---
url: /docs/5.x/reference/commands/generate.md
description: >-
  The generate command runs the Kubb code-generation pipeline based on your
  kubb.config.ts.
---

# `kubb generate`

Run `kubb generate` to read your [`kubb.config.ts`](/docs/5.x/reference/configuration) and run the code-generation pipeline. It's the default command, so running `kubb` with no arguments does the same.

```terminal
command: kubb generate
output:
  - ◆  Generation started
  - ◇  @kubb/plugin-ts          completed in 98ms
  - ◇  @kubb/plugin-zod         completed in 134ms
  - ◇  @kubb/plugin-react-query completed in 201ms
  - ◇  @kubb/plugin-axios       completed in 77ms
  - ◇  Generation completed
  -
  -  Plugins  4 passed (4)
  -    Files  156 generated
  - Duration  1.2s
  -   Output  ./src/gen
```

## Usage

Generate from the input set in your config:

```shell [Terminal]
kubb generate
```

Pass an input file to override the config:

```shell [Terminal]
kubb generate ./petStore.yaml
```

## Arguments

| Argument  | Description                                                                                  |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `[input]` | Optional path or URL to a Swagger/OpenAPI document. Overrides the `input` set in the config. |

## Options

| Option                                       | Default | Description                                                                |
| -------------------------------------------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--config=<path>`, `-c <path>`               |         | Path to a config file, such as `./kubb.staging.ts`.                       |
| `--log-level=<silent\|info\|verbose>`, `-l`  | `info`  | Set the verbosity. Use `verbose` to see plugin timings.                   |
| `--silent`, `-s`                             | `false` | Force the log level to `silent`. Suppresses output.                       |
| `--verbose`                                  | `false` | Force the log level to `verbose`. Shows slow plugins.                     |
| `--reporter=<cli\|json\|file\|html>`        |         | Pick which reporters to trigger, comma-separated. Defaults to `cli`.      |
| `--watch`, `-w`                              | `false` | Re-run the pipeline whenever the input spec changes.                      |
| `--dry-run`                                  | `false` | Preview a run without writing files, formatting, linting, or running post-generate commands. |

`--reporter` takes no short flag.

## Reporters

A reporter decides how a run is rendered. The config registers available reporters with [`reporters`](/docs/5.x/reference/configuration). `--reporter` picks which ones to trigger by name, comma-separated (`--reporter cli,file`). Four reporters are registered by default.

| Reporter | Output                                                                          |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `cli`    | The end-of-run summary in the terminal. This runs when you pass no flag. Renders as plain text, without spinners or progress bars, when there is no interactive terminal or when an AI coding agent runs the command. |
| `json`   | A machine-readable report on stdout for CI. See [Diagnostics](/docs/5.x/reference/diagnostics#machine-readable-output) for the full JSON shape. |
| `file`   | The run's diagnostics, written to `.kubb/kubb[-<name>]-<timestamp>.log`. The `<name>` segment is dropped when the config has no `name`. |
| `html`   | A browsable report directory with generated files and diagnostics, written to `.kubb/kubb[-<name>]-<timestamp>/index.html`. |

Write a log file:

```shell [Terminal]
kubb generate --reporter file
```

Print a JSON report for CI. The exit code is non-zero on any error:

```shell [Terminal]
kubb generate --reporter json
```

## Examples

Run with a custom config:

```shell [Terminal]
kubb generate --config ./kubb.staging.ts
```

Watch the spec and regenerate on every change:

```shell [Terminal]
kubb generate --watch
```

Run with verbose plugin timings:

```shell [Terminal]
kubb generate --verbose
```

Preview a run without touching disk:

```shell [Terminal]
kubb generate --dry-run
```

## See also

* [Configuration](/docs/5.x/reference/configuration): full reference for `kubb.config.ts`
* [Basic usage](/docs/5.x/getting-started/basic-usage): end-to-end walkthrough
* [Plugins](/plugins): available plugins for code generation