{"schema_version":"1.0","publisher":"Primitive SDKs","canonical_url":"https://test.abhinandan.one/cli-overview/cli-generic-api-access","markdown_url":"https://test.abhinandan.one/cli-overview/cli-generic-api-access.md","article":{"id":"e15c8673-70f9-4284-a975-47b0fcb149c2","article_slug":"cli-generic-api-access","parent_article_slug":"cli-overview","parent_article_title":"What is the Primitive CLI?","kind":"reference","published_at":"2026-08-11T18:54:56.784969+00:00","keywords":["primitive list-operations","primitive emails:list-emails","primitive describe","api-command","generated API commands","operation manifest CLI"],"meta_description":"Every generated Primitive API operation is callable from the primitive CLI as tag:operation-id, with list-operations and describe for discovery.","og_image_url":null,"source_file_paths":["cli-node/src/oclif/commands/agent-upgrade.ts"],"recording_id":null,"replayable":false,"task_name":"Direct API Access and Generic Commands","category":"CLI","summary":null,"description":"Call any generated Primitive API operation directly from the CLI without waiting for a dedicated task-oriented command, and explore the full operation manifest with list-operations, describe, and completion helpers.","content_kind":"repo_page","content_markdown":"The `primitive` CLI exposes every operation in the [operation manifest](operation-manifest) as a generic command, in addition to the task-oriented commands (`primitive send`, `primitive functions deploy`, and so on) documented elsewhere. Use the generic form when a task-oriented command doesn't exist yet, or when you need full schema parity with the underlying OpenAPI operation.\n\n## Generic operation commands\n\nEvery generated operation is callable directly as `tag:command`, where the command name is the kebab-cased operation id from the manifest:\n\n```bash\nprimitive emails:list-emails\nprimitive sending:reply-to-email\n```\n\nReach for the task-oriented commands (`primitive send`, `primitive reply`, `primitive memories`, `primitive routes`) for normal workflows. The generic `tag:operation-id` form stays available for compatibility and full schema parity, and exposes every field the OpenAPI schema declares rather than a curated subset:\n\n```bash\nprimitive send --to alice@example.com --body \"Hello\"\n```\n\n## Listing every operation\n\n`primitive list-operations` prints the full [operation manifest](operation-manifest) as JSON: every operation's command name, HTTP method, path, parameters, and inlined request/response JSON Schemas.\n\n```bash\nprimitive list-operations\n```\n\nPipe it through `jq` to inspect a single operation's shape without probing the server with malformed payloads:\n\n```bash\nprimitive list-operations | jq '.[] | select(.command == \"send-email\")'\nprimitive list-operations | jq '.[] | select(.command == \"send-email\") | .requestSchema'\n```\n\nThis is the same manifest data the CLI's generic `api-command` path and `describe` helper read from; `list-operations` is the raw dump for scripting and agent tooling.\n\n## Describing an operation\n\n`primitive describe` prints one operation's manifest entry, by command name: method, path, parameters, and the inlined request/response schemas. Use it instead of `list-operations | jq` when you already know which operation you want:\n\n```bash\nprimitive describe send-email\n```\n\nThe response schema is derived from the operation's 200/201 envelope with the `data` field peeled off, so what's printed is the shape you actually get back, not the full `{ success, data, meta }` envelope.\n\n## api-client plumbing\n\nEvery command, generic or task-oriented, builds its request client with `createAuthenticatedCliApiClient`, a wrapper over the shared [PrimitiveApiClient](primitive-api-client) from `@primitivedotdev/api-core`. It resolves the API key (the `--api-key` flag, `PRIMITIVE_API_KEY`, or saved OAuth login credentials) and the base URL, then hands back an authenticated client that each command passes to a specific generated operation function.\n\nErrors from any generated operation call go through a shared error-payload extractor (`extractErrorPayload`) and a shared printer (`writeErrorWithHints`), so the error code, message, gates, and request id read the same whether you called a task-oriented command or a bare `tag:operation-id` command. A 401 additionally triggers an unauthorized hint pointing at re-authentication.\n\n## Shell completion and endpoint test redirects\n\nBash/zsh/powershell/fish completion setup and the internal `endpoints-test-redirect` helper (exercised by `primitive routes-test` and `primitive functions-test-function`) are covered on [Shell Completion and Endpoint Test Redirects](cli-completion-and-utilities).\n\n## Next steps\n\n\n\n\n\nLook up the exact fields every manifest entry carries: command name, method, path, parameters, and inlined schemas.\n\n\n\n\n\nUnderstand the host-aware client every generated command and SDK method builds on, and its PrimitiveApiError shape.\n\n\n\n\n\nSee how command groups, oclif, and the generated operation surface fit together.\n\n\n\n\n\nSet up completion scripts and use the endpoints-test-redirect helper.\n\n\n\n","canonical_base_url":"https://test.abhinandan.one","seo_indexing_enabled":true,"last_modified":"2026-08-21T18:22:43.359885+00:00","video_url":null,"voiceover_url":null,"tools_used":[],"demonstrated_by":[],"steps":[],"related_links":[],"intro":null,"prerequisites":[],"verification":[],"troubleshooting":[],"suggest_edit_url":"https://github.com/abhi-browzer/primitive-sdks/edit/main/cli-node/src/oclif/commands/agent-upgrade.ts","raise_issue_url":"https://github.com/abhi-browzer/primitive-sdks/issues/new?title=Docs+feedback%3A+Direct+API+Access+and+Generic+Commands&body=Page%3A+https%3A%2F%2Ftest.abhinandan.one%2Fcli-generic-api-access","page_feedback_enabled":true,"verified_ref":null,"verified_at":"2026-08-11T18:38:45.205849+00:00"}}