install the kick cli.md

Install the Kick CLI

The Kick CLI is the kick command. It lets you run Kick workflows from a terminal, script, or agent.

Before you start

You need:

Check Node.js and npm

The Kick CLI is distributed through npm, so your computer needs Node.js and npm first. Check whether they are already installed:

node --version
npm --version

If either command is missing, install the current Node.js LTS release from Node.js downloads. Node.js includes npm.

npm's docs recommend using a Node version manager when possible because it avoids common permission issues with global installs.

Get the CLI

Install the Kick CLI from npm, then verify the kick command is available:

npm install -g @kickfinance/cli
kick --help

You can also run the CLI without a global install. This is useful when you want to try the command first or avoid installing a global package:

npx @kickfinance/cli --help

Developers building from the Kick monorepo can build the CLI workspace and run the generated binary:

npm run build --workspace @kickfinance/cli
./agentTools/cli/dist/kick --help

Confirm the command path

If an app or agent cannot find kick, use the absolute path to the binary in that tool's configuration.

On macOS or Linux, check the path with:

which kick

On Windows, check the path with:

where kick

Use the full path when a client launches commands with a minimal environment.

Next step

After kick --help works, continue to Authenticate and Select Workspace.