algolia-cli

name	algolia-cli
description	Use this skill whenever a user wants to execute operations against Algolia indices or accounts — deleting records, copying/migrating indices, backing up data, importing/exporting records, managing API keys, editing synonyms, configuring rules, changing settings like facets, clearing indices, or automating Algolia in CI/CD pipelines. The key signal is that the user wants to *act on* their Algolia data or configuration (server-side / backend / admin operations), regardless of whether they mention "CLI" or "command line." If someone names a specific Algolia index and wants to change, move, query, or manage it, use this skill. Do NOT use for frontend search UI work (InstantSearch, React components, autocomplete widgets), Algolia dashboard GUI questions, or evaluating Algolia vs. other providers.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"algolia","version":"1.0"}

Algolia CLI

Manage Algolia search infrastructure from the terminal using the algolia CLI.

When to Use This Skill vs. algolia-mcp

Need	Use
Write/modify data (import, delete, update records)	algolia-cli (this skill)
Manage configuration (settings, rules, synonyms)	algolia-cli (this skill)
Auth (login, logout, signup via OAuth)	algolia-cli (this skill)
Admin operations (API keys, profiles, index copy/move)	algolia-cli (this skill)
Backup/restore indices	algolia-cli (this skill)
Search queries and view results	algolia-mcp
Analytics (top searches, click rates, no-results)	algolia-mcp
Recommendations (related products, trending)	algolia-mcp

Rule of thumb: If the user wants to read or analyze data → algolia-mcp. If they want to change, move, or manage data → algolia-cli.

Setup

Run /algolia-cli:cli-setup to install the CLI and configure a profile, or follow Getting Started.

Tip: algolia auth login is the easiest way to set up credentials — it handles OAuth sign-in and profile creation in one step. Use algolia profile add for non-interactive / CI setups where you already have an API key.

Command Quick Reference

Auth

Task	Command
Sign in (opens browser)	algolia auth login
Sign in (select app by name)	algolia auth login --app-name "My App" --default
Sign in (no browser / SSH)	algolia auth login --no-browser
Sign out	algolia auth logout
Create new account	algolia auth signup

Profile

Task	Command
Add profile (non-interactive)	algolia profile add --name "default" --app-id "<ID>" --api-key "<KEY>" --default
List profiles	algolia profile list
Remove a profile	algolia profile remove "<name>" -y
Set default profile	algolia profile setdefault "<name>"

Application

Task	Command
List applications	algolia application list
Create application	algolia application create --name "My App" --region CA
Create (non-interactive, dry-run)	algolia application create --name "My App" --region CA --dry-run
Switch active application	algolia application select --app-name "My App"

API Keys

Task	Command
List API keys	algolia apikeys list
Create API key	algolia apikeys create --acl search,browse --description "..." --indices "idx1,idx2"
Get API key	algolia apikeys get <key>
Delete API key	algolia apikeys delete <key> -y

Search

Task	Command
Search an index	algolia search <index> --query "<query>"
Search with filters	algolia search <index> --query "<query>" --filters "<filter>"
Paginated search	algolia search <index> --query "<query>" --hitsPerPage 10 --page 2

Indices

Task	Command
List all indices	algolia indices list
Delete an index	algolia indices delete <index> -y
Clear records (keep settings)	algolia indices clear <index> -y
Copy index	algolia indices copy <src> <dst> -y
Copy only settings	algolia indices copy <src> <dst> --scope settings -y
Move/rename index	algolia indices move <src> <dst> -y

Objects (Records)

Task	Command
Browse all records	algolia objects browse <index>
Browse specific attributes	algolia objects browse <index> --attributesToRetrieve title,price
Import records from file	algolia objects import <index> -F data.ndjson
Import from stdin	cat data.ndjson | algolia objects import <index> -F -
Delete by IDs	algolia objects delete <index> --object-ids id1,id2 -y
Delete by filter	algolia objects delete <index> --filters "type:obsolete" -y
Partial update	algolia objects update <index> -F updates.ndjson

Settings

Task	Command
Get settings	algolia settings get <index>
Set a setting	algolia settings set <index> --typoTolerance="false"
Import settings from file	algolia settings import <index> -F settings.json
Import and forward to replicas	algolia settings import <index> -F settings.json -f

Rules

Task	Command
Browse all rules	algolia rules browse <index>
Import rules	algolia rules import <index> -F rules.ndjson -y
Replace all rules	algolia rules import <index> -F rules.ndjson -c -y
Delete rules by ID	algolia rules delete <index> --rule-ids id1,id2 -y

Synonyms

Task	Command
Browse all synonyms	algolia synonyms browse <index>
Import synonyms	algolia synonyms import <index> -F synonyms.ndjson
Replace all synonyms	algolia synonyms import <index> -F synonyms.ndjson -r
Delete synonyms by ID	algolia synonyms delete <index> --synonym-ids id1,id2 -y
Save a single synonym	algolia synonyms save <index> --id my-syn --synonyms foo,bar

Crawler

Task	Command
List crawlers	algolia crawler list
List by app	algolia crawler list --app-id <app-id>
Get crawler details	algolia crawler get <id>
Get config only	algolia crawler get <id> --config-only
Create crawler	algolia crawler create <name> -F config.json
Start/resume crawler	algolia crawler run <id>
Pause crawler(s)	algolia crawler pause <id> [<id2> ...]
Reindex crawler(s)	algolia crawler reindex <id> [<id2> ...]
Unblock crawler	algolia crawler unblock <id> -y
Crawl specific URLs	algolia crawler crawl <id> --urls url1,url2
Test URL against crawler	algolia crawler test <id> --url <url>
Test with config override	algolia crawler test <id> --url <url> -F config.json
Get crawl statistics	algolia crawler stats <id>

Most crawler commands support --dry-run to preview the request without sending it: create, run, pause, reindex, unblock, test.

Auth: Crawler commands require ALGOLIA_CRAWLER_USER_ID and ALGOLIA_CRAWLER_API_KEY env vars, or crawler_user_id/crawler_api_key in the profile config file.

Synonym Type Guide

Choosing the right synonym type matters for search quality:

• synonym (regular/two-way): All terms are interchangeable. Use when the words truly mean the same thing in both directions. Example: "sneakers" ↔ "trainers" — searching either should find the other.
• oneWaySynonym: Only the input term expands to include the synonyms, not the reverse. Use when a short/abbreviated term should match longer/specific terms, but not vice versa. Example: "TV" → "television", "flat screen" — searching "TV" finds "television" results, but searching "television" does NOT return "TV" results.

Rule of thumb: If the user says "searching X should also match Y", that's one-way (input: X, synonyms: [Y]). If they say "X and Y should be equivalent/interchangeable", that's two-way.

Describe

Task	Command
Describe root command tree	algolia describe
Describe a command	algolia describe search
Describe a subcommand	algolia describe objects browse

Key Conventions

1. Always use non-interactive mode. Destructive commands need -y (or --confirm) to skip confirmation prompts. This includes objects delete, indices delete/clear/copy/move, rules import/delete, synonyms delete, and apikeys delete. Without -y, the CLI will hang waiting for user input. Note: objects import, objects update, and synonyms import do not have a -y flag — they run non-interactively by default.
2. ndjson format. objects browse, objects import, rules browse/import, and synonyms browse/import use newline-delimited JSON (one JSON object per line), not JSON arrays.
3. Profile flag. Use -p <profile> to target a non-default profile. Omit it to use the default.
4. Credential precedence. Environment variables override all other configuration. The resolution order is: env vars > CLI flags (--application-id, --api-key) > profile config file > default profile. Supported env vars: ALGOLIA_APPLICATION_ID, ALGOLIA_API_KEY, ALGOLIA_ADMIN_API_KEY, ALGOLIA_SEARCH_HOSTS, ALGOLIA_CRAWLER_USER_ID, ALGOLIA_CRAWLER_API_KEY. If env vars are set, --profile/-p is ignored for those credentials.
5. Wait flag. Use -w (or --wait) when subsequent commands depend on the operation completing (e.g., import then search).
6. Pipe between commands. Copy data across indices: algolia objects browse SRC | algolia objects import DST -F -
7. JSON output. Use --output json (or -o json) when you need machine-readable output.

Common Workflows

Migrate records between indices (with field filtering)

algolia objects browse SOURCE --attributesToRetrieve objectID,title,price \
  | algolia objects import DEST -F - -w

Full index backup

algolia objects browse MY_INDEX > my_index_records.ndjson
algolia settings get MY_INDEX > my_index_settings.json
algolia rules browse MY_INDEX > my_index_rules.ndjson
algolia synonyms browse MY_INDEX > my_index_synonyms.ndjson

Note: settings use .json (standard JSON), everything else uses .ndjson (newline-delimited JSON).

Restore from backup

algolia objects import MY_INDEX -F my_index_records.ndjson -w
algolia settings import MY_INDEX -F my_index_settings.json -w
algolia rules import MY_INDEX -F my_index_rules.ndjson -c -y -w
algolia synonyms import MY_INDEX -F my_index_synonyms.ndjson -r -w

Direct Invocation

If the skill doesn't trigger automatically, users can invoke it directly:

• /algolia-cli — Load the full skill into context for any Algolia CLI task
• /algolia-cli:cli-setup — Install the CLI and configure a profile

This is useful when the request is brief (e.g., "import my data into Algolia") and the skill might not auto-trigger.

Reference Docs

• Getting Started — Installation and profile setup
• Command Reference — Full syntax, flags, and examples for every command