# Outline CLI > Search and manage Outline wiki documents and collections via the ol CLI - Skill: `doist/outline-cli` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add doist/outline-cli` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/doist/outline-cli/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: Doist (https://skillmd.com/u/doist) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/doist/outline-cli --- # Outline CLI (ol) Use this skill when the user wants to interact with their Outline wiki/knowledge base. ## Quick Reference - `ol search "query"` - Search documents - `ol doc list` - List documents - `ol doc get ` - Read a document - `ol doc open ` - Open document in browser - `ol doc create --title "Title" --collection ` - Create document - `ol col list` - List collections - `ol account` - List stored accounts; `ol account use ` sets the default ## Output Formats All list commands support: - `--json` - JSON output (essential fields) - `--ndjson` - Newline-delimited JSON (streaming) - `--full` - Include all fields in JSON ## Global Options - `--user ` - Act as a specific stored account, matched by Outline user ID or display name. Each `ol auth login` stores an account (accounts can live on different Outline instances), and `--user` selects which one a command runs as; the token, base URL, and OAuth client ID all resolve from that account. Must be placed **before** the command, e.g. `ol --user scott@example.com doc list`. Omitted, commands use the default account. Overridden by `OUTLINE_API_TOKEN` when set. ## Document References Documents can be referenced by: - URL ID (the slug suffix after the last hyphen) - Full Outline URL (auto-extracted) - Document ID ## Commands ### Search ```bash ol search "query" ol search "query" --limit 10 ol search "query" --collection ol search "query" --status published ol search "query" --json ``` ### Documents ```bash ol doc list --collection --limit 25 ol doc list --sort title --direction ASC ol doc get # Rendered markdown ol doc get --raw # Raw markdown ol doc get --json ol doc open # Open in browser ol doc create --title "Title" --collection --text "# Content" ol doc create --title "Title" --parent --text "# Content" # Nest under parent (collection inferred) ol doc create --title "Title" --collection --file ./doc.md ol doc update --title "New Title" ol doc update --file ./updated.md ol doc move --collection # Move to collection root ol doc move --parent # Nest under parent (collection inferred) ol doc archive ol doc unarchive ol doc delete --confirm ``` ### Collections ```bash ol col list ol col get ol col create --name "Name" --description "Desc" --color "#hex" ol col create --name "Private" --private ol col update --name "New Name" ol col delete --confirm ``` ### Authentication ```bash ol auth login # OAuth login (opens browser); prompts for base URL + client ID if needed ol auth login --base-url # Specify Outline base URL for this login (saved for future use) ol auth login --client-id # Specify OAuth client ID for this login (saved for future use) ol auth login --callback-port # Override local OAuth callback port ol auth login --read-only # Request read-only scopes (where supported by the Outline instance) ol auth login --json | --ndjson # Machine-readable success envelope ol auth status # Show current auth state ol auth status --json | --ndjson # Machine-readable status envelope ({id, team, baseUrl, source}) ol auth logout # Clear saved credentials ol auth logout --json | --ndjson # Machine-readable logout envelope ({ok: true}; --ndjson is silent) ol auth token # Save a personal API token (validates via auth.info, resolves identity) ol auth token --base-url # Save a token for a specific Outline instance ol auth token # Prompt for the token (hidden input; errors in non-interactive shells) ol auth token view # Print the bare stored token to stdout for scripts (no newline when piped; refuses when OUTLINE_API_TOKEN is set) ol --user auth token view # Print a specific stored account's token (--user is a root flag, before the command) ``` ### Accounts ```bash ol account # List stored accounts (default subcommand) ol account list # List stored accounts, default marked ol account list --json | --ndjson # Machine-readable list ({accounts, default}; --ndjson streams one per line) ol account current # Show the active account (honours --user and OUTLINE_API_TOKEN) ol account current --json | --ndjson # Discriminated by source: {source:"stored", account:{id, label, teamName, baseUrl, isDefault}} | {source:"env"} | {source:"legacy"} ol account use # Set the default account used when --user is omitted ol account use --json # Machine-readable envelope ({ok: true, default: }; --ndjson is silent) ol account remove # Remove a stored account (clears keyring + config entry) ol account remove --json # Machine-readable envelope ({ok: true, removed: }; --ndjson is silent) ``` ### Update & Changelog ```bash ol update # Update CLI to latest version ol update --check # Check for updates without installing, show channel ol update --check --json # Check for updates as a JSON envelope ol update --check --ndjson # Check for updates as NDJSON output ol update --channel # Show current update channel ol update switch --stable # Switch to stable release channel ol update switch --pre-release # Switch to pre-release (next) channel ol changelog # Show recent changelog entries ol changelog -n 3 # Show last 3 versions ``` ## Examples ### Find and read a document ```bash ol search "onboarding" --json | jq '.[0].document.urlId' ol doc get ``` ### Create a document from a file ```bash ol doc create --title "Meeting Notes" --collection --file ./notes.md --publish ``` ### List all collections and their documents ```bash ol col list --json ol doc list --collection --sort title --direction ASC ``` ### Bulk export with ndjson ```bash ol doc list --ndjson --full | jq -r '.title' ```