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Getting Started

CmdForge lets you build custom AI-powered CLI commands using simple YAML configuration. Create tools that work with any AI provider and compose them like Unix pipes.

What is CmdForge?

CmdForge is a lightweight personal tool builder that lets you:

  • Create custom CLI commands that call AI providers
  • Chain prompts with Python code for complex workflows
  • Use tools like Unix pipes - read from stdin, write to stdout
  • Share and discover tools through the registry

Quick Start

Get up and running in under a minute:

# Install CmdForge
pip install cmdforge

# Create your first tool (choose your style)
cmdforge          # Desktop application with visual builder
cmdforge create   # CLI wizard

# Or install a tool from the registry
cmdforge registry install official/summarize

# Discover tools from scripts or an AI coding assistant
cmdforge list --json --filter "summarize" --limit 10
cmdforge registry search "summarize text" --json --limit 5

# Run a one-off prompt without creating a tool
cat article.txt | cmdforge run-once "Summarize this:

{input}"

# Use it!
cat article.txt | summarize

# Or use the interactive picker to browse and run tools
cf

Two Ways to Build

cmdforge launches the desktop application with a visual builder. cmdforge create uses a command-line wizard. Both create the same YAML config files.

Using CmdForge with Coding Agents

CmdForge can expose installed tools to supported coding hosts over MCP. Preview the configuration first; CmdForge updates only its marked policy block and does not expose tools that you have not explicitly allowed.

cmdforge mcp configure codex --dry-run
cmdforge mcp configure codex

# Claude Code is supported too
cmdforge mcp configure claude-code --dry-run

For a reusable workflow owned by an application, create it inside that application's .cmdforge/ directory. Do not modify the CmdForge source repository merely to add a tool for another project.

cd your-project
cmdforge create classify-docs --project

# Or use the official AI-assisted creator
cmdforge registry install official/forge-tool
echo "Create a bounded document classifier"   | forge-tool --name classify-docs --project

How It Works

Each tool is a YAML file that defines:

  1. Arguments - Custom flags your tool accepts
  2. Steps - Prompts to send to AI or Python code to run
  3. Output - How to format the final result

Here's a simple example:

name: summarize
version: "1.0.0"
description: Summarize text using AI

arguments:
  - flag: --max-length
    variable: max_length
    default: "200"
    description: Maximum summary length in words

steps:
  - type: prompt
    provider: claude
    prompt: |
      Summarize the following text in {max_length} words or less:

      {input}
    output_var: summary

output: "{summary}"

Next Steps

Get Help

Stuck? Have questions? We've got you covered:

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