firebase-cli

firebase-cli — Firebase platform operator

Keyword: firebase · firebase deploy · firebase init · firebase emulators

Use this skill when the center of gravity is Firebase platform/project operation through the CLI.

When to use this skill

• Install or update firebase-tools, choose an auth path, and verify the CLI can operate the target project
• Bootstrap Firebase config in a repo with firebase init, .firebaserc, aliases, targets, and deploy surfaces
• Run the Firebase Emulator Suite for local development, persistence, and test execution
• Deploy or promote Hosting, Functions, rules, Remote Config, Extensions, or App Hosting through the CLI
• Manage preview channels, project aliases, selective deploys, and CI/CD auth for Firebase operations
• Perform Firebase admin/data tasks such as auth import/export, App Distribution, Remote Config rollback, and extension management

When not to use this skill

• The main job is backend AI workflow orchestration, tools, flows, RAG, evals, or observability inside Firebase / Google AI products → use genkit
• The main job is direct app/client SDK integration for Gemini-powered in-app features → use genkit (client-ai-logic mode)
• The main job is auth stack choice and product auth architecture rather than Firebase CLI execution → use authentication-setup
• The main job is schema/index design rather than Firebase CLI commands → use database-schema-design
• The main job is generic rollout strategy across providers instead of Firebase-specific operator commands → use deployment-automation

Instructions

Step 1: Pick the operating mode

Start by routing the request into one of these modes:

Mode	Use when	Primary support
Install / auth	CLI missing, outdated, or blocked on credentials	scripts/install.sh, references/install-auth-and-bootstrap.md
Bootstrap / config	Need firebase init, aliases, targets, or repo config layout	references/install-auth-and-bootstrap.md
Local emulators	Need local Firebase runtime, persistence, or test harness	scripts/emulators.sh, references/emulator-and-release-workflows.md
Deploy / release	Need scoped deploys, preview channels, App Hosting rollout, or CI execution	scripts/deploy.sh, references/emulator-and-release-workflows.md
Admin / data ops	Need auth import/export, Remote Config, App Distribution, Extensions, or Data Connect commands	references/admin-and-data-operations.md
Unsure / mixed job	Need help deciding whether this is Firebase CLI vs adjacent lane work	references/modes-and-routing.md

Step 2: Verify prerequisites before changing anything

1. Confirm the CLI exists and capture the version: firebase --version
2. Confirm the runtime is new enough for current firebase-tools releases:
   • npm install path requires Node.js 20+
   • standalone installer is macOS/Linux only
3. Check authentication path:
   • local interactive work → firebase login
   • CI/non-interactive work → service account credentials via GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS
4. Inspect project config before deploys or emulator work:
   • firebase.json
   • .firebaserc
   • any target-specific directories (functions/, hosting output dir, rules/index files)

Step 3: Run the smallest workflow that answers the request

Mode A — Install / auth

• Install or update via bash scripts/install.sh
• Prefer npm install when Node.js 20+ is available: npm install -g firebase-tools
• Use browser OAuth locally with firebase login
• In CI, prefer service-account credentials over deprecated --token / FIREBASE_TOKEN

Mode B — Bootstrap / config

• Use firebase init for the exact surfaces needed instead of turning on everything blindly
• Set/inspect aliases with firebase use and firebase use --add
• Use deploy targets when multiple Hosting sites, DB instances, or buckets exist
• Record which Firebase features belong in this repo and which belong in adjacent skills

Mode C — Local emulators

• Use bash scripts/emulators.sh --persistent for durable local data
• Use firebase emulators:exec "<test command>" for one-shot test runs
• Start only the emulators you need with --only auth,firestore,functions
• Keep emulator config and seed-data expectations explicit in the repo

Mode D — Deploy / release

• Scope deploys with --only or --except
• Prefer preview channels for reviewable Hosting changes before production deploys
• For App Hosting, treat backend creation/rollouts as an operator workflow, not a generic web deploy shortcut
• In CI, use --non-interactive and explicit credentials
• Verify what changed after deploy instead of assuming success from the command exit alone

Mode E — Admin / data ops

• Use the CLI for auth import/export, Remote Config versioning/rollback, App Distribution, Extensions, and targeted cleanup tasks
• Be explicit about destructive commands like firestore:delete --recursive --force
• For large/import-sensitive jobs, capture the exact hash/config/version parameters before execution

Step 4: Route out aggressively when the job changed shape

Use firebase-cli as the operator anchor, but hand off when the work is really about:

• app/client Gemini SDK feature wiring → genkit (client-ai-logic mode)
• flow/tool/RAG/eval orchestration → genkit
• auth-model product decisions → authentication-setup
• schema/index modeling → database-schema-design
• provider-agnostic rollout strategy → deployment-automation

Step 5: Verify the outcome

For every mode, verify the smallest truthful artifact:

• install/auth → firebase --version, firebase login:list, or successful auth-bound command
• bootstrap/config → firebase.json, .firebaserc, target mappings
• emulators → running ports, imported/exported data directory, successful test run
• deploy/release → deployed target list, preview URL, or post-deploy smoke check
• admin/data ops → exported/imported file, version rollback confirmation, tester/group update, or extension status

Examples

Example 1: Bootstrap a Firebase repo cleanly

Prompt: "Set up Firebase in this repo for Hosting + Functions + preview channels"

Mode:
- Bootstrap / config

Likely actions:
- bash scripts/install.sh
- firebase login
- firebase init hosting functions
- firebase use --add
- firebase target:apply ...   # if multi-site is needed

Example 2: Local emulator workflow with persistence

Prompt: "Run auth + firestore emulators locally and keep the data between runs"

Mode:
- Local emulators

Likely actions:
- bash scripts/emulators.sh --only auth,firestore --persistent
- or firebase emulators:start --only auth,firestore --import ./emulator-data --export-on-exit

Example 3: Firebase release / preview flow

Prompt: "Deploy Hosting to a reviewable staging channel, then ship production after approval"

Mode:
- Deploy / release

Likely actions:
- bash scripts/deploy.sh --channel staging --expires 7d
- firebase hosting:channel:open staging
- firebase deploy --only hosting

Example 4: Route AI workflow work away from this skill

Prompt: "Build a Firebase RAG flow with tools, evals, and observability"

Decision:
- Route to `genkit`
- Keep `firebase-cli` only for operator tasks like local setup or deploy wiring if needed

Best practices

1. Prefer workflow selection over command dumping — choose the mode first, then the commands
2. Use service accounts in CI — treat --token / FIREBASE_TOKEN as deprecated escape hatches, not the default path
3. Scope deploys tightly — --only and preview channels reduce accidental blast radius
4. Keep repo config explicit — firebase.json, .firebaserc, and target mappings should match the repo’s real deploy surfaces
5. Use persistence intentionally in emulator work — import/export directories make local debugging and tests repeatable
6. Separate Firebase operator work from app/AI logic work — route to genkit (client-ai-logic mode) or genkit when the CLI is no longer the main job
7. Treat destructive admin commands as high-risk — confirm paths, versions, and resource IDs before delete/rollback/import operations

References

• Mode selection and route-outs
• Install, auth, and bootstrap guide
• Emulator and release workflows
• Admin and data operations
• Full command reference
• Scripts — install.sh, deploy.sh, emulators.sh
• Firebase CLI reference
• firebase-tools GitHub