Tinybird Local Development

Overview

• Tinybird Local runs as a Docker container managed by the Tinybird CLI.
• In CLI 4.0, tb build uses dev_mode from tinybird.config.json.
• Use Tinybird Local for fast local iteration (dev_mode=local), then deploy with tb deploy.

Commands

• tb local start
  • Options: --use-aws-creds, --volumes-path <path>, --skip-new-version, --user-token, --workspace-token, --daemon.
• tb local stop
• tb local restart
  • Options: --use-aws-creds, --volumes-path, --skip-new-version, --yes.
• tb local status
• tb local remove
• tb local version
• tb local generate-tokens

Notes:

• If you remove the container without a persisted volume, local data is lost.
• Manual flags (--local, --cloud, --branch) still work as overrides.

Local-First Workflow

1. tb local start
2. Set dev_mode to local in tinybird.config.json
3. Run tb dev in a new terminal — watches for file changes and auto-rebuilds
4. Test endpoints/queries locally with tb endpoint data <pipe_name>
5. Run tb deploy only when user explicitly requests production deployment

Use --volumes-path to persist data between restarts.

tb dev is the recommended development command. It watches your project files and automatically rebuilds Data Sources and Endpoints when changes are detected.

Connecting to the Tinybird UI

• tb dev --ui: Builds in watch mode and connects the local project to the Tinybird UI for visual exploration and debugging.
• tb open: Opens the workspace in the browser.

These are useful for visually inspecting query results, exploring Data Source schemas, or debugging pipe logic.

Troubleshooting

• If status shows unhealthy, run tb local restart and re-check.
• If authentication is not ready, wait or restart the container.
• If memory warnings appear in status, increase Docker memory allocation.
• If Local is not running, start it with tb local start.