Neon CLI command: set-context

The set-context command sets a background context for your CLI sessions, so you don't have to specify the project ID in every command. The context is saved to a default .neon file in the current directory, or to a named context file of your choice, and stays in place until you reset it or remove the file.

Usage

neon set-context [options]

To save the context to a file other than the default .neon file, add the global --context-file <your_context_file> option. You can switch contexts by providing different files.

Options

Set at least one of these options.

Using the default context file

Set the context to the default .neon file:

neon set-context --project-id patient-frost-50125040 --org-id org-bright-sky-12345678

List all branches for this project with branches list, without including --project-id or --org-id, even if you belong to multiple organizations or have multiple projects:

neon branches list

Name            ID                      Current State  Expires At  Created At
development     br-raspy-meadow-123456  ready          never       2026-11-28T19:19:11Z
[default] main  br-curly-bar-123456     ready          never       2026-10-23T12:49:41Z

Using a named context file

Set the context to the context file of your choice:

neon set-context --project-id plain-waterfall-84865553 --context-file Documents/MyContext

List all branches with branches list. The context file provides the project:

neon branches list --context-file Documents/MyContext

Name            ID                         Current State  Expires At  Created At
development     br-soft-base-123456        ready          never       2026-11-21T18:41:47Z
[default] main  br-young-bush-123456       ready          never       2026-11-21T18:00:10Z
staging         br-billowing-union-123456  ready          never       2026-11-21T18:44:22Z

Setting context when creating a new project

Use --set-context to set the project context at creation time:

neon projects create --name MyLatest --set-context

This creates a hidden .neon file by default with the following context:

{
  "projectId": "quiet-water-76237589"
}

Commands that would normally require --project-id now default to this context.

Reset or remove context

To clear the current context, either:

1. Run the set-context command with no options:

   neon set-context

2. Delete the .neon file (or your custom --context-file):

   rm .neon
   # Or for a custom context file:
   rm your_context_file

.gitignoreon first create

The first time a .neon file is created in a directory, the CLI adds .neon to .gitignore in that same folder:

• If no .gitignore exists, the CLI creates one with a single .neon line.
• If .gitignore already exists, the CLI appends .neon only if it is not already listed.

This keeps local project settings out of git by default. If you want to commit .neon and share context with your team, remove the entry from .gitignore. The CLI will not re-add it when updating an existing .neon file.