How to run a Base44 app locally

To run a Base44 app locally, get the code onto your machine (GitHub sync or base44 eject), install the Base44 CLI, link the folder to your app, and run base44 dev. That starts a local backend and the Vite dev server together. Entities, functions, file uploads and email/password login run on your machine. Social login and built-in integrations such as SendEmail are forwarded to your deployed app.

Local development pairs with GitHub sync and is one of the lighter steps in a Base44 migration.

Prerequisites#

• Node.js 20.19.0 or higher for the CLI.
• Deno, installed separately, if your app has backend functions. Each function runs locally as its own Deno process.
• The Builder plan if you’re using GitHub sync, and your app ID, which is in the editor URL: app.base44.com/apps/<app-id>/editor.

Option A: work on the same app (GitHub sync)#

Use this when you want to keep building the app you already have, locally and in Base44’s editor.

git clone git@github.com:you/your-app.git && cd your-app
npm install
npm install -g base44@latest
base44 login
base44 link        # the link pointer (base44/.app.jsonc) is gitignored, so run this in every fresh clone
base44 dev

Changes you merge into main sync back to Base44. Click Publish there to put them live.

Option B: make an independent copy (eject)#

Use this when you want a separate project, for example to experiment or to start a new app from an existing one.

base44 eject --app-id <your-app-id> --path ./my-copy --yes
cd my-copy && npm install
base44 dev

The ejected project gets a new app ID. Your entity schemas come with it, but, as the docs put it, “the ejected project has an empty database.” To build it for deployment, use base44 build so the new app ID is injected.

Option C: backend code only (scaffold)#

If you only want to write backend resources locally, such as entities, functions and agents, while the frontend stays in Base44’s visual editor:

mkdir my-backend && cd my-backend
base44 scaffold --app-id <your-app-id>

This writes base44/config.jsonc, the gitignored base44/.app.jsonc, and agent skill folders (.agents/, .claude/) that teach coding assistants how to work with Base44. Pass --no-skills to skip those.

What base44 dev runs locally#

From Base44’s local development docs:

Scheduled and data-event automations don’t run locally. The dev server logs a warning each time it forwards a request, so you can see when you’ve touched production.

Useful CLI commands#

Working without a local checkout#

If you’d rather not run anything locally, Base44 also exposes each app’s cloud sandbox to the CLI (base44 sandbox ls, read, edit, run), so a coding agent can work in the same environment the editor uses. That needs the Builder plan. The AI coding agents guide covers it.

What to do next#

1. Connect GitHub and clone the repo.
2. Run base44 dev and check the terminal for forwarded requests.
3. Make a small change, merge it to main, and publish it from Base44.