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OpenAPI to CLI

@awlevin

npx machina-cli add skill @awlevin/openapi2cli --openclaw
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OpenAPI to CLI

Generate command-line tools from OpenAPI/Swagger specs. Perfect for AI agents that need to interact with APIs without writing curl commands.

Quick Start

# generate a CLI from any OpenAPI spec
uvx openapi2cli generate https://api.example.com/openapi.json --output my-api

# use the generated CLI
python my-api.py users list
python my-api.py users get --id 123
python my-api.py posts create --title "Hello" --body "World"

Features

  • Auto-generates CLI from OpenAPI 3.x specs
  • Supports auth: API keys, Bearer tokens, Basic auth
  • Rich help: --help on any command shows params
  • JSON output: Structured responses for parsing
  • Dry-run mode: See the request without sending

Usage

# from URL
uvx openapi2cli generate https://api.example.com/openapi.json -o my-cli

# from local file  
uvx openapi2cli generate ./spec.yaml -o my-cli

# with base URL override
uvx openapi2cli generate ./spec.json -o my-cli --base-url https://api.prod.com

Generated CLI

# set auth via env
export MY_CLI_API_KEY="sk-..."

# or via flag
python my-cli.py --api-key "sk-..." users list

# see available commands
python my-cli.py --help

# see command options
python my-cli.py users create --help

Example: GitHub API

uvx openapi2cli generate https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/rest-api-description/main/descriptions/api.github.com/api.github.com.json -o github-cli

python github-cli.py repos list --owner octocat

Why?

AI agents work better with CLIs than raw HTTP:

  • Discoverable commands via --help
  • Tab completion friendly
  • No need to construct JSON payloads
  • Easy to chain with pipes

Links

Source

git clone https://clawhub.ai/awlevin/openapi2cliView on GitHub

Overview

OpenAPI to CLI generates command-line interfaces directly from OpenAPI/Swagger specs, letting AI agents interact with APIs without crafting curl commands. The generated CLIs support authentication, rich help, JSON outputs, and a dry-run mode to streamline automation.

How This Skill Works

The tool parses the OpenAPI specification and generates a Python-based CLI (via uvx) with endpoints exposed as subcommands. It includes built-in auth support (API keys, Bearer tokens, Basic auth), informative --help output, and JSON-formatted responses, with an option to override the base URL for different environments.

When to Use It

  • When you need a CLI for an API described by OpenAPI/Swagger.
  • When you want to avoid writing curl commands and payload handling.
  • When you require built-in authentication support (API keys, Bearer tokens, Basic auth).
  • When you need structured JSON responses for easy automation and parsing.
  • When you want to preview requests with a dry-run before sending.

Quick Start

  1. Step 1: uvx openapi2cli generate https://api.example.com/openapi.json --output my-api
  2. Step 2: python my-api.py users list
  3. Step 3: python my-api.py --help

Best Practices

  • Start with a small, representative endpoint to validate the generated CLI workflow.
  • Test the base URL override to ensure commands point to the correct environment.
  • Use --help to discover available commands and parameter details.
  • Store API keys securely (environment variables or secret managers) and pass them via env or flags.
  • Regenerate the CLI whenever the OpenAPI spec is updated to keep capabilities in sync.

Example Use Cases

  • Generate a GitHub API CLI and run repos list --owner octocat: uvx openapi2cli generate https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/rest-api-description/main/descriptions/api.github.com/api.github.com.json -o github-cli; python github-cli.py repos list --owner octocat
  • Authenticate via environment variable: export MY_CLI_API_KEY="sk-..." and run a command like python my-cli.py --api-key "sk-..." users list
  • Override base URL for a staging API: uvx openapi2cli generate ./spec.json -o my-cli --base-url https://api.staging.example.com
  • Generate from a local OpenAPI spec file and list resources: uvx openapi2cli generate ./openapi.yaml -o local-cli; python local-cli.py resources list
  • Dry-run to preview requests before sending: python my-cli.py users create --title 'Hello' --body 'World' --dry-run

Frequently Asked Questions

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