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Chirag Patel
Chirag Patel

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🚀 How to Install Supabase CLI on Windows (The Right Way) — A Simple Guide for Everyone

#webdev #discuss #productivity #database

If you're working with Supabase for the first time — especially on Windows — you’ll eventually need to run commands like:

supabase login
supabase link
supabase db push
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But the first hurdle many of us hit is simply installing the Supabase CLI
And if you try installing it using the old method:

npm install -g supabase
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You’ll see this error:

"Installing Supabase CLI as a global module is not supported."

This confuses everyone:

  • Students and beginners trying Supabase for the first time
  • Freshers exploring backend tools
  • Experienced developers who just expect npm to work
  • Anyone cloning a project that already uses Supabase

This article gives you the full, correct, and simplest way to install the Supabase CLI on Windows, with clear steps and no technical chaos.

Why Supabase CLI Matters

Supabase CLI allows you to:

  • Manage migrations
  • Push database schema to your remote Supabase project
  • Manage local development
  • Link your local files with your hosted project
  • Automate DB tasks

If you're cloning a project or working with a team, CLI becomes mandatory.

Why Does npm install -g supabase Fail?

Earlier, you could install it with npm.
But that caused too many problems on Windows:
❌ Wrong PATH settings
❌ Broken CLI after Node updates
❌ Inconsistent global installs
❌ Antivirus conflicts
❌ Permissions issues

To avoid all these headaches, Supabase officially removed npm installation support.

Now the recommended and most stable way is through Scoop.

What is Scoop (and Why Windows Developers Need It?)

If you're used to macOS (Homebrew) or Linux (APT), installing dev tools feels easy.

Windows didn’t have a similar experience — until Scoop.

Scoop is a package manager for Windows
It lets you install command-line tools in one clean command:

scoop install supabase
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No installers.
No registry entries.
No messing with PATH.
No "next → next → next".

Scoop is perfect because:
✔ No admin rights required
✔ Automatically manages PATH
✔ Installs clean & isolated binaries
✔ Makes updating CLI simple
✔ Trusted by the Windows developer community

Supabase recommends Scoop for exactly these reasons.

Step 1 — Enable Script Permissions

Open PowerShell (Run as Administrator) and run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
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Press Y to confirm.
This allows safe scripts like Scoop to run.

Step 2 — Install Scoop 

iwr -useb get.scoop.sh | iex
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After installation, check:

scoop --version
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If you see a version number → Scoop is ready.

Step 3 — Install Supabase CLI

Now, install the official Supabase CLI for Windows:

scoop install supabase
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This downloads the precompiled supabase.exe.

Check installation:

supabase --version
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If you see something like:

If you see something like:
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🎉 You’re done! The CLI is now working perfectly.

Step 4 — Log in to Supabase 

supabase login
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A browser window opens → log in → return to the terminal.

Step 5 — Link Your Local Project

Navigate to your cloned project:

cd path/to/your/project
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Then link:

supabase link --project-ref <your-project-id>
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Find the project reference in:
Supabase Dashboard → Project Settings → General Setting section

Step 6 — Push Migrations to Your Remote Supabase

If your local project contains:

supabase/migrations/
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Run:

supabase db push
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This will:

  • Compare migrations
  • Apply only pending ones
  • Update your remote Supabase PostgreSQL safely

Exactly what most real projects need.

🎉 You're Ready to Work with Supabase on Windows

You now have:

  • A fully working Supabase CLI
  • The correct installation method for Windows
  • Ability to push migrations
  • A setup that won’t break on updates
  • A clean dev environment that beginners and pros can trust

⭐ Extra Tips for Developers

Update Supabase CLI:

scoop update supabase
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Uninstall Supabase CLI:

scoop uninstall supabase
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See available Scoop apps:

scoop search supabase
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💬 Final Thoughts

Many developers — new or experienced — get stuck because older tutorials still mention npm installation.
This article gives the updated, correct, and officially recommended way to install Supabase CLI on Windows.

If you’re using Supabase in your projects, especially with frameworks like:

  • Next.js
  • Bold.new
  • Astro
  • Svelte
  • Laravel
  • Flutter

…this setup will save you hours of debugging.

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