CLI overview

The Zavu CLI drives everything the API does, plus the things only a terminal can: scaffolding a function, running a tool handler locally, and asking an agent what it would say before anyone hears it.

terminal
npx zavudev --help

No install needed — npx fetches it. If you use it daily:

terminal
npm i -g zavudev     # then just `zavu`

Authenticate

terminal
npx zavudev login       # opens your browser, saves a fresh API key
npx zavudev whoami      # which project and team you are pointed at
npx zavudev logout

Credentials land in ~/.zavu/credentials.json.

Without a browser

For CI, a container, or a coding agent, set the key in the environment instead. No login, no writable home directory:

terminal
export ZAVUDEV_API_KEY=zv_live_…
npx zavudev agents list

Variable	Effect
`ZAVUDEV_API_KEY`	Used instead of the saved credentials file
`ZAVUDEV_API_BASE_URL`	Points at a non-production deployment
`CI` / `ZAVU_NO_ANIMATE`	Disables terminal animation (also off automatically when output is piped)

The loop

Most of what you do is free and instant. Only the last step costs anything.

flowchart LR
    A["npx zavudev agents pull"] --> B["edit index.ts"]
    B --> C["npx zavudev fn invoke --tool"]
    C --> D["npx zavudev deploy"]
    D --> E["npx zavudev agents test"]
    E --> B
    E --> F["a real message or call"]

Command	Cost	What it tells you
`npx zavudev fn invoke --tool`	free	A handler does what you think, without deploying
`npx zavudev deploy`	free	Your declarations are live
`npx zavudev agents list`	free	What actually landed
`npx zavudev agents test`	free	What the agent would reply
`npx zavudev calls create`	billed	Everything else

Reading the output

Warnings before the checkmark. npx zavudev deploy prints its summary and any warnings above the success line, and exits non-zero when your declarations were not synced. Those warnings cover the cases where a green deploy did not do what it looks like.

Errors name the field. A rejected body tells you which one:

Code
✗ Invalid request body [invalid_request]
  steps.0.nextStepId: Expected string, received null

--json for scripting. Most list and read commands take it. Tables are for humans; --json is stable.

Exit codes. 0 success, 1 failure, 2 a local invoke whose target was not found. Safe to use in CI.

Getting help

terminal
npx zavudev --help
npx zavudev agents --help
npx zavudev agents create --help
npx zavudev help agents create   # same thing, any depth

Command groups

Group	What it covers
`agents`	Create, test, connect, and inspect agents
`functions` (alias `fn`)	Scaffold, deploy, invoke, logs, secrets, rollback
`calls`	Voice calls and transcripts — see agents
`messages`	Send and inspect messages
`senders`	Sender profiles: numbers, WhatsApp, email
`contacts`, `broadcasts`, `templates`	Contacts, campaigns, WhatsApp templates
`phone-numbers`	Search, buy, assign
`email-domains`	Add and verify sending domains
`10dlc`, `addresses`, `documents`, `urls`	Compliance
`sub-accounts`, `invitations`	White-label projects and onboarding
`balance`, `introspect`, `exports`	Account and utilities

Every group answers --help with its own subcommands and flags. That is the authority — this site describes the same thing in prose.