install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install cliclick

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install cliclick

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/cliclick/Portfile · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Tool for emulating mouse and keyboard events

Project links

Commands and aliases

cliclick

history

Project history and usage

cliclick is a small macOS command-line automation utility for driving mouse and keyboard events from Terminal. Its official README expands the name as Command Line Interface Click, says it is written in Objective-C, and documents commands for clicking, moving, dragging, waiting, printing mouse position, and sending key events.

Project history

The upstream GitHub repository was created in 2013 and is maintained by Carsten Bluem under the BlueM account. The project has stayed deliberately focused on macOS GUI event automation rather than becoming a general cross-platform automation framework.

Adoption history

The official README strongly recommends installing with Homebrew and also notes MacPorts availability. The batch input independently lists both Homebrew and MacPorts package-manager entries, which is the main distribution signal for this niche macOS CLI.

How it is used

Typical use is shell-driven UI automation: click a coordinate, move relative to the current mouse position, drag, wait between events, print coordinates, or send key presses. The README also notes that Terminal or the invoking app must have macOS Accessibility permission or the tool may appear to do nothing.

Why package nerds care

cliclick matters to package-manager users because it fills a narrow but durable gap: scriptable GUI input on macOS without AppleScript ceremony or a larger automation runtime. Its appeal is strongest in test scripts, window-manager glue, demos, and local automation where a packaged single binary is easier to depend on than a GUI automation stack.

Timeline

2013: BlueM/cliclick GitHub repository created.
2025: Version 5.1 is the latest tag visible from the official repository tag list.
2026: The batch input lists Homebrew and MacPorts distribution.

Related projects

cliclick sits near macOS automation tools such as AppleScript, Automator, Shortcuts, and lower-level event injectors, but its official scope is a command-line tool for mouse and keyboard actions.

Sources

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 11 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`cliclick`	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 generated2026-07-08

manager version5.1

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detected5.1

https://github.com/BlueM/cliclick

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:cliclick
Version	5.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cliclick
Homepage	https://www.bluem.net/jump/cliclick/
Repository	https://github.com/BlueM/cliclick
Upstream docs	https://github.com/BlueM/cliclick#readme
License	BSD-3-Clause
Source archive	https://github.com/BlueM/cliclick/archive/refs/tags/5.1.tar.gz
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	cliclick
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Requirements	macos
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

MacPorts95%

cliclick

sudo port install cliclick

normalized package name match
Matched by: Cliclick

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/cliclick/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

combined/cliclick.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install cliclick with Homebrew, MacPorts