Terminal & CI/CD

Command Line (CLI)

Audit specs and plans in a single command, right from your terminal.

Run epistemic quality audits and spec reviews without leaving your shell — perfect for quick checks and CI pipelines.

Get an API key All surfaces

Setup ~5 min

One command turns a markdown spec into a scored report.

JSON output plugs straight into scripts and CI gates.

Async mode returns immediately, so long jobs never block your shell.

Best for: Developers who live in the terminal and want fast, scriptable audits.

Get started

Follow these steps to get up and running.

Install the CLI

Clone the repository and install the CLI globally.

git clone https://github.com/cvai/cvai-cli.git
cd cvai-cli
npm install -g .

Authenticate

Generate an API key from your developer dashboard, then log in.

# Log in with your API key
cvai login --api-key cvai_ak_your_key_here

# Or set the environment variable
export CVAI_API_KEY=cvai_ak_your_key_here

Review a spec

Submit a markdown file. Add options for depth or JSON output.

# Submit a spec file for review
cvai review-spec ./my-spec.md

# With options
cvai review-spec ./prd.md --depth quick --json

# Async mode (returns immediately)
cvai review-spec ./spec.md --async

Check the results

Track an async job, pull the full report, and check your balance.

# Check job status
cvai status <run_id>

# Get full results
cvai result <run_id>

# Check your USD balance
cvai credits

Helpful resources

Get an API key Spec Review tool API documentation

Other surfaces

CVAI meets you everywhere you work. Explore the other integrations.

Agents, REST API & MCP

One key for everything: agent apps, the REST API v1, and the native MCP server.

VS Code extension

Audit the spec open in your editor and see findings as inline squiggles.

GitHub Action

Gate pull requests on an audit of the specs and plans they touch.

Slack app

Mention @CVAI in any channel to audit a document, right inside Slack.

Browser (extension & WebMCP)

Audit any page with one click, or let AI browsers call CVAI tools right on the page.

Mobile handoff

A bundle of design tokens, assets, and specs to build the mobile app with zero design drift.

Automation & embeds

Get results via signed webhooks, and embed your reports into any page.

Command Line (CLI) — frequently asked questions

How do I audit a spec from the command line with CVAI?

Install the CVAI CLI, authenticate with a cvai_ak_ API key (run cvai login or set the CVAI_API_KEY environment variable), then run cvai review-spec ./my-spec.md. One command turns a markdown spec into a scored report, and JSON output plugs straight into scripts and CI gates.

Can CVAI CLI runs work in CI without blocking my shell?

Yes. The CLI async mode (cvai review-spec ./spec.md --async) returns immediately so long jobs never block your shell; you then poll cvai status with the run id and pull the full report with cvai result.