# Install ask-cli with Homebrew CLI tool for Alexa Skill Kit. Version 2.30.7 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:ask-cli ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install ask-cli ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:ask-cli - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.30.7 - **Source summary:** CLI tool for Alexa Skill Kit - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-15T10:20:10-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-25T07:20:51+00:00 ## Executables - ask (cli) - ask (alias) ## Dependencies - node ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-25 - Package-manager version: 2.30.7 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-15 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-intro.html - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## 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 - - - - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## 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 - Unix: ~/.ask/cli_config, ask-resources.json ## Credential files - Unix: ~/.ask/cli_config ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** ask-cli - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Related links - [Cloud CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/cloud-clis/) - Belongs to a cloud or infrastructure command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [node](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/node/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [icp-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/icp-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deployment, developer-tools. - [netlify-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/netlify-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deployment, developer-tools. - [cartridge-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cartridge-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deployment, developer-tools. - [cloudflare-wrangler](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cloudflare-wrangler/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deployment, developer-tools. - [cloudformation-guard](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cloudformation-guard/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, developer-tools. - [deployer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/deployer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deployment, developer-tools. - [docker-credential-helper-ecr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docker-credential-helper-ecr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: aws, cli, developer-tools. - [doubledown](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/doubledown/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, deployment, developer-tools. - [actions-languageserver](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/actions-languageserver/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, node. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/ask-cli.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/ask-cli.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - cross-ecosystem install command graph