---
title: "Initialize Your Catalyst Project"
url: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/tutorials/alien-city-appsail/python/initialize-project/
description: "Create an application and host it on Catalyst using the Catalyst AppSail service and Catalyst Data Store that allows you to report or look up alien encounters in a city."
last_updated: 2026-08-17T12:16:04Z
service: All Services
type: tutorial
related_links:
  - name: "Initialize CLI Resources"
    url: /en/cli/v1/initialize-resources/introduction/
  - name: "Project Directory Structure"
    url: /en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/introduction/
---

# Initialize Your Catalyst Project

You can now begin working on your Catalyst project from the CLI. The first step is to initialize the project in an empty directory. This will be the home directory of your project and all of the project files will be saved in it.

You can learn more about this from the [Project Directory Structure help page](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/introduction/). You can learn about initializing a project in detail from the [CLI help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/initialize-resources/introduction/).

For this application, you will be initializing the AppSail component. For this application, you will be initializing the AppSail component. The AppSail component will be initialized in the Python programming stack.

1. Create a folder for the project on your local machine and navigate to it from the terminal.

2. Initialize a project by executing the following command from that directory:

```sh
catalyst init
```

Navigate using the **arrow keys** and select your preferred portal and click **Enter**. If you have no other organizations associated with the account, then the default will be selected automatically.
![catalyst_alien_city_cli_portal_choice](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/tutorials/alien-city-appsail-express/catalyst_alien_city_cli_portal_choice.webp)
You can find out more about Catalyst’s multi-org portal feature in this [help document](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/catalyst-organizations/#access-the-multi-org-portal).

3. The CLI will now ask you to associate a Catalyst project with the directory. Associate it with the project that we created earlier from the console. Select **Alien City** from the list and click **Enter**.
![catalyst_alien_city_cli_project_choice](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/tutorials/alien-city-appsail-express/catalyst_alien_city_cli_project_choice.webp)

4. Select **AppSail** using the *space bar*, then click **Enter** to initialize.
![catalyst_alien_city_cli_appsail_select](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/tutorials/alien-city-appsail-express/alien-city-cli-init-appsail.webp)

5. The CLI will prompt you to choose between [Catalyst-Managed Runtime](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/help/appsail/catalyst-managed-runtimes/key-concepts/) and [Docker Image](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/help/appsail/custom-runtimes/container-registry-services/). Because you are creating this project from one of the Catalyst-Managed Runtime, select **Catalyst-Managed Runtime** and click **Enter**. 
![catalyst_alien_city_cli_appsail_setup_start](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/tutorials/alien-city-appsail-express/aliencity-appsail-selection.webp)

6. The CLI will initiate the AppSail service:

    * Because you are creating your own project, enter "**n**" and click **Enter** for the prompt asking if you wish to get started with a list of recommended projects.
    * Because you have initialized the project in the `Alien City/` directory created specifically for this application, enter "**Y**" and click **Enter** for the prompt asking you to confirm if this the directory you wish to initialize your AppSail service.
![catalyst_alien_city_cli_appsail_setup_start](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/tutorials/alien-city-appsail-express/aliencity-appsail-selection-2.webp)

7. Next, we will begin configuring our AppSail service. Enter "**AlienCity**" as the name of your AppSail service.

8. Select your current directory as the build path of your AppSail service, and choose the latest runtime of **Python** as the programming stack, and click **Enter**.
![catalyst_alien_city_cli_appsail_py_stack_select](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/tutorials/alien-city-appsail-express/catalyst_alien_city_cli_appsail_py_stack_select.webp)

The AppSail service has been initialized for your *Alien City* project.
![catalyst_alien_city_cli_appsail_py_setup_complete](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/tutorials/alien-city-appsail-express/catalyst_alien_city_cli_appsail_py_setup_complete.webp)

The directory will be created in the standard structure, and it will contain the [`app-config.json`](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/help/appsail/key-concepts/catalyst-configurations/#the-app-configjson-file) file which includes the configuration of your AppSail service , along with the standard project configuration files such as the [`catalyst.json`](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/catalyst-json/) file and a hidden `.catalystrc` file.

This is the structure of the Alien City project’s directory initialized with the AppSail service.
![catalyst_alien_city_appsail_dir](https://catalyst-docs-development.zohostratus.in/images/tutorials/alien-city-appsail-express/catalyst_alien_city_appsail_dir.webp)