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Installing the Replyke CLI

The Replyke CLI is your gateway to adding fully customizable comment components to your application. You can use it directly with npx (no installation needed) or install it globally for convenience.

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Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure you have:
1

Node.js 18+

The CLI requires Node.js version 18 or higher.
node --version
# Should output v18.x.x or higher
2

A React Project

You’ll need an existing React, React Native, or Expo project.Supported platforms:
  • React (Web) ✅
  • React Native ✅
  • Expo ✅
3

Replyke Project

Create a project in the Replyke Dashboard if you haven’t already.
The easiest way to use the CLI is with npx — no installation required: 
npx @replyke/cli init
This approach ensures you’re always using the latest version of the CLI.

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Global Installation (Optional)

If you prefer, you can install the CLI globally: 
npm install -g @replyke/cli
Then use it without npx: 
replyke init
replyke add comments-threaded
For the rest of this documentation, we’ll use npx @replyke/cli to be version-agnostic, but you can use replyke if you’ve installed globally.

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Initializing Your Project

Run the initialization command in your project directory: 
cd your-react-app
npx @replyke/cli init

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Interactive Prompts

The CLI will ask you a series of questions to configure your project:
Question: “Which platform are you using?”Options:
  • React (Web)
  • React Native
  • Expo
What it does: Determines which component variants and dependencies to use.
Question: “Which styling approach do you prefer?”Options:
  • Tailwind CSS - Uses utility classes like bg-white dark:bg-gray-800
  • Inline Styles - Uses style objects like style={{ backgroundColor: theme === 'dark' ? '#1F2937' : '#FFFFFF' }}
What it does: Determines which component variant you’ll receive.Recommendation:
  • Choose Tailwind if your project already uses Tailwind CSS
  • Choose Inline Styles if you don’t use Tailwind or prefer explicit styling
Question: “Where should components be installed?”Default: src/componentsWhat it does: Sets the directory where CLI components will be copied.Note: You can use any path, but src/components is conventional.

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What Happens During Init

The initialization process:
  1. Detects your project type based on your package.json
  2. Creates replyke.json configuration file in your project root
  3. Checks for required peer dependencies:
    • @replyke/react-js and @replyke/ui-core-react-js (React Web)
    • @replyke/react-native and @replyke/ui-core-react-native (React Native)
    • @replyke/expo and @replyke/ui-core-react-native (Expo)
  4. Offers to install missing dependencies if needed

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The replyke.json File

After initialization, you’ll see a replyke.json file in your project root: 
{
  "platform": "react",
  "style": "tailwind",
  "typescript": true,
  "paths": {
    "components": "src/components"
  },
  "aliases": {
    "@/components": "./src/components"
  }
}
This file stores your configuration and is used by subsequent add commands.
You can manually edit this file to change your preferences. Just re-run add commands to install components with the new configuration.
See Configuration for more details on this file.

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Installing Dependencies

The CLI will check for required peer dependencies and prompt you to install them if missing.

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For React (Web)

npm install @replyke/react-js

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For React Native

npm install @replyke/react-native

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For Expo

npm install @replyke/expo
These dependencies are required. Components use them for data fetching, caching, real-time updates, authentication, and core functionality.

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Troubleshooting

Error: The Replyke CLI requires Node.js 18 or higher
Solution: Upgrade Node.js to version 18 or higher.
Error: No package.json found
Solution: Run the command from your project root directory where package.json is located.
Solution:
  1. Press Ctrl+C to cancel
  2. Clear npx cache: npx clear-npx-cache
  3. Try again: npx @replyke/cli init
Solution:
  1. Delete replyke.json
  2. Run npx @replyke/cli init again
  3. Or manually edit replyke.json and re-run add commands

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Next Steps

Once initialization is complete, you’re ready to add components:

Add Components

Learn how to add comment components to your project

Configuration Reference

Understand the replyke.json configuration file

Threaded Comments

Add Reddit-style threaded comments

Social Comments

Add Instagram-style social comments