---
title: "lean create-project"
description: "API reference for the command `lean create-project` in command line console."
canonical: https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/api-reference/lean-create-project
markdown: https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/api-reference/lean-create-project.md
language: python
source: https://github.com/QuantConnect/Documentation/tree/master/05%20Lean%20CLI/99%20API%20Reference/24%20lean%20create-project
modified: 2026-10-31
index: https://www.quantconnect.com/llms.txt
---

# lean create-project

[Documentation](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2.md) > [Lean CLI](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli.md) > [API Reference](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/api-reference.md) > lean create-project

> Code examples are shown in Python. Append `?lang=csharp` to this URL for the C# version of this page.

## Introduction

Alias for 'project-create'

```
$ lean create-project [OPTIONS] NAME
```

To use the CLI, you must be a member in an [organization](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/tier-features.md) on a paid tier.

## Description

Creates a new project with some basic starter code. If the language is set to `python`, this generates a `main.py` file, a Python-based research notebook, a [project configuration](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/projects/configuration.md) file, and editor configuration files for PyCharm and VS Code.

If the language is set to `csharp` this generates a `Main.cs` file, a C#-based research notebook, a [project configuration](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/projects/configuration.md) file, and editor configuration files for Visual Studio, Rider, and VS Code.

A full list of the created files can be found on the [Projects > Structure](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/projects/structure.md) page.

If no `--language` is given, the default language saved in the [global configuration](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/initialization/configuration.md#02-Global-Configuration) is used. You can update the default language to Python by running `lean config set default-language python` or to C# by running `lean config set default-language csharp`.

If the given project name contains slashes, the name is parsed as a path and the project is created in a subdirectory. Any subdirectories that don't exist yet are created automatically.

## Arguments

The `lean create-project` command expects the following arguments:

| Argument | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `<name>` | The name of the project to create. This name may contain slashes to create a project in a subdirectory. The project name must only contain `-`, `_`, letters, numbers, and spaces. The project name can't start with a space or be any of the following reserved names: CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7, LPT8, or LPT9. If the project is a Python library, the library name can only contain letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and underscores (_). Python library names can't contain spaces or start with a number. |

## Options

The `lean create-project` command supports the following options:

| Option | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `-l, --language <enum: python\|csharp>` | The language of the project to create |
| `--verbose` | Enable debug logging |
| `--help` | Display the help text of the `lean create-project` command and exit |