Using the Flask CLI

| programming | python |

Who knew that flask had a cli? Previously I used to just use manage.py just like Django does it to “do stuff”. The CLI is great, but again it follows the theme of kind of wanting you to install your flask app. (I really should do this). So in order to get your app to work you must point the FLASK_APP variable to the actual python file (not your app module). This is true even if you have a true python module. For instance.

export FLASK_APP = blog/blog.py
flask run
Works, while
export FLASK_APP = blog
flask run
Does not. Even though blog consists of:
blog/
  __init__.py
  blog.py

Thank you for reading! Share your thoughts with me on bluesky, mastodon, or via email.

Check out some more stuff to read down below.

Most popular posts this month

Recent Favorite Blog Posts

This is a collection of the last 8 posts that I bookmarked.

Articles from blogs I follow around the net

Happy Holidays 2025

It wasn't the best of times or the worst of times. Well, it might be the worst of times.

via ODonnellWeb December 25, 2025

Clear your calendar, pour a favorite beverage, and immerse yourself into the year in music with reports from Simon Collison and Jon Hicks. Fantastic every year.

via Colin Devroe December 24, 2025

On Friday Deploys: Sometimes that Puppy Needs Murdering

It's the most wonderful time of the year: the pie, the eggnog, the eternal debates over whether deploy freezes cause more harm than good. 🤶🌲

via charity.wtf December 24, 2025

Generated by openring