> This page location: APIs & SDKs > CLI > Configuration commands > config
> Full Neon documentation index: https://neon.com/docs/llms.txt

> Summary: The Neon CLI `neon config` command manages a branch declaratively with a neon.ts policy file. Use `neon config init` to scaffold a starter neon.ts and install the config packages, `neon config status` to show the branch's live Neon state (`neon status --current-branch` prints the pinned branch offline for shell prompts), `neon config plan` for a dry run of what an apply would change, and `neon config apply` (or its top-level alias `neon deploy`) to apply the policy to the branch. Supports --config to point at a neon.ts file, --env to load environment variables before evaluating it, and --allow-protected and --update-existing confirmation flags for non-interactive use.

# Neon CLI command: config

Manage a branch with a neon.ts policy: init, status, plan, and apply

The `config` command manages a branch declaratively with a `neon.ts` policy file: scaffold a starter config, inspect the branch's live state, preview what an apply would change, and apply the policy. For the `neon.ts` file format, see the [neon.ts reference](https://neon.com/docs/reference/neon-ts).

Subcommands: [apply](https://neon.com/docs/cli/config#apply), [init](https://neon.com/docs/cli/config#init), [plan](https://neon.com/docs/cli/config#plan), [status](https://neon.com/docs/cli/config#status)

The top-level [`neon deploy`](https://neon.com/docs/cli/deploy) command is an alias for `config apply`, and [`neon status`](https://neon.com/docs/cli/status) is an alias for `config status`.

## neon config init

Scaffolds a starter `neon.ts` policy file in the current project and installs the `@neon/config` and `@neon/env` packages, so you can start managing a branch declaratively. The generated file uses the standard named `defineConfig` import from `@neon/config/v1` and exports the result as the module default, for example:

```ts filename="neon.ts"
import { defineConfig } from "@neon/config/v1";

export default defineConfig({
  // Declare your Neon services here
  auth: false,
  // Branch policy: per-branch tuning
  branch: (branch) => {
    if (branch.isDefault) {
      // Default branch: no overrides, uses project defaults
      return {};
    }
    if (!branch.exists) {
      // New non-default branches: auto-expire
      // Run `neon checkout <name>` to create a new branch with these settings
      return { ttl: "7d" };
    }
    // Existing branch: no changes
    return {};
  },
});
```

If a `neon.ts`, `neon.mts`, `neon.js`, or `neon.mjs` file already exists, `config init` is idempotent: it leaves that file untouched instead of overwriting hand-written policy.

`config init` runs entirely locally and does not call the Neon API. It detects your package manager (npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun) from how the command was invoked. Before installing, it makes sure `node_modules/` is listed in your `.gitignore`, appending it if it's missing. Pass `--no-install` to skip installation and just print the command to run.

```bash
neon config init [options]
```

| Option          | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Type    | Default | Required |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | ------- | :------: |
| `--from-branch` | Seed neon.ts from a branch's live Neon state instead of asking. Uses the branch pinned in .neon, or --branch \<name\|id>, or the project's default branch. The only mode of `config init` that calls the Neon API.                                   | boolean | —       |    No    |
| `--install`     | Install @neon/config and @neon/env if they're missing. On by default; use --no-install to just print the command.                                                                                                                                    | boolean | `true`  |    No    |
| `--services`    | Services the scaffolded neon.ts declares: auth, functions, object-storage, ai-gateway. Pass "none" for the bare starter policy. Repeat the flag or comma-separate. Omitted: pick interactively on a terminal, starter policy in CI or without a TTY. | array   | —       |    No    |
| `--branch`      | Branch ID or name                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | string  | —       |    No    |
| `--project-id`  | Project ID                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | string  | —       |    No    |

```bash
neon config init
```

For non-interactive setup, run it with package installation disabled, then install the printed dependencies yourself (or add them to your lockfile in a separate step):

```bash
neon config init --no-install
npm install @neon/config @neon/env
```

Use `config init` when you want a trusted starter artifact and package list. Hand-write `neon.ts` instead when you need a different filename/module format or want to avoid modifying files in the current directory.

**Tip:** After running an interactive [`neon link`](https://neon.com/docs/cli/link), the CLI prompts you to run `config init` as its final step, unless the project already has a `neon.ts` file.

## neon config status

Shows the branch's live Neon state.

```bash
neon config status [options]
```

| Option             | Description                                                                                                                                                 | Type    | Default | Required |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | ------- | :------: |
| `--config-json`    | Print only the branch's live config as neon.ts-shaped JSON (services + branch tuning + preview), to stdout. Useful for scripting or copying into a neon.ts. | boolean | `false` |    No    |
| `--current-branch` | Print only the linked branch name from the local .neon file (no network). Exits non-zero when no branch is pinned.                                          | boolean | `false` |    No    |
| `--branch`         | Branch ID or name                                                                                                                                           | string  | —       |    No    |
| `--project-id`     | Project ID                                                                                                                                                  | string  | —       |    No    |

```bash
neon config status
```

The top-level `neon status` command is an alias for `config status` and accepts the same options.

### Print the current branch offline

Pass `--current-branch` to print _only_ the branch pinned in the local `.neon` file. This variant makes no network request and requires no login or analytics, so it is cheap enough to drive a shell prompt.

It prints the branch name to stdout and exits `0`. When no branch is pinned, it prints nothing to stdout, writes a `neon checkout <branch>` hint to stderr, and exits with a non-zero status, so a prompt can guard on the command directly.

```bash
neon status --current-branch
```

For example, add your current Neon branch to a [starship](https://starship.rs) prompt. Append this `[custom.neon]` module to `~/.config/starship.toml`. The `command` prints the pinned branch, and `when` hides the segment (exits non-zero) whenever you are not in a Neon project:

```toml
# ~/.config/starship.toml
[custom.neon]
description = "Current Neon branch"
command = "neon status --current-branch"   # prints the branch pinned in .neon (no network)
when = "neon status --current-branch"       # exits non-zero when no branch -> segment is hidden
symbol = "🌿 "
style = "bold green"
format = "[$symbol$output]($style) "
```

**Tip: Faster outside Neon projects**

The `when` above runs the CLI on every prompt everywhere. To skip it unless a `.neon` file exists somewhere up the tree, replace `when` with a pure-shell walk-up and add `shell = ["sh"]` so it runs under `sh` even if your interactive shell is fish or PowerShell:

```toml
shell = ["sh"]
when = '''
d="$PWD"
while [ "$d" != "$HOME" ] && [ "$d" != / ]; do
  if [ -e "$d/.neon" ]; then
    neon status --current-branch >/dev/null 2>&1
    exit $?
  fi
  d=$(dirname "$d")
done
exit 1
'''
```

For a full copy-paste (and agent-ready) walkthrough, including prerequisites and troubleshooting, see this [Starship + Neon branch setup gist](https://gist.github.com/thisistonydang/0b6c03ec9aa9b619ffecd48f58fd40c7).

## neon config plan

Shows what `config apply` would change, as a dry run. Nothing is modified.

```bash
neon config plan [options]
```

| Option         | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Type   | Default | Required |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------- | :------: |
| `--config`     | Path to a neon.ts policy (defaults to walking up from cwd)                                                                                                                                                                                      | string | —       |    No    |
| `--env`        | Path to a .env file to load into the environment before evaluating neon.ts so Function env values resolve from it. Existing env vars are not overridden. Function env values that read process.env must be set in this file or the environment. | string | —       |    No    |
| `--branch`     | Branch ID or name                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | string | —       |    No    |
| `--project-id` | Project ID                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | string | —       |    No    |

```bash
neon config plan --config ./neon.ts --env .env.local
```

## neon config apply

Applies a `neon.ts` policy to the branch.

```bash
neon config apply [options]
```

| Option              | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Type    | Default | Required |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | ------- | :------: |
| `--allow-protected` | Auto-confirm applying to a branch marked protected on Neon                                                                                                                                                                                      | boolean | `false` |    No    |
| `--config`          | Path to a neon.ts policy (defaults to walking up from cwd)                                                                                                                                                                                      | string  | —       |    No    |
| `--env`             | Path to a .env file to load into the environment before evaluating neon.ts so Function env values resolve from it. Existing env vars are not overridden. Function env values that read process.env must be set in this file or the environment. | string  | —       |    No    |
| `--env-pull`        | Pull the branch's Neon env vars (DATABASE\_URL, …) into a local .env after a successful apply. On by default; use --no-env-pull to skip (e.g. when injecting env at runtime with `neon-env run` / `neon dev`).                                  | boolean | `true`  |    No    |
| `--update-existing` | Auto-confirm overriding existing remote settings on the branch                                                                                                                                                                                  | boolean | `false` |    No    |
| `--branch`          | Branch ID or name                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | string  | —       |    No    |
| `--project-id`      | Project ID                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | string  | —       |    No    |

For non-interactive use (scripts, CI, agents), pass `--update-existing` and `--allow-protected` to auto-confirm the corresponding prompts.

```bash
neon config apply --branch feature/auth --update-existing --allow-protected
```

---

## Related docs (Configuration commands)

- [deploy](https://neon.com/docs/cli/deploy)
- [status](https://neon.com/docs/cli/status)
- [dev](https://neon.com/docs/cli/dev)

---

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