Using the CLI

The VibeDepot CLI (@vibedepot/cli) is a command-line tool for scaffolding, testing, and publishing apps.

Installation

npm install -g @vibedepot/cli

Commands

`vibedepot init [name]`

Scaffold a new VibeDepot app with an interactive wizard.

vibedepot init my-app

Prompts:

App name — If not provided as an argument, the CLI asks for it.
Category — Choose from: productivity, writing, coding, files, research, data, media, integrations, utilities, fun.
Template — Choose a starter template.

Templates:

Template	Description	Default Permissions
`vanilla`	Plain HTML/CSS/JS	`storage.kv`
`react`	React with Vite	`ai`, `storage.kv`
`chat`	Chat interface	`ai`, `storage.kv`
`file-processor`	File handling app	`ai`, `storage.kv`, `storage.files`
`api-integration`	External API app	`ai`, `storage.kv`, `network`

Output:

my-app/
├── manifest.json    # Pre-filled with your choices
└── index.html       # Template-specific starter code

For the react template, additional files and a package.json are included. Run npm install and npm run build before previewing.

`vibedepot preview [path]`

Preview your app in VibeDepot via sideloading.

vibedepot preview           # Current directory
vibedepot preview ./my-app  # Specific path

Behavior:

macOS — Opens VibeDepot.app with a --sideload argument.
Linux — Runs vibedepot-shell --sideload.
Windows / Fallback — Prints manual sideloading instructions.

Changes to your app files auto-reload in the running window.

Requirements:

A valid manifest.json must exist in the target directory.
VibeDepot must be installed and running.

`vibedepot validate [path]`

Validate your app against all publishing requirements.

vibedepot validate           # Current directory
vibedepot validate ./my-app  # Specific path

Checks performed:

#	Check	Status on Failure
1	Manifest schema	Fail
2	Entry file exists	Fail
3	Bundle size ≤ 5 MB	Fail
4	No hardcoded API keys	Fail
5	Permissions match source usage	Warn
6	Valid semver version	Fail
7	Kebab-case app ID	Fail
8	Thumbnail exists	Warn

Exit codes:

0 — All checks pass (warnings are OK)
1 — One or more checks failed

Example output:

Validation Results:

  ✓ Manifest schema: Valid manifest.json
  ✓ Entry file: Found index.html
  ✓ Bundle size: 0.12 MB
  ✓ API key scan: No hardcoded keys found
  ⚠ Permissions: Unused: network
  ✓ Version: v0.1.0
  ✓ App ID: my-app
  ⚠ Thumbnail: No thumbnail (optional)

`vibedepot publish [path]`

Bundle and submit your app to the registry.

vibedepot publish           # Current directory
vibedepot publish ./my-app  # Specific path

Steps performed:

Permission auto-detection — Scans source code for Bridge API usage. If permissions are used but not declared, they’re automatically added to manifest.json.
Validation — Runs all 8 checks from vibedepot validate.
Bundle creation — Creates a ZIP file and computes a SHA256 checksum.
GitHub PR — Opens your browser with a pre-filled PR URL.

Output:

Validating...

  ✓ Manifest schema: Valid manifest.json
  ✓ Entry file: Found index.html
  ...

Creating bundle...
  Bundle: /path/to/my-app-0.1.0.zip
  Checksum: a1b2c3d4...

Opening GitHub...

✓ Done! Follow the instructions in your browser to create the pull request.
  Bundle location: /path/to/my-app-0.1.0.zip

Next Steps

Building Your First App — Full app tutorial
Publishing to the Registry — The complete publishing workflow
Manifest Reference — All manifest fields