Global Options

All Tambo CLI commands support these global options. You can use them with any command to modify behavior, skip prompts, or handle common scenarios.

Available Options

`--version`

Shows the current version of the Tambo CLI.

npx tambo --version
# Output: 1.2.3

`--yes, -y`

Auto-answers "yes" to all confirmation prompts.

Examples:

# Skip all prompts during setup
npx tambo init --yes

# Install components without confirmation
npx tambo add form graph --yes

# Update all components without asking
npx tambo update installed --yes

# Migrate components automatically
npx tambo migrate --yes

Use cases:

Automated deployments
CI/CD pipelines
Batch operations
When you're confident about the changes

`--legacy-peer-deps`

Installs dependencies using npm's --legacy-peer-deps flag. This resolves common dependency conflicts.

Examples:

# Install with legacy peer deps
npx tambo init --legacy-peer-deps

# Add components with legacy peer deps
npx tambo add message-thread-full --legacy-peer-deps

# Upgrade project with legacy peer deps
npx tambo upgrade --legacy-peer-deps

When to use:

Getting peer dependency warnings
Working with older React versions
Complex dependency trees
Corporate environments with strict package policies

Dependency Conflicts

If you see errors like "unable to resolve dependency tree" or peer dependency warnings, try adding --legacy-peer-deps to your command.

`--prefix <path>`

Specifies a custom directory for components instead of the default components/tambo.

Examples:

# Install components in src/components/ui
npx tambo add form --prefix=src/components/ui

# List components in custom directory
npx tambo list --prefix=src/components/ui

# Update components in custom location
npx tambo update installed --prefix=src/components/custom

# Migrate from custom source to custom destination
npx tambo migrate --prefix=src/components/tambo

Common prefix patterns:

src/components/ui - Traditional UI components directory
src/components/tambo - Dedicated Tambo directory in src
app/components/ui - App router components
lib/components - Library-style organization

`--dry-run`

Preview changes before applying them. Available for commands that modify files.

Examples:

# Preview migration changes
npx tambo migrate --dry-run

# Preview component updates
npx tambo update installed --dry-run

# Preview upgrade changes
npx tambo upgrade --dry-run

Output example:

🔍 Dry run mode - no changes will be made

The following changes would be applied:
  📁 Move: components/ui/form.tsx → components/tambo/form.tsx
  📁 Move: components/ui/graph.tsx → components/tambo/graph.tsx
  📝 Update: lib/tambo.ts (import paths)

Run without --dry-run to apply these changes.

Combining Options

You can combine multiple options in a single command:

# Install components with custom prefix, skip prompts, and handle conflicts
npx tambo add form graph --prefix=src/components/ui --yes --legacy-peer-deps

# Upgrade with all safety options
npx tambo upgrade --dry-run --prefix=src/components/ui

# Migrate automatically with custom paths
npx tambo migrate --yes --prefix=src/components/custom

Command-Specific Options

Some commands have additional options beyond these global ones:

`create-app` specific options

# Initialize git repository
npx tambo create-app my-app --init-git

# Use specific template
npx tambo create-app my-app --template=mcp

`add` specific options

# Preview component before installing
npx tambo add form --preview

# Install multiple components
npx tambo add form graph canvas-space

Best Practices

For Development

# Safe exploration - always preview first
npx tambo migrate --dry-run
npx tambo upgrade --dry-run

# Quick iterations
npx tambo add form --yes
npx tambo update form --yes

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: Command not found

# Check CLI version
npx tambo --version

# Update to latest
npm install -g @tambo-ai/cli@latest

Issue: Permission errors

# Use npx instead of global install
npx tambo init --yes

Issue: Dependency conflicts

# Use legacy peer deps
npx tambo add form --legacy-peer-deps

Issue: Wrong directory

# Check current components
npx tambo list

# Use correct prefix
npx tambo list --prefix=src/components/ui

Global Options

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