# How to Create a Brewfile 2026

Published January 1, 2026 · Updated June 25, 2026

Create a Brewfile to reproduce your Mac setup: dump your current apps with brew bundle dump, edit the file, then run brew bundle to reinstall everything.

## Steps

1. **Capture your current setup.** The fastest way to create a Brewfile is to dump what you already have installed. This writes a Brewfile listing every tap, formula, and cask on your Mac.

```
brew bundle dump --file=~/Brewfile
```

2. **Understand the format.** A Brewfile is plain text. Each line is one entry: tap adds a source, brew installs a CLI tool, cask installs a GUI app, and mas installs a Mac App Store app. Here is a minimal example:

```
tap "homebrew/bundle"

brew "git"
brew "node"

cask "visual-studio-code"
cask "raycast"
cask "rectangle"
```

3. **Edit it to taste.** Open ~/Brewfile in any editor and add or remove lines. Keep only the apps you actually want on a fresh machine — this file becomes your canonical setup.

4. **Install everything from it.** On this or any new Mac (with Homebrew installed), run brew bundle to install every entry in one pass.

```
brew bundle --file=~/Brewfile
```

5. **Version-control it.** Commit your Brewfile to a Git repo (often alongside your dotfiles). Now your entire app setup is reproducible on any Mac in two commands: install Homebrew, then brew bundle.

```
git add Brewfile && git commit -m "Add Brewfile"
```

## FAQ

### What is a Brewfile?

A Brewfile is a plain-text manifest of your Homebrew taps, formulae (CLI tools), and casks (GUI apps). Running brew bundle installs everything listed in it, so your whole setup is captured in one version-controllable file.

### How do I generate a Brewfile from my current Mac?

Run brew bundle dump --file=~/Brewfile. Homebrew writes a Brewfile describing every tap, formula, and cask currently installed. Add --force to overwrite an existing file.

### How do I install everything in a Brewfile?

Run brew bundle --file=~/Brewfile. Homebrew installs every entry; lines already installed are skipped, so it is safe to re-run.

### Can a Brewfile include Mac App Store apps?

Yes. Install the mas CLI (brew install mas), then add lines like mas "Things 3", id: 904280696. brew bundle will install them via the App Store.

## Related

- [How to set up a new Mac (with a Brewfile)](https://bundl.run/guides/set-up-a-new-mac)
- [How to use Homebrew — essential commands](https://bundl.run/guides/how-to-use-homebrew)
- [What is Homebrew?](https://bundl.run/glossary/homebrew)
- [Generate a Brewfile from the apps you pick](https://bundl.run/build)

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