automation-create-prisma

create-prisma scaffolds a new Prisma 8 project that is already a Composer app, and can deploy it once.

Priority

MEDIUM

Why It Matters

create-prisma writes a working Composer app in one command, but only for new projects, and its --json mode deploys by default. Older versions generated prisma.compute.ts and a compute:deploy script; current versions generate module.ts, service.ts, and a composer section instead.

Verified with create-prisma 0.14.1.

Commands

npx create-prisma@latest --help

Flag	Meaning
`[project-name]`, `--name`	Project directory and root module name
`--template`	`minimal`, `hono`, `elysia`, `nest`, `next`, `turborepo`, `svelte`, `astro`, `nuxt`, `tanstack-start`
`--provider`	`postgres` or `mongo`
`--authoring`	`psl` or `typescript` for the data contract
`--package-manager`	`npm`, `pnpm`, `yarn`, `bun`, `deno`
`--deploy`	Build and deploy after scaffolding
`--workspace`	Workspace id or name to deploy into
`--skills`	Agents to install package skills for (`claude,cursor,agents,devin`), or `none`
`--yes`	Accept defaults; does not deploy
`--json`	One JSON result, non-interactive; deploys unless `--no-deploy`

When to deploy:

Invocation	Deploys
`--deploy`	Yes
`--json` without `--no-deploy`	Yes
`--yes` without `--deploy` or `--json`	No
Interactive	Asks
`--package-manager deno`	Never; no Composer files are generated

For an unattended scaffold with no deploy, pass both:

npx create-prisma@latest my-api --template hono --provider postgres --yes --json --no-deploy

What It Generates

module.ts provisioning one service named app. With --provider postgres, it also provisions postgres({ name: "database", contract, config: "./prisma.config.ts" }) from @prisma/composer-prisma-cloud/orm, so the deploy applies the generated migrations. With --provider mongo, it binds envSecret("MONGODB_URL") to the service input.
service.ts with the build adapter for the template; see app-framework-builds.md.
prisma.config.ts with orm, skills, and composer sections. The composer section uses prismaCloud({ region: "us-east-1" }); change the region before the first deploy if the app belongs elsewhere.
Scripts: composer:dev (prisma dev module.ts), composer:deploy (prisma deploy module.ts), dev:composer (build, then composer:dev), and deploy (build, then composer:deploy). The deploy script targets production; pass a stage with npx prisma deploy module.ts --stage <name> instead.
/.prisma-composer in .gitignore.

Deploy Flow

With deploy enabled, create-prisma runs prisma auth whoami, selects the workspace, checks that no project already has the app's name, runs the build script, and runs prisma deploy module.ts --report <tmp>. Without a session it signs in interactively in a terminal; in --json mode or without a TTY it stops with not_authenticated, keeps the scaffold, and tells the user to sign in and run the deploy script.

Rules

Do not run create-prisma inside an existing app to deploy it. Port the app (app-composer-setup.md) and use prisma deploy.
Use the scripts the scaffold actually wrote; read package.json rather than reconstructing them.
A scaffold's first deploy is production. Ask the user before using --deploy or --json without --no-deploy.

Bad

npx create-prisma@latest my-api --template hono --yes --json

This deploys to production without anyone deciding to.

Good

npx create-prisma@latest my-api --template hono --provider postgres --yes --json --no-deploy
cd my-api
npm run dev:composer

Verify locally, then deploy a stage with npm run build && npx prisma deploy module.ts --stage preview.

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