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

# CLI Overview

> Introduction to the Swarms Command-Line Interface for managing agents and swarms

# Swarms CLI Overview

The Swarms CLI is a powerful command-line interface that provides comprehensive tools for creating, managing, and executing AI agents and swarms. It offers an intuitive way to interact with the Swarms framework directly from your terminal.

## Installation

The Swarms CLI is included with the main Swarms package:

```bash theme={null}
pip install -U swarms
```

To verify the installation:

```bash theme={null}
swarms help
```

## Quick Start

Get started with these common commands:

### Environment Setup

Check your environment configuration:

```bash theme={null}
swarms setup-check
```

For detailed diagnostics:

```bash theme={null}
swarms setup-check --verbose
```

### Interactive Chat Agent

Start a chat session with an AI agent:

```bash theme={null}
swarms chat
```

With a custom name and initial task:

```bash theme={null}
swarms chat --name "Assistant" --task "Hello, how can you help me?"
```

### Create a Custom Agent

Create and run a custom agent (interactive mode by default):

```bash theme={null}
swarms agent \
  --name "Research Agent" \
  --description "Analyzes research papers" \
  --system-prompt "You are an expert research analyst" \
  --task "Summarize the latest AI trends"
```

## Available Commands

The Swarms CLI provides the following command categories:

### Setup & Configuration

* `onboarding` - Run environment setup check
* `setup-check` - Comprehensive environment diagnostics
* `get-api-key` - Retrieve API keys from the platform
* `check-login` - Verify authentication status

### Agent Operations

* `agent` - Create and run custom agents
* `chat` - Interactive chat agent with optimized defaults
* `run-agents` - Execute agents from YAML configuration
* `load-markdown` - Load agents from markdown files

### Swarm Operations

* `autoswarm` - Generate and execute autonomous swarms
* `heavy-swarm` - Run HeavySwarm for complex task analysis
* `llm-council` - Run LLM Council with collaborative agents

### Utilities

* `help` - Display comprehensive command reference
* `features` - Show all available features
* `upgrade` - Update Swarms to the latest version

## Getting Help

For detailed information about any command:

```bash theme={null}
swarms <command> --help
```

View all available features:

```bash theme={null}
swarms features
```

Access the complete command reference:

```bash theme={null}
swarms help
```

## Environment Variables

The CLI uses several environment variables for configuration:

* `OPENAI_API_KEY` - OpenAI API key
* `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` - Anthropic API key
* `GOOGLE_API_KEY` - Google API key
* `COHERE_API_KEY` - Cohere API key
* `WORKSPACE_DIR` - Directory for agent workspaces and outputs

Set these in your `.env` file or export them directly:

```bash theme={null}
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
export WORKSPACE_DIR="./agent_workspace"
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Commands Reference" icon="list" href="/cli/commands">
    Explore all available CLI commands in detail
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="gear" href="/cli/configuration">
    Learn how to configure agents using YAML and environment variables
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Resources

* [Full CLI Documentation](https://docs.swarms.world/en/latest/swarms/cli/cli_reference/)
* [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/kyegomez/swarms/issues)
* [Community Discord](https://discord.gg/EamjgSaEQf)