How to Install Statamic with the CLI

Install Statamic anywhere you already have PHP and Composer — Linux, custom environments, or anytime you prefer the terminal over a guided Herd setup.

Overview#

On Mac or Windows and just getting started? Use Laravel Herd instead. It installs PHP, Composer, and a local web server for you — that's our recommended path.

This page is the CLI-first install for when you already have a working PHP environment (or you're on Linux and setting things up yourself). Same end result: a fresh Statamic site via statamic new.

Prerequisites#

You'll need:

A computer running macOS, Windows, or Linux
PHP 8.3+ with the required extensions
Composer to manage PHP packages

macOS and Windows users who don't already have these: install Laravel Herd. It gives you PHP, Composer, and npm in one shot.

Install Statamic CLI#

composer global require statamic/cli

Confirm it worked:

statamic list

Hot Tip!

Hit a command not found or PATH issue? See troubleshooting global Composer packages and command not found: statamic.

The CLI is a nicer wrapper around composer create-project. You can skip it and run composer create-project statamic/statamic project_name if you prefer — you'll just miss the setup wizard (starter kits, first user, git init).

Create a new site#

cd to wherever you keep projects and run:

statamic new project_name

You'll be asked whether you want a blank site or a Starter Kit. First time? Blank site. Keep it simple.

Then create your first super user when prompted. Do it.

If you're using Herd, create the site inside your Herd directory (usually ~/Herd) so it gets a *.test URL automatically.

Accessing the site#

How you hit the site depends on your environment:

Environment	Frontend	Control Panel
Laravel Herd	`http://project_name.test`	`/cp`
Built-in PHP server	run `php artisan serve` → usually `http://127.0.0.1:8000`	`/cp`

$ php artisan serve
Starting Laravel development server: http://127.0.0.1:8000

Herd (or any proper local nginx/valet-style setup) is nicer for day-to-day work — pretty URLs, multiple sites, no juggling ports. artisan serve is fine for a quick smoke test.

Troubleshooting#

If your environment is current, this usually Just Works™. When it doesn't, check the troubleshooting section for common error messages.

What's Next#

You're running Statamic. Nice. 🎉

Head to the Quick Start Guide if you're kicking the tires, or Laracasts if you'd rather watch someone else click around first.