Jasper0122 CLI-Anything · ArcGIS Pro
An agent-native interface to ArcGIS Pro via its official ArcPy API. ArcGIS Pro is closed-source, so it can't be auto-generated like CLI-Anything's QGIS harness — this harness wraps the real ArcPy/Pro SDK instead.
Two modes:
- Headless CLI (
cli-anything-arcgis-pro) — batch/automation over.aprxprojects and geodatabases. JSON output for every command. - Live bridge + MCP (
live-bridge/) — an in-process ArcGIS Pro add-in that exposes the OPEN project to an agent over MCP; the user watches operations happen in the Pro window.
Headless CLI
Install into ArcGIS Pro's Python (arcgispro-py3), then:
cli-anything-arcgis-pro --json info
Rules:
- Put
--jsonBEFORE the subcommand. Output is one line:{"ok": true, "data": ...}or{"ok": false, "error": ..., "type": ..., "arcpy_messages": ...}. - Start with
infoto confirm the license (ArcInfo/ArcEditor) and extensions. - Paths are full Windows paths; a feature class inside a gdb is
C:\path\data.gdb\featureclass.
Commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
info |
ArcPy version, license, extensions. Call first. |
project inspect <aprx> / project layers <aprx> [--map] |
Maps, layouts, layers, data sources. |
layout list <aprx> |
Layouts, page sizes, map-series status. |
layout export <aprx> --layout --out [--format] [--dpi] |
★ Export one layout (PDF/PNG/TIFF/JPEG/SVG/EPS). |
layout mapseries <aprx> --layout --out [--pages] [--dpi] |
★ Export a Map Series / map book to one paged PDF. |
data describe/fields/count/query/calc <dataset> |
Inspect & edit feature classes / tables. |
gp <tool> -a ... --kw k=v [--checkout EXT] |
Run ANY geoprocessing tool (analysis.Buffer, …). |
batch export-layouts <aprx> --out-dir [--format] [--dpi] |
Export every layout in a project. |
Examples:
cli-anything-arcgis-pro --json gp analysis.Buffer -a C:\d.gdb\roads -a C:\d.gdb\roads_buf --kw buffer_distance_or_field="100 Meters"
cli-anything-arcgis-pro --json layout export C:\proj\city.aprx --layout "Main" --out C:\out\main.pdf --dpi 300
cli-anything-arcgis-pro --json data query C:\d.gdb\roads --where "POP > 1000" --fields "NAME,POP" --geometry
Live bridge + MCP (operate the OPEN Pro)
The CLI above is headless (it touches files, not the running app). To drive the
live ArcGIS Pro session, build & install the add-in in live-bridge/ and
register the MCP server. It exposes tools: arcgis_ping, arcgis_export_layout,
arcgis_zoom_to, arcgis_query, arcgis_run_gp (the last runs the entire
ArcToolbox on the open project, with results added to the live map). See
live-bridge/README.md.
Notes
- ArcPy holds a single-use license; avoid concurrent heavy commands on one project.
- A locked
.aprx(open in Pro) can block edits to its data from the headless CLI — use the live bridge for the open project instead. - On Windows shells prefer
--kw key="value with spaces"over JSON to avoid quoting issues.