Zero-Config Setup (`nat init`)

nat init inspects your project and generates a .natrc configuration file automatically — no manual editing required.

Quick use: Run nat init in your project root. NAT detects your framework, finds your OpenAPI spec, and writes .natrc — one command, zero config.

What it does

nat init performs three steps automatically:

Detects your framework — scans package.json, requirements.txt, pom.xml, Gemfile, etc.
Finds your OpenAPI spec — searches common locations (openapi.yaml, swagger.json, docs/api.yaml, etc.)
Generates .natrc — writes a ready-to-use configuration file in the current directory

Usage

nat init [flags]

Flags

Flag	Description
`--ci`	Generate a CI-optimized config (adds `--fail-on high`, SARIF output, `--no-color`)
`--force`	Overwrite an existing `.natrc`
`--template <name>`	Use a starter template (`express`, `fastapi`, `django`, `spring`, `rails`)

Framework detection

nat init recognizes the following frameworks automatically:

Framework	Detection signal
Express / Node	`package.json` with `express` dependency
FastAPI	`requirements.txt` or `pyproject.toml` with `fastapi`
Django	`manage.py` or `django` in requirements
Spring Boot	`pom.xml` or `build.gradle` with `spring-boot`
Rails	`Gemfile` with `rails`
Go (chi / gin)	`go.mod` with `chi` or `gin`
Laravel	`composer.json` with `laravel/framework`

If your framework is not detected automatically, use --template to select the closest match:

nat init --template express

OpenAPI spec detection

nat init searches these locations in order:

./openapi.yaml / ./openapi.json
./swagger.yaml / ./swagger.json
./docs/openapi.yaml
./api/openapi.yaml
./src/openapi.yaml
Running server at http://localhost:<port>/openapi.json (common FastAPI/Springdoc endpoint)

If a spec is found, the path is written to .natrc automatically. If none is found, a placeholder is written and a warning is shown.

Generated `.natrc` example

Running nat init on a FastAPI project produces something like:

# .natrc — generated by nat init v1.5.0
# Edit this file to customize your NAT configuration.
 
mode: saas
spec: ./openapi.yaml
base_url: http://localhost:8000
 
auth:
  type: bearer
  token: "${NAT_API_TOKEN}"
 
scan:
  fail_on: medium
  output_format: text
  max_findings: 50
 
export:
  type: none

CI-optimized `.natrc`

Running nat init --ci generates an extended config ready for pipeline use:

# .natrc — generated by nat init --ci v1.5.0
 
mode: saas
spec: ./openapi.yaml
base_url: "${BASE_URL}"
 
auth:
  type: bearer
  token: "${NAT_API_TOKEN}"
 
scan:
  fail_on: high
  output_format: sarif
  no_color: true
  max_findings: 100
 
export:
  type: github
  github_token: "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
  github_repo: "${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}"
  export_min_severity: high

CI/CD integration

Run `nat init --ci` locally

nat init --ci

This creates a .natrc tuned for CI: SARIF output, high severity threshold, no color codes.

Commit `.natrc` to your repository

git add .natrc
git commit -m "chore: add NAT zero-config CI setup"
git push

Use in GitHub Actions

Because .natrc is committed, the nat-action picks it up automatically — no workflow inputs required:

- name: Run NAT scan
  uses: nat-testing/nat-action@v1
  with:
    api-key: ${{ secrets.NAT_API_KEY }}

The action reads fail_on, output_format, and all other settings from .natrc.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
`nat init` says "framework not detected"	Use `--template <name>` to specify manually
`nat init` says "spec not found"	Pass `--spec <path>` or edit the placeholder in `.natrc` after generation
`.natrc` already exists and `nat init` refuses to overwrite	Add `--force` to overwrite the existing file
Generated `base_url` is wrong	Edit `.natrc` directly or re-run with `--force` after updating your env

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Zero-Config Setup (nat init)