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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/bolt-builder/bolt-cli/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Bolt can be installed on macOS, Linux, and Windows using the method that fits your workflow — a one-line curl script, any major Node.js package manager, or a system package manager like Homebrew, Chocolatey, or Scoop.

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Quick install (macOS / Linux)

The fastest way to get started is the official install script. It auto-detects your OS and architecture, downloads the correct binary to ~/.bolt/bin, and adds it to your $PATH. 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bolt-builder/bolt-cli/dev/install | bash
The installer also sets up optional voice input dependencies (sox and whisper-cpp for offline transcription). To skip that, pass --no-voice: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bolt-builder/bolt-cli/dev/install | bash -s -- --no-voice
To pin a specific version: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bolt-builder/bolt-cli/dev/install | bash -s -- --version 1.20.2

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Package managers

Install Bolt globally with the package manager of your choice: 
npm i -g @bolt-builder/bolt-cli

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Verify the installation

1

Check the installed version

After installation, confirm that bolt is available on your $PATH:
bolt --version
If the command is not found, open a new terminal session (or re-source your shell config) so the updated $PATH takes effect.

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Upgrading

Run bolt upgrade to update to the latest release: 
bolt upgrade
Bolt detects your original installation method automatically. You can override it with the --method flag: 
bolt upgrade --method <method>
Supported methods are: curl, npm, pnpm, bun, brew, choco, scoop. You can also upgrade to a specific version by passing the version as a positional argument: 
bolt upgrade 1.20.2

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Uninstalling

To remove Bolt from your system: 
bolt uninstall

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Environment variables

VariableDescription
BOLT_LOG_LEVELLog verbosity: DEBUG, INFO, WARN, or ERROR
BOLT_PRINT_LOGSPrint logs to stderr
BOLT_PURERun without loading external plugins
BOLT_SERVER_PASSWORDBasic auth password for the headless API server
BOLT_SERVER_USERNAMEBasic auth username for the headless API server
Set BOLT_PURE=1 when you want a clean run without any third-party plugins — useful for debugging or controlled CI environments.

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Desktop app

Bolt also ships as a native desktop application with multi-window session management, an integrated terminal and file tree, a command palette, 17 UI languages, and auto-updates. Download the latest release from the releases page.On macOS you can install it in one line with no Gatekeeper detour:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bolt-builder/bolt-cli/dev/install-desktop | bash

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