- name
- api2cli
- description
- 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.
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
bun --version || curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bashWorkflow
Follow all steps in order — do not skip any.
1. Search the registry first
Before generating anything, check if a CLI already exists:
npx api2cli search <query>If the registry already has the CLI you need, install it instead of rebuilding it:
npx api2cli install <name>See 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
npx api2cli create <app> --base-url <url> --auth-type bearerSee 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 for the CRUD template and library API.
5. Build, link, and test
npx api2cli bundle <app>
npx api2cli link <app>
<app>-cli --help
<app>-cli <resource> list --jsonapi2cli link adds ~/.local/bin to PATH automatically. No export PATH needed.
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.
- Introspect the CLI: run
<app>-cli --help, then<resource> --helpand<resource> <action> --helpfor every resource and action - Update the description: list all resource names and add domain-specific trigger phrases
- Set the category: replace
{{CATEGORY}}with the correct value (e.g.social-media,email,devtools) - Write the task-oriented sections: replace
{{WHEN_TO_USE_HELP}},{{CAPABILITIES_HELP}}, and{{USE_CASES_HELP}}with domain-specific guidance - Build resource tables: for each resource, create a command table with every action and its real flags (from
--helpoutput) - Add Quick Reference + Output Format: include
--helpcommands and document the JSON envelope - Remove all placeholders: no
{{...}}or<!-- TODO -->should remain - Validate: run at least one command to confirm the skill's examples are accurate
See references/skill-generation.md for the full introspection workflow, format, quality checklist, and symlink instructions.
To also link skills for OpenClaw:
npx api2cli link <app> --openclawSee references/openclaw.md for the one-prompt setup, ClawHub publishing, API key auto-detection, and custom --skills-path usage.
Also available on ClawHub: npx clawhub install api2cli
7. Publish (when user asks)
Before any publish target, run these pre-flight checks:
- Verify
ghCLI is authenticated: rungh auth status. If not logged in, ask the user to rungh auth loginfirst. Stop and wait. - Check if the CLI is already on GitHub: run
git remote get-url originin 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 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 for auth, package.json validation, build, verify, and publish workflow. Also see 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.
- Auth: run
npx clawhub login. If not authenticated, ask the user to complete login first. Stop and wait. - Push the skill: run
npx clawhub publish <cli-dir>/skills/<app>-cli --slug <app>-cli - After publish, users can install with:
npx clawhub install <app>-cliSee 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.
- Auth: run
npx sundial-hub auth status. If not authenticated, ask the user to runnpx sundial-hub auth loginfirst. Stop and wait. - Push the skill: run
npx sundial-hub push <cli-dir>/skills/<app>-cli --visibility public --categories coding - After publish, users can install with:
npx sundial-hub add <sundial-username>/<app>-cliTo 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 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)