Prerequisites
Before you set up a Catalyst project, make sure you meet the following requirements. They apply to both One-Click Catalyst and CLI Installation.
Local machine and accounts
Node.js version 24.x
Catalyst supports Node.js version 24.x. Download Node.js.
Corepack-enabled pnpm (recommended)
The Catalyst docs use pnpm in every example. Node.js version 24.x ships with Corepack, so run corepack enable in your terminal to get pnpm. For details, see the Node.js Corepack documentation. The Catalyst CLI also works with npm, yarn, and bun, and installs dependencies with whichever package manager you run it from.
Git version 2.35.x or later
A BigCommerce store or sandbox
Use an existing BigCommerce store, create a trial store, or create a developer sandbox.
Permission to create API accounts on your store
To let Catalyst authenticate with your store, your user account needs the Create store-level API Accounts permission, described in High-risk permissions. The store owner has this permission implicitly.
A Git hosting account (optional)
You don’t need one to create a project: the CLI initializes a local Git repository for you. To push your project to a remote, you’ll need an account with a Git provider such as GitHub. You can sign up for a free GitHub account on the official GitHub signup page.
Control panel permissions
Creating a Catalyst channel, whether through One-Click Catalyst or the CLI, requires the following permissions on your control panel user account:
- Manage Channels
- Create Channels
- Edit Channels
- Install Applications
The store owner has these permissions implicitly.