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Webpack provides several CLI commands to build, serve, and initialize your projects.

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webpack build

Compiles your webpack project.

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Syntax

webpack build [options]

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Description

The build command compiles your webpack configuration and outputs bundled assets. This is the default command when running webpack without any subcommand.

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Usage Examples

# Basic build
webpack build

# Build with custom config
webpack build --config webpack.prod.js

# Build with mode
webpack build --mode production

# Build and watch
webpack build --watch

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Return Value

Exits with code 0 on success, non-zero on error.

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webpack serve

Starts a development server with live reloading.

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Syntax

webpack serve [options]

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Description

The serve command starts webpack DevServer, which provides live reloading and hot module replacement for development.
Requires webpack-dev-server to be installed.

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Usage Examples

# Start dev server
webpack serve

# Serve on custom port
webpack serve --port 3000

# Serve with hot reload
webpack serve --hot

# Open browser automatically
webpack serve --open

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Parameters

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--port
number
Port number for the dev server. Default: 8080
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--host
string
Host to use for the dev server. Default: localhost
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--hot
boolean
Enable hot module replacement. Default: true
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--open
boolean
Open the browser after server starts. Default: false

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webpack watch

Watches files and rebuilds on changes.

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Syntax

webpack watch [options]

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Description

The watch command starts webpack in watch mode. It monitors your source files and automatically rebuilds when changes are detected.

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Usage Examples

# Start watch mode
webpack watch

# Watch with specific config
webpack watch --config webpack.dev.js

# Watch with info verbosity
webpack watch --stats verbose

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Parameters

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--watch-options-stdin
boolean
Stop watching when stdin stream ends. Default: false
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--watch-options-poll
number
Polling interval in milliseconds. Use when file watching doesn’t work.

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Return Value

Runs continuously until terminated. Exits with code 0 on graceful shutdown.

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webpack init

Scaffolds a new webpack project.

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Syntax

webpack init [scaffold-template]

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Description

The init command helps you create a new webpack configuration interactively. It can use built-in templates or custom scaffolds.
Requires @webpack-cli/generators to be installed.

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Usage Examples

# Interactive initialization
webpack init

# Initialize with specific generator
webpack init react-app

# Force initialization (overwrite existing files)
webpack init --force

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Parameters

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scaffold-template
string
Name of the scaffold template to use. If omitted, uses interactive mode.
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--force
boolean
Overwrite existing files without prompting. Default: false
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--template
string
Template to generate from. Can be a package name or local path.

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Return Value

Exits with code 0 on successful initialization, non-zero on error.

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Common Options

These options work with all commands:
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--config
string
Path to webpack configuration file. Default: webpack.config.js
webpack build --config config/webpack.prod.js
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--mode
string
Build mode: development, production, or none. Sets process.env.NODE_ENV and applies defaults.
webpack build --mode production
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--env
object
Environment variables passed to the config function.
webpack build --env production --env apiUrl=https://api.example.com
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--stats
string
Stats output preset: none, errors-only, minimal, normal, verbose, detailed.
webpack build --stats detailed
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--progress
boolean
Show compilation progress. Default: false
webpack build --progress
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--help
boolean
Display help information.
webpack build --help
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--version
boolean
Display webpack version.
webpack --version

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Exit Codes

CodeDescription
0Success
1Errors from webpack
2Configuration or options error

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See Also