CLI reference

All commands and flags available with the ADK CLI.

The ADK CLI provides commands for creating, developing, building, and deploying Botpress agents.

Global flags

These flags are available for all commands:

Flag	Alias	Description
--verbose	-v	Enable verbose logging
--help	-h	Show help information

Commands

adk init

Initialize a new ADK agent project.

Usage:

adk init my-agent
adk init my-agent --template hello-world

Arguments:

Argument	Description
project-name	Name of the project directory to create

Flags:

Flag	Description	Default
--template	Template to use: blank or hello-world	blank
--package-manager	Package manager: npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun	bun

---

adk dev

Start the development server with hot reloading.

Usage:

adk dev

Flags:

Flag	Description	Default
--port	Port for the development server	3000
--source-map	Generate source maps for debugging	true

Description:

The dev command:

1. Generates TypeScript types for your integrations
2. Builds your agent
3. Starts a local development server
4. Watches for file changes and automatically rebuilds

You’ll be prompted to authenticate with Botpress Cloud if you haven’t already.

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adk build

Build your agent for production.

Usage:

adk build

Flags:

Flag	Description	Default
--source-map	Generate source maps	true

Description:

Compiles your agent and creates an optimized build in the .botpress/dist directory. The build includes:

• Compiled TypeScript code
• Bundled dependencies
• Generated type definitions
• Source maps (if enabled)

---

adk deploy

Deploy your agent to Botpress Cloud.

Usage:

adk deploy

Flags:

Flag	Description	Default
--bot-id	Bot ID to deploy to (creates new bot if not provided)
--no-build	Skip the build step	false

Description:

Deploys your agent to your Botpress workspace. If no --bot-id is provided, a new bot will be created. The command will:

1. Build your agent (unless --no-build is specified)
2. Upload the built agent to Botpress Cloud
3. Make your agent available for use

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adk add

Add an integration to your agent project.

Usage:

adk add webchat
adk add slack@latest
adk add my-workspace/custom-integration@1.0.0

Arguments:

Argument	Description
integration	Integration name with optional version (e.g., webchat@latest or slack@1.2.0)

Description:

Adds an integration to your dependencies.json file and generates TypeScript types for it. The integration is automatically enabled by default.

Examples:

• adk add webchat - Add latest webchat integration
• adk add slack@0.5.0 - Add specific version of Slack integration
• adk add my-workspace/custom@latest - Add integration from a specific workspace

---

adk chat

Chat with your deployed bot directly from the CLI.

Usage:

adk chat my-bot-id

Arguments:

Argument	Description
bot-id	Bot ID to chat with

Description:

Opens an interactive chat session with your deployed bot. Useful for testing your agent’s responses.

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Project scripts

The ADK also provides npm scripts that you can use in your package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "adk dev",
    "build": "adk build",
    "deploy": "adk deploy"
  }
}

Run these with your package manager:

npm run dev
bun run dev
pnpm dev
yarn dev