Initialize a Flash app project - Runpod Documentation

The flash init command creates a new Flash project with a complete project structure, including example and , and configuration files. This gives you a working starting point for building Flash applications. Use flash init whenever you want to start a new Flash project, fully configured for you to run flash dev and flash deploy.

Create a new project

Create a new project in a new directory:

flash init PROJECT_NAME
cd PROJECT_NAME

# If using uv:
uv run flash init PROJECT_NAME

Or initialize in your current directory:

flash init .

# If using uv:
uv run flash init .

Project structure

flash init creates the following structure:

PROJECT_NAME

lb_worker.py

gpu_worker.py

cpu_worker.py

.env.example

.gitignore

pyproject.toml

requirements.txt

README.md

Key files

lb_worker.py: An example load-balanced worker with HTTP routes. Contains @Endpoint functions with custom HTTP methods and paths (e.g., POST /process, GET /health). Creates one endpoint when deployed. gpu_worker.py: An example GPU queue-based worker. Contains @Endpoint functions that run on GPU hardware. Provides /runsync route for job submission. Creates one endpoint when deployed. cpu_worker.py: An example CPU queue-based worker. Contains @Endpoint functions that run on CPU-only instances. Provides /runsync route for job submission. Creates one endpoint when deployed. Each worker file defines a resource configuration and its associated functions. When you deploy, Flash creates one Serverless endpoint per unique resource configuration.

Set up the project

After initialization, complete the setup:

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Copy environment template
cp .env.example .env

# Add your API key to .env
# RUNPOD_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Handle existing files

If you run flash init in a directory with existing files, Flash detects conflicts and prompts for confirmation:

File Conflicts Detected

Warning: The following files will be overwritten:
  • requirements.txt
  • gpu_worker.py
  • README.md
  • lb_worker.py
  • cpu_worker.py

Continue and overwrite these files? [y/N]:

Use --force to skip the prompt and overwrite files:

flash init . --force

# If using uv:
uv run flash init . --force

Start developing

Once your project is set up:

# Start the development server
flash dev

# Open the API explorer
# http://localhost:8888/docs

# If using uv:
uv run flash dev

Make changes to your worker files, and the server reloads automatically. When you’re ready, deploy with:

flash deploy

# If using uv:
uv run flash deploy

Next steps

Customize your app to add endpoints and modify configurations.
Test locally with flash dev.
Deploy to production with flash deploy.
View the flash init reference for all options.

​Create a new project

​Project structure

​Key files

​Set up the project

​Handle existing files

​Start developing

​Next steps