zai-cli
Z.AI CLI providing: - Vision: image/video analysis, OCR, UI-to-code, error diagnosis (GLM-4.6V) - Search: real-time web search with domain/recency filtering - Reader: web page to markdown extraction - Repo: GitHub code search and reading via ZRead - Tools: MCP tool discovery and raw calls - Code: TypeScript tool chaining Use for visual content analysis, web search, page reading, or GitHub exploration. Requires Z_AI_API_KEY.
Best use case
zai-cli is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Z.AI CLI providing: - Vision: image/video analysis, OCR, UI-to-code, error diagnosis (GLM-4.6V) - Search: real-time web search with domain/recency filtering - Reader: web page to markdown extraction - Repo: GitHub code search and reading via ZRead - Tools: MCP tool discovery and raw calls - Code: TypeScript tool chaining Use for visual content analysis, web search, page reading, or GitHub exploration. Requires Z_AI_API_KEY.
Teams using zai-cli should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/zai-cli/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How zai-cli Compares
| Feature / Agent | zai-cli | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Z.AI CLI providing: - Vision: image/video analysis, OCR, UI-to-code, error diagnosis (GLM-4.6V) - Search: real-time web search with domain/recency filtering - Reader: web page to markdown extraction - Repo: GitHub code search and reading via ZRead - Tools: MCP tool discovery and raw calls - Code: TypeScript tool chaining Use for visual content analysis, web search, page reading, or GitHub exploration. Requires Z_AI_API_KEY.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# ZAI CLI
Access Z.AI capabilities via `npx zai-cli`. The CLI is self-documenting - use `--help` at any level.
## Setup
```bash
export Z_AI_API_KEY="your-api-key"
```
Get a key at: https://z.ai/manage-apikey/apikey-list
## Commands
| Command | Purpose | Help |
|---------|---------|------|
| vision | Analyze images, screenshots, videos | `--help` for 8 subcommands |
| search | Real-time web search | `--help` for filtering options |
| read | Fetch web pages as markdown | `--help` for format options |
| repo | GitHub code search and reading | `--help` for tree/search/read |
| tools | List available MCP tools | |
| tool | Show tool schema | |
| call | Raw MCP tool invocation | |
| code | TypeScript tool chaining | |
| doctor | Check setup and connectivity | |
## Quick Start
```bash
# Analyze an image
npx zai-cli vision analyze ./screenshot.png "What errors do you see?"
# Search the web
npx zai-cli search "React 19 new features" --count 5
# Read a web page
npx zai-cli read https://docs.example.com/api
npx zai-cli read https://docs.example.com/api --with-images-summary --no-gfm
# Explore a GitHub repo
npx zai-cli repo search facebook/react "server components"
npx zai-cli repo search openai/codex "config" --language en
npx zai-cli repo tree openai/codex --path codex-rs --depth 2
# Check setup
npx zai-cli doctor
```
## Output
Default: **data-only** (raw output for token efficiency).
Use `--output-format json` for `{ success, data, timestamp }` wrapping.
## Advanced
For raw MCP tool calls (`tools`, `tool`, `call`), Code Mode, and performance tuning (cache/retries),
see `references/advanced.md`.Related Skills
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