---
title: "Create a service"
url: "https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/alis-build/create-a-service/"
---
# Create a service

Register a new service in a product and get its working folders in both repositories. A service (called a neuron in resource names) is one deployable unit of a product: one contract, one or more images, one Terraform module.

## Prerequisites

- Builder access to the product.
- The product's repositories cloned with `alis clone <org>.<product>`.
- A package id for the service: `<org>.<product>.<path>.<vN>`, for example `acme.sh.orders.v1`. The path may have several segments, such as `acme.sh.internal.api.v2`.

## Steps

=== "CLI"

    1. Register the service.

        ```bash title="Terminal"
        alis service new acme.sh.orders.v1 --json
        ```

        The result names the service and the folders it created:

        ```json
        {
          "packageId": "acme.sh.orders.v1",
          "name": "organisations/acme/products/sh/neurons/orders-v1",
          "serviceId": "orders-v1",
          "created": true,
          "buildFolder": "/Users/you/alis.build/acme/build/sh/orders/v1",
          "defineFolder": "/Users/you/alis.build/acme/define/acme/sh/orders/v1",
          "next": ["..."]
        }
        ```

        Folders are created only in the repositories already on disk: `orders/v1` plus `orders/v1/infra` in the build repo, and `acme/sh/orders/v1` in the definitions repo. No files are generated.

    2. Write the contract in the define folder and publish it. See [Define your API](https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/alis-build/define-your-api.md).
    3. Write the implementation, a Dockerfile and `infra/` in the build folder. See [Write a Dockerfile for your service](https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/alis-build/write-a-dockerfile-for-your-service.md) and [Write infrastructure with Terraform](https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/alis-build/write-infrastructure-with-terraform.md).
    4. Commit and push, then build and deploy. See [Build a version](https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/alis-build/build-a-version.md).

=== "Console"

    1. Open the product and go to **Services**.
    2. Choose **Add neuron** and enter the identifier without its version, for example `orders`; the console adds the version and shows the neuron it will create, `orders-v1`.
    3. Run `alis clone acme.sh` on your machine, then create the folders yourself: `orders/v1` and `orders/v1/infra` in the build repo, and `acme/sh/orders/v1` in the definitions repo.

## Naming

| Part | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Build environment id | 3 to 21 lowercase letters or digits, starting with a letter | `acme` |
| Product id | two lowercase characters | `sh` |
| Service path | one or more lowercase segments | `orders`, `internal.api` |
| Version | `v` followed by a number | `v1`, `v2` |
| Service id | the path with `/` replaced by `-`, plus the version | `orders-v1`, `internal-api-v2` |

## Related

- [Package ids and folders](https://docs.alisx.com/reference/dbd/package-ids-and-folders.md)
- [Organisations, products and services](https://docs.alisx.com/explanation/organisations-products-services.md)