--- title: "Initialize a new Project" url: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/initialize-resources/initialize-new-project/ description: "You can initialize a Catalyst project and project resources such as functions, client, and AppSail from the CLI" last_updated: 2026-09-02T11:17:14Z service: All Services type: general --- # Initialize a New Project You can initialize a project, and then the functions, client, and an AppSail app as explained in these sections. To initialize a new project from the CLI: 1. Create a folder for the project on your local machine and navigate to it from the terminal. Initialize a project by executing the following command from that directory: ```sh catalyst init ``` 2. Select an organization for you to create the project in. You can create and work with [multiple organizations](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/catalyst-organizations/) in Catalyst, and create projects in each. ![catalyst_org_choose](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/cli/initialize-resources/catalyst_cli_init_0.webp) 3. You can associate the current project directory with an existing Catalyst project in this organization. You can also create your own new project directly from the CLI or [import an existing project](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/export-and-import-projects/introduction/) in this organization. ![catalyst_cli_initialize-project](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/cli/initialize-resources/catalyst_cli_init_1.webp) * To select an existing Catalyst project from this org, select from the list of your projects using the arrows. Press **Enter** to confirm. > **Note:** You can run the command ` [catalyst project:use](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/working-with-projects/use-catalyst-project/) ` to associate an existing project, that has previously been initialized in the CLI, with the working directory. * To create a new project, navigate to the **Create a new project** option and press **Enter**. You will be re-directed to the Catalyst console to create a new project. You can provide a name for the project and click **Create**. * To import an existing project, you must select **Import an existing project** , then select the project source ZIP file. You can learn more about these steps from the [Export and Import Project help page](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/export-and-import-projects/import-project/#import-through-initialization). > **Note:** * You cannot create your first ever Catalyst project from the CLI. You can create the first project only [using the Catalyst web console](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/catalyst-projects/#creating-a-catalyst-project). You can create subsequent projects from the CLI. * You can create up to 50 projects in your account. You can request Catalyst for an increase in this limit by contacting our support at support@zohocatalyst.com. We will address each request on a case-by-case basis. 4. Now, select the components that you need to set up for your Catalyst application by pressing **Space** to select the features. Press **Enter** to confirm your choices. You can initialize any of these components: Functions, Client, AppSail. ![catalyst_cli_initialize-project](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/cli/initialize-resources/catalyst_cli_init_2.webp) > **Note:** * You can also initialize a project without selecting any components. Since the main purpose of a project initialization is to bind the directory to a particular project, it is not mandatory to initialize any of its components. In this case, a project folder will be created with just the [ `catalyst.json`](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/catalyst-json/) and `.catalystrc` files in it. * If you do not initialize a particular component while initializing the project, you can always set it up later at any time after the project is initialized. To learn more, refer to the [client setup](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/working-with-the-client/introduction/), [functions setup](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/working-with-functions/introduction/), and [AppSail add](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/add-appsail/) help sections. The project will be created with a unique [project ID](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/set-up-a-catalyst-project/general-settings/) . The [`catalyst.json` ](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/catalyst-json/) file and the `.catalystrc` hidden file containing your project details will be created in the project directory. The Catalyst project directory will include [ directories, files, and dependencies](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/introduction/) based on all the components you initialized. The image below shows a sample project directory if a Java function and a basic client component were initialized in the project. ![catalyst_cli_initialize-project](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/cli/initialize-resources/catalyst_cli_init_proj_dir.webp) > **Note:** * If you're initializing resources in an existing project directory, the CLI will skip the steps to associate a project with the directory. * If you are initializing a component that is already present in the project directory, the CLI will display a message asking if the folder should be overwritten. You can press **Y** to overwrite the existing directory or **N** to skip the creation of the directory and then press **Enter**. * You can auto-fill queries with the default values if you press **Enter**. * If you are a **Visual Studio Code IDE** user, you can install the **Catalyst Tools** extension, and perform CLI operations using your IDE in place of the CLI. Steps to initialize your Catalyst project using Visual Studio Code IDE can be found [here](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/catalyst-extensions/vs-code-extension/implementation/#initialize-your-catalyst-project). > **Info:** This command is available in Non-interactive mode. Refer to the [Non-Interactive Catalyst CLI Commands](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/ai-toolkit/ni-cli/ni-commands/) page for the complete syntax.