ClaudeKit CLI

Fast, secure command-line tool for bootstrapping and managing ClaudeKit-powered projects from private GitHub releases.

ClaudeKit CLI (ck) helps you create and manage ClaudeKit-powered projects. Built with Bun and TypeScript, it provides a beautiful interface for project setup, updates, and maintenance.

Key Features

Multi-tier GitHub authentication with secure credential storage
Streaming downloads with progress tracking and platform optimization
Smart file merging with conflict detection
Automatic skill directory migration with parallel processing
Automatic system dependency installation
Smart update notifications with 7-day cache
Beautiful CLI interface with interactive prompts

Quick Install

Install the CLI globally using your preferred package manager:

# npm (recommended)
npm install -g claudekit-cli

# bun
bun add -g claudekit-cli

# pnpm
pnpm add -g claudekit-cli

# yarn
yarn global add claudekit-cli

For detailed installation instructions including prerequisites and verification steps, see Installation.

Verify Installation

ck --version

You’ll see output like:

CLI Version: 3.10.1
Local Kit Version: 1.16.0 (ClaudeKit Engineer)

Available Commands

Command	Description
`ck new`	Create a new ClaudeKit project
`ck init`	Initialize or update ClaudeKit in existing project
`ck doctor`	Run health checks and diagnostics
`ck versions`	List available kit versions
`ck update`	Update CLI to latest version
`ck uninstall`	Remove ClaudeKit installation

Quick Start

Create a New Project

# Interactive mode (recommended)
ck new

# With options
ck new --kit engineer --dir my-project

# Include beta versions in selection
ck new --beta

# Auto-install skill dependencies
ck new --install-skills

Full documentation

Initialize Existing Project

# Add ClaudeKit to your existing project
cd my-existing-project
ck init

# Non-interactive mode with defaults
ck init --yes

# Global installation (user-level config)
ck init --global

Full documentation

Health Check

# Run diagnostics
ck doctor

# Auto-fix issues
ck doctor --fix

# Generate shareable report
ck doctor --report

Full documentation

Prerequisites

Before using ClaudeKit CLI, you need:

Purchase a ClaudeKit Starter Kit from ClaudeKit.cc
Get Repository Access - You will receive access to private GitHub repositories after purchase
Install GitHub CLI and authenticate with gh auth login

Without a purchased kit and repository access, the CLI cannot download project templates.

Authentication

ClaudeKit CLI uses a multi-tier authentication system:

GitHub CLI (gh auth token)
Environment Variables (GITHUB_TOKEN)
Config File (~/.claudekit/config.json)
OS Keychain (secure storage)
User Prompt (with save option)

For setup instructions, see Installation - Authentication.

Kit Selection

When creating a new project, choose from available kits:

Kit	Best For	Status
Engineer	Software development, automation, testing	Available
Marketing	Content creation, campaigns, analytics	Coming Soon

Global vs Local Installation

ClaudeKit supports two installation modes:

Local (default): Install to .claude/ in your project directory
Global: Install to ~/.claude/ for user-level configuration

Use ck init --global for global installation, or ck init for local (project-specific) installation.

Configuration

Configuration is stored in ~/.claudekit/config.json:

{
  "github": {
    "token": "stored_in_keychain"
  },
  "defaults": {
    "kit": "engineer",
    "dir": "."
  }
}

For full configuration reference, see Configuration.

Next Steps

Installation - Detailed setup guide
ck new - Create your first project
ck init - Add to existing project
ck doctor - Troubleshooting
Configuration - Customize your settings