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Skillsfirebase-cli

firebase-cli

Deployment & operations

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Updated 10-15 12:57

About this skill

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Install / auth CLI missing, outdated, or blocked on credentials scripts/install.sh, references/install-auth-and-bootstrap.md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