| name | bitwarden-cli |
| description | Use this skill when the user wants to manage passwords, credentials, and secrets with Bitwarden — log in, unlock vault, list/search items, get credentials, generate passwords, create/edit/delete items, or use Bitwarden Send. |
Bitwarden CLI Plugin
Official command-line password manager from Bitwarden. Binary name: bw.
Commands
Self
bitwarden self version — Print bw version
Vault
bitwarden vault login — Log into a Bitwarden account
bitwarden vault unlock — Unlock the vault
bitwarden vault status — Get vault status
bitwarden vault sync — Sync vault with server
bitwarden vault lock — Lock the vault
bitwarden vault logout — Log out
bitwarden config set — Set config values (e.g., self-hosted server)
Items
bitwarden item list — List vault items (passwords, notes, cards, identities)
bitwarden item get — Get item details by ID
bitwarden item create — Create a new item from JSON
bitwarden item edit — Edit an existing item
bitwarden item delete — Delete an item
Generate
bitwarden generate password — Generate a strong password or passphrase
Send
bitwarden send create — Create a Bitwarden Send (text or file)
Export
bitwarden export vault — Export vault data to CSV or JSON
Passthrough
bitwarden _ _ — Passthrough for any bw command
Usage Examples
- "Log me into Bitwarden"
- "List all my passwords for example.com"
- "Get the password for my work email account"
- "Generate a 20-character password with special chars"
- "Create a new login item for github with username 'javi'"
- "Sync my vault with the server"
- "Export my vault to CSV"
- "Create a send with a text message"
Installation
npm install -g @bitwarden/cli
brew install bitwarden-cli
Quick Start
bw login user@example.com
bw unlock
export BW_SESSION="<session_key>"
bw list items --search github
bw get password <item-id>
bw generate --length 20 --uppercase --lowercase --number --special
bw status
Session Key
After bw unlock, the CLI outputs a session key. Set it as an environment variable for scripting:
export BW_SESSION="<session_key>"
Without BW_SESSION, most commands require interactive unlock.
Key Features
- Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Self-hosted server support
- Organization management
- Bitwarden Send (secure file/text sharing)
- TOTP code generation
- Vault export
- Encrypted vault sync across devices
- CLI-friendly JSON output