RedwoodJS setup and command cheatsheet (2026)

RedwoodJS started as an opinionated full-stack JAMstack framework built on React, GraphQL, and Prisma. Since then it has pivoted significantly: the team dropped the JAMstack label in favor of a server-first, full-stack React architecture closer to what Next.js and Remix established. In 2026 RedwoodJS is better understood as a structured full-stack React framework with generators, a built-in GraphQL layer, and first-class Prisma integration, not a static site tool.

This cheatsheet covers the commands you reach for most often when building with RedwoodJS, from scaffolding a new project through database migrations, generators, authentication, and deployment.

Project setup

Install the Redwood CLI globally or use it directly with yarn create. Node 20 LTS is the current minimum.

yarn create redwood-app my-app
cd my-app
yarn rw dev

yarn rw dev starts both the web (React) side and the API (GraphQL) side with hot reload. The two sides run on separate ports: 3000 for the web and 8911 for the API.

Core commands

Task	Command
Start dev server	yarn rw dev
Build for production	yarn rw build
Build web only	yarn rw build web
Build API only	yarn rw build api
Run tests	yarn rw test
Type check	yarn rw type-check
Open Prisma Studio	yarn rw prisma studio

Generators

Generators scaffold boilerplate so you spend time on logic, not file setup. Every generator follows the pattern yarn rw g <type> <name>.

Generator	Command	What it creates
Page	yarn rw g page Home /	React page component + route
Component	yarn rw g component Card	Presentational component
Cell	yarn rw g cell Users	Data-fetching component with loading, empty, failure, and success states
Layout	yarn rw g layout Main	Layout wrapper component
SDL	yarn rw g sdl Post	GraphQL schema, service, and resolver files
Scaffold	yarn rw g scaffold Post	Full CRUD: SDL + pages + cells + forms
Auth	yarn rw g auth dbAuth	Authentication setup (see auth section below)
Secret	yarn rw g secret	Generates a secure random string for secrets

The scaffold generator is the fastest path to a working CRUD feature. Running yarn rw g scaffold Post gives you list, create, edit, and delete pages along with the full GraphQL layer, all wired together.

Database commands

Redwood uses Prisma for database access. Schema changes go in api/db/schema.prisma. The commands below manage migrations.

# Create and apply a new migration
yarn rw prisma migrate dev --name add_users_table

# Apply existing migrations (CI/production)
yarn rw prisma migrate deploy

# Reset the database and re-run all migrations
yarn rw prisma migrate reset

# Seed the database
yarn rw prisma db seed

The older yarn rw db save and yarn rw db up commands from early Redwood versions were replaced by the Prisma migration commands above. If you encounter them in older tutorials, use the Prisma equivalents.

Authentication

Redwood supports multiple auth providers through the same generator interface. dbAuth is the built-in option that stores sessions in your own database. Other supported providers include Supabase, Clerk, Auth0, and Firebase.

# Built-in database auth
yarn rw g auth dbAuth

# Clerk
yarn rw g auth clerk

# Supabase
yarn rw g auth supabase

After running an auth generator, follow the setup steps printed in the terminal. They vary by provider and include environment variable configuration and optional middleware setup.

Deployment

Redwood targets multiple deployment environments through deployment generators that configure the build output correctly for each platform.

# Netlify
yarn rw g deploy netlify

# Vercel
yarn rw g deploy vercel

# Fly.io
yarn rw g deploy fly

# Render
yarn rw g deploy render

# Self-hosted (Baremetal)
yarn rw g deploy baremetal

Each generator creates the platform-specific configuration files. For serverless deployments (Netlify, Vercel), the API side is packaged as serverless functions. For server deployments (Fly.io, Render, Baremetal), the API runs as a Node process.

Environment variables

Redwood splits environment variables between the web and API sides. Variables prefixed with REDWOOD_ENV_ are accessible on the web side. All other variables are API-only.

# .env (API side only)
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://..."
JWT_SECRET="your-secret"

# .env (accessible on web side too)
REDWOOD_ENV_API_URL="https://api.example.com"

Never expose database credentials or private keys to the web side. Use REDWOOD_ENV_ only for values that are safe to ship to the browser.

Help and introspection

# List all available commands
yarn rw --help

# Help for a specific command
yarn rw g --help
yarn rw prisma --help

# Check Redwood and dependency versions
yarn rw info

FAQs

1, What is the difference between a Cell and a component in RedwoodJS?

A Cell is a Redwood-specific component type designed for data fetching. It automatically handles the loading, empty, failure, and success UI states using named exports from a single file. A regular component has no built-in data-fetching lifecycle and is used for presentational or interactive UI.

2, What replaced yarn rw db save and yarn rw db up?

Those commands were part of early Redwood's custom migration system. They are replaced by standard Prisma commands: yarn rw prisma migrate dev to create and apply a migration during development and yarn rw prisma migrate deploy to apply existing migrations in production.

3, Can I use RedwoodJS without GraphQL?

The default setup is built around GraphQL. RedwoodJS 7 introduced experimental support for server functions that bypass GraphQL for simpler use cases, but GraphQL remains the primary data layer and is assumed throughout the generator output.

4, Is RedwoodJS still a JAMstack framework?

The RedwoodJS team officially dropped the JAMstack label. The framework has evolved toward a server-first React architecture with support for streaming, server functions, and traditional server deployments. The JAMstack framing was accurate in 2020 but does not reflect the current direction.

5, Where does RedwoodJS fit compared to Next.js in 2026?

Next.js dominates the React full-stack space with roughly 80 percent of production deployments. RedwoodJS is a smaller but opinionated alternative that trades ecosystem breadth for a strongly structured developer experience: enforced conventions, built-in auth generators, and a GraphQL layer that is wired up from the start. Teams that want structure and convention over configuration find it valuable. Teams that need maximum flexibility or ecosystem coverage typically choose Next.js.