OtaKitCapacitor CLI commands: the practical guide
Every Capacitor CLI command you actually use — add, sync, copy, update, run, open, doctor — what each does, when to run it, and how the OtaKit CLI fits alongside for live updates.
You'll run a handful of Capacitor CLI commands constantly and the rest almost never. This guide covers the ones that matter — what each does, when to run it, and the mistakes that cause “my change isn't showing up” — plus where the OtaKit CLI fits alongside for live updates.
The commands you actually use
npx cap add ios / android— create a native project. Run once per platform.npx cap copy— copy your latest web build into the native projects.npx cap sync— copy and update native dependencies. Run after installing a plugin.npx cap open ios / android— open the native project in Xcode / Android Studio.npx cap run ios / android— build and launch on a device or emulator.npx cap doctor— check your setup and flag version mismatches.
The number-one confusion: copy vs sync. Use copy after a web change; use sync after a plugin change (it also updates native deps). When in doubt, sync — it does both.
The typical loop
npm run build # build your web app npx cap sync # push it + deps into native npx cap open ios # open Xcode to run/submit
The thing to internalize: Capacitor doesn't watch your web build. If you changed your web app and don't see it on device, you almost certainly skipped build then copy/sync.
Where the OtaKit CLI comes in
The Capacitor CLI manages the native build. The OtaKit CLI ships web-layer updatesto already-installed apps. After a binary is live, you stop running cap open for every change and start running:
otakit upload --release production
See the OtaKit CLI reference for every command and flag, and npm scripts to wrap both CLIs into simple one-liners.
Add npx cap sync to a post-install hook so teammates' native projects never drift from the plugins in package.json — a frequent source of “works on my machine” build failures.
Where to go next
See the setup docs for the full first-run flow, and version mismatch for when cap doctor complains.