---
sidebar_label: "build"
sidebar_position: 5
---

import { Table } from "docs-ui"

export const metadata = {
  title: `build Command - Medusa CLI Reference`,
}

# {metadata.title}

Create a standalone build of the Medusa application.

This creates a build that:

- Doesn't rely on the source TypeScript files.
- Can be copied to a production server reliably.

The build is outputted to a new `.medusa/server` directory.

```bash
npx medusa build
```

Refer to [this section](#run-built-medusa-application) for next steps.

## Options

<Table>
  <Table.Header>
    <Table.Row>
      <Table.HeaderCell>Option</Table.HeaderCell>
      <Table.HeaderCell>Description</Table.HeaderCell>
    </Table.Row>
  </Table.Header>
  <Table.Body>
    <Table.Row>
      <Table.Cell>
      
      `--admin-only`
      
      </Table.Cell>
      <Table.Cell>

      Whether to only build the admin to host it separately. If this option is not passed, the admin is built to the `.medusa/server/public/admin`. When this option is passed, the admin is built to the `.medusa/admin` directory instead.
      
      </Table.Cell>
    </Table.Row>
  </Table.Body>
</Table>

---

## Run Built Medusa Application

After running the `build` command, use the following step to run the built Medusa application:

- Change to the `.medusa/server` directory and install the dependencies:

```bash npm2yarn
cd .medusa/server && npm install
```

- When running the application locally, make sure to copy the `.env` file from the root project's directory. In production, use system environment variables instead.

```bash npm2yarn
cp .env .medusa/server/.env.production
```

- In the system environment variables, set `NODE_ENV` to `production`:

```bash
NODE_ENV=production
```

- Use the `start` command to run the application:

```bash npm2yarn
cd .medusa/server && npm run start
```

---

## Build Medusa Admin

By default, the Medusa Admin is built to the `.medusa/server/public/admin` directory.

If you want a separate build to host the admin standalone, such as on Vercel, pass the `--admin-only` option as explained in the [Options](#options) section. This outputs the admin to the `.medusa/admin` directory instead.