatic_api:
  docs: https://orval.dev/docs/reference/integration
  entrypoints:
    - "import orval from 'orval'; await orval('./orval.config.js')"
    - "import { generate } from 'orval'; await generate('./orval.config.js')"
    - "import { generate, type Options } from 'orval'; await generate(configObject)"
  note: >-
    Global options can be overridden per call; the GlobalOptions interface lives
    in packages/core/src/types.ts in the monorepo.
hooks:
  docs: https://orval.dev/docs/reference/configuration/hooks
  events:
    - name: afterAllFilesWrite
      description: >-
        Runs after Orval writes generated files; generated paths are injected as
        arguments unless injectGeneratedDirsAndFiles is set false.
config:
  default_files: [orval.config.js, orval.config.ts]
  helper: defineConfig
  docs: https://orval.dev/docs/reference/configuration
x-evidence:
  fetched: '2026-08-06'
  urls:
    - url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/orval-labs/orval/master/docs/content/docs/reference/cli.mdx
      http_status: 200
    - url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/orval-labs/orval/master/docs/content/docs/installation.mdx
      http_status: 200
    - url: https://orval.dev/docs/reference/cli.md
      http_status: 403
      note: >-
        The rendered docs host sits behind a Cloudflare managed challenge for
        non-browser clients; the .mdx source in the public repo was used instead.