Clickhousectl Local Dev

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "organization": "ClickHouse Inc",
  "date": "March 2026",
  "abstract": "Step-by-step workflow for setting up a local ClickHouse development environment using clickhousectl. Covers installing the CLI, installing ClickHouse, initializing a project, starting a server, creating schemas, seeding data, and verifying the setup.",
  "references": [
    "https://clickhouse.com/docs",
    "https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhousectl"
  ]
}


---
name: clickhousectl-local-dev
description: Use when a user wants to build an application with ClickHouse, set up a local ClickHouse development environment, install ClickHouse, create a local server, create tables, or start developing with ClickHouse. Covers the full flow from zero to a working local ClickHouse setup.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
  author: ClickHouse Inc
  version: "0.2.0"
---

# Local ClickHouse Development Setup

This skill walks through setting up a complete local ClickHouse development environment using `clickhousectl`. Follow these steps in order.

## When to Apply

Use this skill when the user wants to:
- Build an application that needs an analytical database or ClickHouse specifically
- Set up a local ClickHouse instance for development
- Install ClickHouse on their machine
- Create tables and start querying ClickHouse locally
- Prototype or experiment with ClickHouse

---

## Step 1: Install clickhousectl

Check if `clickhousectl` is already available:

```bash
which clickhousectl
```

If not found, install it:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://clickhouse.com/cli | sh
```

This installs `clickhousectl` to `~/.local/bin/clickhousectl` and creates a `chctl` alias.

**If the command is still not found after install:** The user may need to add `~/.local/bin` to their PATH or open a new terminal session. Suggest:

```bash
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
```

Once installed, `clickhousectl skills` can be used to install the latest ClickHouse Agent Skills.

---

## Step 2: Install ClickHouse and set the default

Install the latest ClickHouse version and set it as the system default:

```bash
clickhousectl local use latest
```

This installs ClickHouse, sets it as the default version used by `clickhousectl local` commands, and symlinks `~/.local/bin/clickhouse` to the binary, putting `clickhouse` on your PATH (meaning you can invoke `clickhouse` directly, e.g. `clickhouse client` if needed).

You can use other version specifiers like `stable`, `26.4`, `26.4.2.10` when needed.

---

## Step 3: Initialize the project

From the user's project root directory:

```bash
clickhousectl local init
```

This creates a standard folder structure:

```
clickhouse/
  tables/                 # CREATE TABLE statements
  materialized_views/     # Materialized view definitions
  queries/                # Saved queries
  seed/                   # Seed data / INSERT statements
```

**Note:** This step is optional. If the user already has their own folder structure for SQL files, skip this and adapt the later steps to use their paths.

---

## Step 4: Start a local server

```bash
clickhousectl local server start --name <name>
```

This starts a ClickHouse server in the background.

**To check running servers and see their exposed ports:**

```bash
clickhousectl local server list
```

---

## Step 5: Create the schema

Based on the user's application requirements, write CREATE TABLE SQL files.

**Write each table definition to its own file** in `clickhouse/tables/`:

```bash
# Example: clickhouse/tables/events.sql
```

```sql
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS events (
    timestamp DateTime,
    user_id UInt32,
    event_type LowCardinality(String),
    properties String
)
ENGINE = MergeTree()
ORDER BY (event_type, timestamp)
```

When designing schemas, if the `clickhouse-best-practices` skill is available, consult it for guidance on ORDER BY column selection, data types, and partitioning.

**Apply the schema to the running server:**

```bash
clickhousectl local client --name <n