> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.senderkit.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Install @senderkit/cli, authenticate, and learn the global flags.

`@senderkit/cli` is a single-binary `senderkit` command that sends notifications,
lists templates, and inspects message history from your terminal. It wraps the
same REST surface as the [TypeScript SDK](/sdks/typescript) and bundles the
[MCP server](/mcp/overview).

## Install

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash npm theme={null}
  npm install -g @senderkit/cli
  ```

  ```bash pnpm theme={null}
  pnpm add -g @senderkit/cli
  ```

  ```bash bun theme={null}
  bun add -g @senderkit/cli
  ```

  ```bash npx theme={null}
  npx @senderkit/cli --help
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Requires Node.js 18 or newer. After installing, verify it's on your path:

```bash theme={null}
senderkit --version
```

## Authenticate

Every command (except `--help` and `--version`) needs an API key. The CLI looks
in three places, in this order:

1. The `--api-key <key>` flag on the command.
2. The `SENDERKIT_API_KEY` environment variable.
3. `~/.senderkit/config.json` — populated by `senderkit login` or `senderkit config set apiKey …`.

For interactive setup, `login` is the easiest path. It prompts, verifies the
key against the API by listing your templates, and saves it with `0600`
permissions:

```bash theme={null}
senderkit login
# SenderKit API key: sk_test_…
# ✓ Saved API key to /Users/you/.senderkit/config.json
```

For non-interactive setup (CI provisioning, dotfiles), set the value directly:

```bash theme={null}
senderkit config set apiKey sk_test_…
senderkit config list  # API key shown masked, e.g. sk_test_xyz…ABCD
```

Or pass it inline for one-off scripts:

```bash theme={null}
SENDERKIT_API_KEY=sk_test_… senderkit templates list
senderkit templates list --api-key sk_test_…
```

<Note>
  Mode (live vs test) is encoded in the key prefix — `sk_live_…` sends real
  mail; `sk_test_…` synthesizes the full
  [lifecycle](/concepts/messages) without leaving the building. See
  [Environments](/concepts/environments).
</Note>

## Global flags

These work on every command and resolve before the subcommand runs.

<ParamField path="--api-key <key>">
  API key. Overrides `SENDERKIT_API_KEY` and `~/.senderkit/config.json`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--base-url <url>">
  Override the API base URL. Also resolvable via `SENDERKIT_BASE_URL` or
  `senderkit config set baseUrl …`. Useful for staging environments and
  self-hosted deployments.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--json">
  Print the raw JSON response instead of human-readable text. The shape matches
  the [REST response](/api-reference/introduction) for the underlying endpoint,
  so it pipes cleanly into `jq` or a downstream script.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--version">
  Print the CLI version and exit.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--help">
  Print contextual help. Works at any level — `senderkit --help`,
  `senderkit messages list --help`.
</ParamField>

## Managing config

`~/.senderkit/config.json` stores `apiKey` and `baseUrl`. Three subcommands
manage it:

```bash theme={null}
senderkit config set apiKey sk_test_…
senderkit config set baseUrl https://api.staging.senderkit.com
senderkit config get apiKey   # printed masked
senderkit config list         # prints all values, apiKey masked
```

The file is written with `0600` permissions so other users on the machine can't
read your key.

## Output and exit codes

The CLI is built for both humans and pipelines:

* **Human mode (default)** prints aligned tables for list commands and `key:
  value` blocks for object responses, with a green `✓` on successful sends.
* **JSON mode (`--json`)** prints the raw SDK response — same shape as the
  [REST API](/api-reference/introduction).
* **Exit codes:** `0` on success, `1` on any error (auth failure, validation,
  rate limit, network, anything else). Errors print to `stderr`; results print
  to `stdout`, so you can pipe results without losing error visibility.

```bash theme={null}
senderkit templates list --json | jq '.[].slug'
senderkit messages list --status failed --json > failed.json
```

## Utility commands

### `senderkit context`

Report the connected workspace and the active send mode:

```bash theme={null}
senderkit context
# workspace: Acme Inc
# slug:      acme
# mode:      test
```

Fetches `GET /v1/context` so the result is authoritative and workspace-aware.
Add `--json` to get `{ workspace: { id, slug, name }, mode }` as structured
output.

## MCP server

The CLI also bundles the SenderKit MCP server, exposed as `senderkit mcp` and
`senderkit mcp install`. That surface is documented separately — see
[MCP Server](/mcp/overview).

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="send" icon="paper-plane" href="/cli/send">
    Fire a template or raw send from the terminal.
  </Card>

  <Card title="templates" icon="file-lines" href="/cli/templates">
    List and inspect templates by slug.
  </Card>

  <Card title="messages" icon="list-check" href="/cli/messages">
    Query message history and filter by status, channel, or template.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP Server" icon="plug" href="/mcp/overview">
    Hand the same operations to Claude, Cursor, and other AI clients.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>