---
title: "axiom instance"
description: "Create Instances from a Generic node (type-bind, no build, no deploy)"
category: reference
surfaces: [cli]
related: [reference/cli/axiom, reference/cli/axiom-instance-create, reference/cli/axiom-instance-preview]
last_reviewed: 2026-06-06
---

<!-- GENERATED by docs/scripts/gen-cli-reference — DO NOT EDIT.
     Source of truth: the cobra command definitions in cmd/axiom/cmd/.
     Regenerate from the repo root with: go run ./docs/scripts/gen-cli-reference -->

# axiom instance

Create Instances from a Generic node (type-bind, no build, no deploy)

Create an Instance: a Generic node's generalized port(s) mapped onto a real,
specific type via a field mapping.

An Instance carries no code of its own — it shares the Generic node's
already-built, already-deployed image, so creating one is a pure type
binding: no git commit, no build, no Knative deploy.

```text
axiom instance create your-handle/orders-query \
  --generic-package acme/postgres-query --generic-node "Postgres Query" \
  --output-message OrderSummary --output-field id=int64 --output-field total=double
```

A facade field can also be a nested (not-yet-real) message, recursively, via
--output-fields-file/--input-fields-file; "axiom instance preview"
previews such a mapping's output before you commit to a shape.

Requires a prior "axiom login".

## Usage

```sh
axiom instance [flags]
axiom instance [command]
```

## Flags

| Flag | Shorthand | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `--help` | `-h` | bool |  | help for instance |

## Subcommands

| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| [axiom instance create](./axiom-instance-create.md) | Create a new Instance from a Generic node |
| [axiom instance preview](./axiom-instance-preview.md) | Preview the exact output a mapping produces, including not-yet-real (drafted) messages |

## See also

- [axiom](./axiom.md) — Axiom CLI — build and push node packages
- [axiom instance create](./axiom-instance-create.md) — Create a new Instance from a Generic node
- [axiom instance preview](./axiom-instance-preview.md) — Preview the exact output a mapping produces, including not-yet-real (drafted) messages