---
name: "buf-build"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "buf"
version: "1.75.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/buf-build"
---

# buf-build(1)

Build Protobuf files into a Buf image

## NAME

buf-build - Build Protobuf files into a Buf image

## SYNOPSIS

**buf build  \[flags\]**

## DESCRIPTION

The first argument is the source or module to build or image to convert, which must be one of format \[binpb,dir,git,json,mod,protofile,tar,txtpb,yaml,zip\]. This defaults to "." if no argument is specified.

## OPTIONS

**--as-file-descriptor-set**\[=false\]\
 	Output as a google.protobuf.FileDescriptorSet instead of an image Note that images are wire compatible with FileDescriptorSets, but this flag strips the additional metadata added for Buf usage

**--config**=""\
 	The buf.yaml file or data to use for configuration

**--disable-symlinks**\[=false\]\
 	Do not follow symlinks when reading sources or configuration from the local filesystem By default, symlinks are followed in this CLI, but never followed on the Buf Schema Registry

**--error-format**="text"\
 	The format for build errors printed to stderr. Must be one of \[text,json,msvs,junit,github-actions,gitlab-code-quality\]

**--exclude-imports**\[=false\]\
 	Exclude imports.

**--exclude-path**=\[\]\
 	Exclude specific files or directories, e.g. "proto/a/a.proto", "proto/a" If specified multiple times, the union is taken

**--exclude-source-info**\[=false\]\
 	Exclude source info

**--exclude-source-retention-options**\[=false\]\
 	Exclude options whose retention is source

**-h**, **--help**\[=false\]\
 	help for build

**-o**, **--output**="/dev/null"\
 	The output location for the built image. Must be one of format \[binpb,json,txtpb,yaml\]

**--path**=\[\]\
 	Limit to specific files or directories, e.g. "proto/a/a.proto", "proto/a" If specified multiple times, the union is taken

**--type**=\[\]\
 	The types (package, message, enum, extension, service, method) that should be included in this image. When specified, the resulting image will only include descriptors to describe the requested types. A type name may end with ".\*\*" to recursively include the named element and everything nested beneath it, such as a package and all of its sub-packages

## OPTIONS INHERITED FROM PARENT COMMANDS

**--debug**\[=false\]\
 	Turn on debug logging (env BUF\_DEBUG)

**--log-format**="color"\
 	The log format text,color,json ⟨env BUF\_LOG\_FORMAT⟩

**--timeout**=0s\
 	The duration until timing out, setting it to 0 means no timeout (env BUF\_TIMEOUT)

## SEE ALSO

**[buf(1)](/buf/1.md)**

## HISTORY

2026-10-22 Auto generated by spf13/cobra