GenerateSaaSUpdate
Pull the latest boilerplate version - the CLI stages a re-shaped template and your AI assistant applies the diff while preserving your customizations.
generatesaas update (packages/cli/src/commands/update.ts) keeps a generated project in sync with the boilerplate. Two actors share the work: the CLI stages the new version, and your AI assistant applies it file by file. It never edits your code on its own.
Why this is different
Every boilerplate sells lifetime updates. Almost nobody applies them. The normal path is a manual git merge of your project against thousands of changed upstream lines - then resolving every conflict by hand, hoping you do not break something you cannot see. So projects drift months behind, and the "lifetime updates" go unused.
GenerateSaaS makes updating a guided, AI-driven three-way merge instead:
- The CLI re-shapes the new version into your exact configuration - same frontend, payment provider, database, and feature flags - so a diff only ever shows changes that actually apply to your project. You never sift through another framework's files or a provider you don't use.
- Your AI assistant compares three versions of every file - the original baseline you started from, the new version, and your customizations - so it can tell an upstream improvement apart from your own edits.
- Files you never touched are applied automatically. Files you customized are walked one by one, each with a plain-language explanation, a risk rating, and a recommended merge - and you approve every one.
- A type check and the test suite verify the result before you finish, and the whole thing runs on a clean git tree so it is always one
git restorefrom undone.
The result: staying current is a short, reversible, low-risk routine - not a dreaded merge you keep putting off.
update only writes to .generatesaas/. It never mutates your source - applying the staged diff is a separate, reviewed step driven by your AI assistant.
What the command does
Run it from the project root, or pass --cwd <path>. The API key saved at ~/.generatesaas lets it run non-interactively.
401 re-prompts..generatesaas/staging/, and fetch the changelog for every release between your version and the target - breaking releases are flagged, so a multi-version jump never hides an intermediate breaking change..generatesaas/template/ + hashes) if an older CLI never wrote one..generatesaas/staging.json and prompt you to ask your AI assistant to apply it.What gets staged
Everything lands under .generatesaas/ - all of it buyer-shaped, so a diff never shows another framework, a provider you don't use, internal tooling, or the owner key.
| Artifact | Contents |
|---|---|
staging/ | The new version, shaped for your exact config. |
template/ | Pristine baseline - the version you started from, for a 3-way merge. |
staging.json | currentVersion → targetVersion plus the combined changelog (one section per release spanned). |
template-hashes.json | Baseline per-file hashes that classify what you customized. |
manifest.json | License token refreshed; the version bumps when the apply completes. |
How your AI applies it
The bundled update skill drives the apply, and you decide every change:
Pick an interaction level when prompted: Recommended (auto-apply safe, walk the modified files), Careful (approve everything), or Quick (auto-merge low-risk, ask on medium/high).
Running it
npx generatesaas@latest update yourself first, then ask the assistant to apply the staged update.pnpm install if dependencies changed, plus any migrations the changelog lists.Frequently asked questions
Do I run the CLI or does my assistant?
Either. Saying "update my GenerateSaaS project" lets the assistant run generatesaas update itself; the saved API key makes it non-interactive.
Will it overwrite my customizations? No. Only uncustomized files are auto-applied. Every file you changed is reviewed one by one, and the pre-flight refuses to start on a dirty tree.
What if I'm already on the latest version? It refreshes your skill files, reports "already on the latest," and stops - nothing is staged and the license token is left untouched.
What if my update window has ended?
Versions released after your window are not served. update stops with the last version your license covers and an upgrade pointer; your project keeps working as-is, and init can still scaffold that last covered version.
I rewrote a file heavily. What happens?
You get a 3-way merge and choose the outcome. Skipped files are recorded in held-back.json so the next update's diff still includes the change you deferred. A safety net in the completion step also detects upstream changes that were never applied and records them automatically.
Does it touch my lockfile or .env?
Never. The lockfile is excluded from update diffs entirely - new dependencies are added to package.json only, and you run pnpm install after. Real .env files are left alone.
generatesaas init
Scaffold a new SaaS project from the licensed boilerplate. Answer grouped prompts to choose your stack and features, or pass flags for non-interactive CI.
Licensing & Heartbeat
Learn how the license manifest and daily heartbeat validate your installation, what data the cron sends, and how to opt out permanently with eject.