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Get started with Bun by scaffolding a new project with bun init.
terminal
bun init my-app

? Select a project template - Press return to submit.
❯ Blank
  React
  Library

✓ Select a project template: Blank

 + .gitignore
 + CLAUDE.md
 + .cursor/rules/use-bun-instead-of-node-vite-npm-pnpm.mdc -> CLAUDE.md
 + index.ts
 + tsconfig.json (for editor autocomplete)
 + README.md
Press enter to accept the default answer for each prompt, or pass the -y flag to auto-accept the defaults.
bun init is a quick way to start a blank project with Bun. It guesses with sane defaults and is non-destructive when run multiple times.
Demo
It creates:
  • a package.json file with a name that defaults to the current directory name
  • a tsconfig.json file or a jsconfig.json file, depending if the entry point is a TypeScript file or not
  • an entry point which defaults to index.ts unless any of index.{tsx, jsx, js, mts, mjs} exist or the package.json specifies a module or main field
  • a README.md file
AI Agent rules (disable with $BUN_AGENT_RULE_DISABLED=1):
  • a CLAUDE.md file when Claude CLI is detected (disable with CLAUDE_CODE_AGENT_RULE_DISABLED env var)
  • a .cursor/rules/*.mdc file to guide Cursor AI to use Bun instead of Node.js and npm when Cursor is detected
If you pass -y or --yes, it will assume you want to continue without asking questions. At the end, it runs bun install to install @types/bun.

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CLI Usage

terminal
bun init <folder?>

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Initialization Options

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--yes
boolean
Accept all default prompts without asking questions. Alias: -y
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--minimal
boolean
Only initialize type definitions (skip app scaffolding). Alias: -m

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Project Templates

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--react
string|boolean
Scaffold a React project. When used without a value, creates a baseline React app.
Accepts values for presets:
  • tailwind – React app preconfigured with Tailwind CSS
  • shadcn – React app with @shadcn/ui and Tailwind CSS
Examples: 
bun init —react bun init —react=tailwind bun init —react=shadcn

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Output & Files

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(result)
info
Initializes project files and configuration for the chosen options (e.g., creating essential config files and a starter directory structure). Exact files vary by template.

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Global Configuration & Context

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--cwd
string
Run bun init as if started in a different working directory (useful in scripts).

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Help

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--help
boolean
Print this help menu. Alias: -h

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Examples

  • Accept all defaults
    terminal
    bun init -y
  • React
    terminal
    bun init --react
  • React + Tailwind CSS
    terminal
    bun init --react=tailwind
  • React + @shadcn/ui
    terminal
    bun init --react=shadcn
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