| name | context-drop |
| description | Use when an agent needs to share files, screenshots, logs, existing URLs, or targeted machine messages with Context Drop. Covers chain-aware uploads, uninitialized URL passthrough, pulling drops, and safe handling of sensitive data. |
Context Drop for Agents
Context Drop is a CLI for creating short-lived links to files and clipboard images, and for moving those files between machines/agents in a machine chain.
Safety rules
- Do not upload secrets, credentials,
.env files, private keys, customer data, or proprietary source archives unless the user explicitly asks for that exact data to be shared.
- Prefer the shortest useful TTL for sensitive-but-approved artifacts, for example
--ttl 15m or --ttl 1h.
- Clipboard integration is disabled by default. Use
--clipboard only when clipboard copying or clipboard image upload is explicitly useful.
- When reporting a link, say what was uploaded and the TTL if known.
Install or verify the CLI
Check first:
command -v context-drop && context-drop version
If missing, install the latest release:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mupt-ai/context-drop/main/install.sh | bash
Chain state
Uploads, listing, and pulling require a chain session token:
context-drop doctor
If missing, ask the user whether to initialize a new chain or join an existing one:
context-drop init --machine-name <name>
context-drop join <join-token> --machine-name <name>
Do not ask the user to paste chain session tokens into chat.
Share an existing URL when uninitialized
If the user only wants to pass through an existing http or https link and the CLI is not initialized/joined, run:
context-drop 'https://example.com/page'
The CLI prints the link as-is and warns that initialization is required for upload features. For machine-readable output:
context-drop --json 'https://example.com/page'
Note: URL passthrough is only an uninitialized fallback. When initialized, context-drop <arg> treats the argument as a file path to upload.
Upload a file
Use --json when you need the URL programmatically:
context-drop --json --ttl 1h ./artifact.png
For normal human-facing use:
context-drop --ttl 1h ./artifact.png
Add --clipboard only if the user wants the resulting link copied:
context-drop --clipboard --ttl 1h ./artifact.png
Send a file to a specific machine/agent
Find targets:
context-drop machines list
Send text:
context-drop send --to <machine-id-or-name> 'message'
Send a file. A single existing file argument is uploaded and sent as a message containing the drop id and URL:
context-drop send --to <machine-id-or-name> ./artifact.png
Upload the current clipboard image
With no path, Context Drop uploads the current clipboard image only when clipboard integration is enabled:
context-drop --json --clipboard --ttl 1h
This requires pngpaste on macOS, or wl-paste/xclip on Linux.
List and pull drops
List the current chain's drops:
context-drop list
context-drop list --json
Download the latest drop to /tmp/<filename>:
context-drop pull
Download a specific drop:
context-drop pull <id> --output ./downloaded-file --force
Wait for the next new image drop and download it:
context-drop pull --watch --timeout 2m --output ./image.png --force
Common failures
not initialized or joined; run context-drop init or context-drop join <token>: upload/list/pull needs a chain session token, or use uninitialized URL passthrough for an existing link.invalid or expired join token: create a fresh token from an already joined machine.no clipboard copy tool found: omit --clipboard, run context-drop config set clipboard false, or install wl-copy, xclip, or xsel on Linux.clipboard image support requires pngpaste: install pngpaste on macOS or upload a file path instead.- Upload rejected for size or TTL: retry with a smaller file or shorter TTL.
