Appium CLI — Creating an Appium Config File in “JSON” format(Step-by-Step) & With Field-by-Field Explanation

Get a step-by-step walkthrough in the video below!

What is Appium configuration file?

— Used to simplify running Appium server with predefined settings.

This file allows you to configure server arguments like ports, drivers, plugins, and log settings in one place.

🔹 Step 1: Understand the Appium Config File Purpose

Appium config files let you:

• Predefine server settings like port, host, base-path
• Set drivers and plugins
• Define log level and log file
• Avoid passing long command-line arguments

🔹 Step 2: Choose a File Format

Appium supports:

• JSON (preferred)
• YAML (also supported)
• Js(javascript)

Use .json for cross-platform consistency.

🔹 Step 3: Create a JSON Config File

Create a file named appium-config.json.

https://github.com/AppiumGuide/AppiumGuide/blob/main/config_files/appium-config.json

Step-by-Step Breakdown of “appium-config.json” file:

🔹 Step 1: Root Structure

The config file is divided into 3 major sections:

• “server” — Appium server settings
• “driver” — Mobile automation drivers (e.g., uiautomator2, xcuitest)
• “plugin” — Appium plugins to enhance functionality

🔹 Step 2: “server” Block

"server": {
        "port": 4723,
        "host": "0.0.0.0",
        "basePath": "/wd/hub",
        "logLevel": "info",
        "logFile": "./logs/appium.log",
        "relaxedSecurityEnabled": true,
        "allowCors": true,
        "useDrivers": ["uiautomator2", "xcuitest"],
        "usePlugins": ["element-wait"]
        }

🔸 Field-by-Field Explanation:

Key → Purpose

port → Port where Appium server will listen (default: 4723)

host → Host address (0.0.0.0 means listen on all interfaces)

basePath → WebDriver URL path (/ is standard)

logLevel → Verbosity of logs (info, debug, warn, etc.)

logFile → Path to store server logs (./logs/appium.log)

relaxedSecurityEnabled → Allows unsafe features like file upload, shell access (for advanced usage)

allowCors → Enables cross-origin requests for Appium server UI

useDrivers → Preloads the listed drivers at startup (Android & iOS)

usePlugins → Preloads plugins, here element-wait is activated

🔹 Step 3: “driver” Block

"driver": {
"uiautomator2": {
"version": "latest"
},
"xcuitest": {
"version": "latest"
}
}

🔸 Purpose:

Defines which versions of the mobile drivers to load.

🔹 Step 4: “plugins” Block

"plugin": {
      "images": {
      "active": true
                }
           }

🔸 Purpose:

Activates Appium plugins for enhanced functionality.

🔹 Step 5: Running with This Config

Once saved, start Appium with:

appium --config \path\appium-config.json

Press enter or click to view image in full size

Example:

Compare the values between appium logs Vs appium-config.json

GitHub Link:

GitHub - AppiumGuide/AppiumGuide

Contribute to AppiumGuide/AppiumGuide development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

🎬 Explore More! Watch My Latest Videos on YouTube!

AppiumGuide

📌 Step-by-Step Appium Tutorial for Beginners & Experts with Practical Examples 👍 ✅ Learn Appium from Scratch with…

www.youtube.com

Visit My Official Blog:

Home-Index Page

A comprehensive Appium guide for mobile app automation, covering setup, testing on iOS/Android, best practices, and…

appiumguide-by-kodumururamesh.blogspot.com