# Api2cli

> Generate or discover a CLI + AgentSkill for any REST API. Use when: user says 'create a CLI for X', 'wrap this API', 'search if a CLI exists', 'install an existing CLI', 'make a skill for X', 'publish my CLI', 'publish to npm', 'push to github'. Handles registry search, install, discovery, scaffolding, resource implementation, building, linking, skill generation, npm publishing, and GitHub publishing.

- Skill: `melvynx/api2cli` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 11 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add melvynx/api2cli`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/melvynx/api2cli/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- Author: melvynx (https://skillmd.com/u/melvynx)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/melvynx/api2cli

---


# api2cli

Turn any REST API into a standardized, agent-ready CLI.

Always use `npx api2cli` to run commands. Always use `--json` when calling generated CLIs programmatically.

## Prerequisites

```bash
bun --version || curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
```

## Workflow

Follow all steps in order — do not skip any.

### 1. Search the registry first

Before generating anything, check if a CLI already exists:

```bash
npx api2cli search <query>
```

If the registry already has the CLI you need, install it instead of rebuilding it:

```bash
npx api2cli install <name>
```

See [references/commands.md](references/commands.md) for filters like `--type`, `--category`, and `--json`.

### 2. Discover the API

Find the API docs or OpenAPI spec. Identify: base URL, auth type, auth header, all resources and endpoints.

### 3. Create the scaffold

```bash
npx api2cli create <app> --base-url <url> --auth-type bearer
```

See [references/create.md](references/create.md) for all flags and what gets generated.

### 4. Implement resources

Create `~/.cli/<app>-cli/src/resources/<resource>.ts` for each API resource. Register in `src/index.ts`.

See [references/resource-patterns.md](references/resource-patterns.md) for the CRUD template and library API.

### 5. Build, link, and test

```bash
npx api2cli bundle <app>
npx api2cli link <app>
<app>-cli --help
<app>-cli <resource> list --json
```

`api2cli link` adds `~/.local/bin` to PATH automatically. No `export PATH` needed.

It also wires the skill in two steps:

1. **Canonical**: `~/.agents/skills/<app>-cli` → `~/.cli/<app>-cli/skills/<app>-cli`
2. **Per-agent**: each existing agent folder (`~/.claude/skills`, `~/.cursor/skills`, `~/.openclaw/workspace/skills`) gets `<app>-cli` symlinked to the canonical entry.

Override either side with flags:

```bash
# Custom canonical folder
npx api2cli link <app> -f ~/.agents/skills

# Custom destinations (replaces auto-detected ones)
npx api2cli link <app> -d ~/.claude/skills ~/.cursor/skills

# Combine both
npx api2cli link <app> -f ~/.agents/skills -d ~/.claude/skills
```

### 6. Finalize skill and README

**This step is mandatory.** The skill must become a real operating guide for another agent, not just a command list — no placeholders, no TODOs.

1. **Introspect the CLI**: run `<app>-cli --help`, then `<resource> --help` and `<resource> <action> --help` for every resource and action
2. **Update the description**: list all resource names and add domain-specific trigger phrases
3. **Set the category**: replace `{{CATEGORY}}` with the correct value (e.g. `social-media`, `email`, `devtools`)
4. **Write the task-oriented sections**: replace `{{WHEN_TO_USE_HELP}}`, `{{CAPABILITIES_HELP}}`, and `{{USE_CASES_HELP}}` with domain-specific guidance
5. **Build resource tables**: for each resource, create a command table with every action and its real flags (from `--help` output)
6. **Add Quick Reference + Output Format**: include `--help` commands and document the JSON envelope
7. **Remove all placeholders**: no `{{...}}` or `<!-- TODO -->` should remain
8. **Validate**: run at least one command to confirm the skill's examples are accurate

See [references/skill-generation.md](references/skill-generation.md) for the full introspection workflow, format, quality checklist, and symlink instructions.

OpenClaw is auto-detected if `~/.openclaw/` exists. To force-include it (or any other folder) regardless:

```bash
npx api2cli link <app> -d ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills
```

See [references/openclaw.md](references/openclaw.md) for the one-prompt setup, ClawHub publishing, and API key auto-detection.

Also available on ClawHub: `npx clawhub install api2cli`

### 7. Publish (when user asks)

Before any publish target, run these pre-flight checks:

1. **Verify `gh` CLI is authenticated**: run `gh auth status`. If not logged in, ask the user to run `gh auth login` first. **Stop and wait.**
2. **Check if the CLI is already on GitHub**: run `git remote get-url origin` in the CLI directory.
   - If no remote exists → the CLI is not on GitHub yet. **Automatically run the GitHub publish flow first** (see below) before proceeding to npm or registry publish.
   - If a remote exists → already on GitHub, continue.

#### To GitHub

Push the CLI to a public GitHub repo.

See [references/publish-to-github.md](references/publish-to-github.md) for pre-flight checks, repo creation, and push workflow.

#### To npm

Requires the CLI to be on GitHub first (for `repository` field in package.json). If not on GitHub, run the GitHub publish flow above first.

Publish the CLI to the npm registry so users can `npm i -g <name>` or `npx <name>`.

See [references/publish-to-npm.md](references/publish-to-npm.md) for auth, package.json validation, build, verify, and publish workflow. Also see [references/package-checklist.md](references/package-checklist.md) for the field-by-field package.json reference.

#### To ClawHub

Publish the generated skill to ClawHub so OpenClaw users can discover and install it.

1. **Auth**: run `npx clawhub login`. If not authenticated, ask the user to complete login first. **Stop and wait.**
2. **Push the skill**: run `npx clawhub publish <cli-dir>/skills/<app>-cli --slug <app>-cli`
3. After publish, users can install with:
   ```bash
   npx clawhub install <app>-cli
   ```

See [references/openclaw.md](references/openclaw.md) for the full OpenClaw setup workflow.

#### To Sundial Hub

Publish the generated skill to the Sundial Hub so any agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, etc.) can install it.

1. **Auth**: run `npx sundial-hub auth status`. If not authenticated, ask the user to run `npx sundial-hub auth login` first. **Stop and wait.**
2. **Push the skill**: run `npx sundial-hub push <cli-dir>/skills/<app>-cli --visibility public --categories coding`
3. After publish, users can install with:
   ```bash
   npx sundial-hub add <sundial-username>/<app>-cli
   ```

#### To api2cli.dev registry

Requires the CLI to be on GitHub first. If not on GitHub, run the GitHub publish flow above first.

Register on api2cli.dev so others can install with `npx api2cli install <name>`.

See [references/publish.md](references/publish.md) for the registry publish workflow.

## Conventions

```
<app>-cli <resource> <action> [flags]
<app>-cli auth set|show|remove|test
```

`--json` returns: `{ "ok": true, "data": [...], "meta": { "total": 42 } }`

Other flags: `--format <text|json|csv|yaml>`, `--verbose`, `--no-color`, `--no-header`

Exit codes: 0 = success, 1 = API error, 2 = usage error

Tokens: `~/.config/tokens/<app>-cli.txt` (chmod 600)