macOS
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brew install ask-clilocal Homebrew formula metadata
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Install ask-cli with Homebrew
CLI tool for Alexa Skill Kit. Version 2.30.7 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
CLI tool for Alexa Skill Kit
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ask
history
Project history and usage
ASK CLI is Amazon's command-line interface for the Alexa Skills Kit. It creates, manages, tests, and deploys Alexa skills, wrapping both higher-level project workflows and lower-level Skill Management API operations.
Project history
The alexa/ask-cli repository was created in December 2016 under the Alexa GitHub organization. Amazon's documentation presents it as the command-line front door for Alexa skill development, with commands for configuring credentials, creating projects from templates, deploying skill packages and Lambda code, and testing deployed skills.
The v2 line is the modern shape documented by Amazon: `ask configure` initializes Amazon developer and optional AWS credentials; `ask new` creates local skill projects; `ask deploy` publishes the skill manifest, interaction model, and backend resources; and `ask dialog` simulates conversations against a skill.
Adoption history
ASK CLI's adoption is tied to the Alexa developer ecosystem rather than general-purpose command-line culture. It is distributed through npm and Homebrew, and the official README points users to npm global installation. Homebrew analytics show modest but continuing installs, consistent with a specialized vendor SDK tool.
Amazon's documentation also made ASK CLI the documented workflow for Alexa-hosted skills, AWS Lambda backed skills, and skill package management. That gave the tool real operational weight for developers who wanted reproducible Alexa deployments instead of only using the web console.
How it is used
A typical session starts with `ask configure`, which opens a browser login to an Amazon developer account and creates the `~/.ask/cli_config` profile file. Developers then run `ask new`, edit the generated skill-package, lambda, infrastructure, and ask-resources files, and deploy with `ask deploy`.
The command reference distinguishes high-level commands such as `new`, `deploy`, and `configure` from low-level `smapi` commands that expose more direct control over Skill Management API calls.
Why package nerds care
ASK CLI is a classic vendor CLI package: not glamorous, but important because it captures a cloud product's deployment contract in a versioned tool. For package nerds it is interesting as a Node-distributed CLI that is also bottled by Homebrew, and as an example of a platform SDK where local config, cloud credentials, generated project files, and API wrappers all meet.
Timeline
- 2016: alexa/ask-cli repository created.
- 2023: v2.30.x releases published through GitHub releases.
- 2024: v2.30.7 published as the latest GitHub release observed in the official repository metadata.
- 2026: Homebrew API lists stable version 2.30.7.
Related projects
- The README and docs connect ASK CLI to Alexa Skills Kit, SMAPI, AWS Lambda, AWS CloudFormation deployers, Alexa-hosted skills, and ASK SDKs.
Sources
- https://api.github.com/repos/alexa/ask-cli
- https://api.github.com/repos/alexa/ask-cli/releases
- https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-command-reference.html
- https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-intro.html
- https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/manage-credentials-with-ask-cli.html
- https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/quick-start-alexa-skills-kit-command-line-interface.html
- https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/ask-cli.json
- https://github.com/alexa/ask-cli#readme
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 10 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.ask/cli_configask-resources.json
Credential files
Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.
- Unix
~/.ask/cli_config
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ask | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-25
manager version2.30.7
manager updated2026-06-15
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-intro.html
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-intro.htmlnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ask-cli |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.30.7 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ask-cli |
| Homepage | https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-intro.html |
| Repository | https://github.com/alexa/ask-cli |
| Upstream docs | https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-command-reference.html |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://registry.npmjs.org/ask-cli/-/ask-cli-2.30.7.tgz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-15T10:20:10-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | node |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | ask-cli |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment