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AI Agent CLI Template for Node.js / ChatBotKit

A standalone command-line AI agent template that uses the ChatBotKit Agent SDK to run bespoke agents with built-in tools for file manipulation, code editing, and shell command execution.

Why ChatBotKit Agent SDK?

Instead of wiring up raw LLM API calls and building tool execution loops from scratch, this template uses @chatbotkit/agent which provides:

  • Agentic execution loop - Automatic multi-iteration tool-calling with planning, progress tracking, and controlled exit
  • Built-in tools - Read, write, edit files, and execute shell commands out of the box
  • Platform integration - Optionally connect to ChatBotKit platform bots for managed capabilities

Features

  • Custom tools - Add domain-specific tools in src/tools.js using zod schemas
  • Built-in file tools - Read, write, and edit files with line-range support
  • Shell execution - Run non-interactive shell commands with timeout control
  • Streaming output - Real-time token streaming in interactive terminals
  • JSON output - Structured JSON output for piping and automation
  • Platform bots - Optionally use a pre-configured ChatBotKit bot with all its platform capabilities

Setup

Prerequisites

Quick Start

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Configure environment
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and add your CHATBOTKIT_API_SECRET

# Run the agent
node src/index.js "List all JavaScript files in the current directory"

Usage

# Basic usage - pass a prompt as an argument
node src/index.js "Summarize the contents of README.md"

# Use a custom agent definition file
node src/index.js -a my-agent.md "Review the code in src/"

# Specify a model
node src/index.js -m claude-sonnet-4-20250514 "Explain this codebase"

# Use a ChatBotKit platform bot
node src/index.js -b bot_abc123 "Help me with my project"

# Disable built-in tools (only custom tools available)
node src/index.js --no-builtin-tools "What time is it?"

# Debug mode - print raw stream events
node src/index.js -d "Debug this issue"

# Pipe-friendly JSON output (non-TTY)
node src/index.js "List files" | jq .

CLI Options

Option Description
-a, --agent <path> Path to an agent markdown file
-m, --model <model> Model to use (default: gpt-4o)
-b, --bot <id> Use a ChatBotKit bot by ID
-i, --max-iterations <n> Maximum iterations (default: 100)
--no-builtin-tools Disable built-in file and exec tools
-d, --debug Print raw stream events to stderr

Project Structure

template-node-agent-cli-js/
  src/
    index.js            # CLI entry point and agent execution loop
    tools.js            # Custom tool definitions (add your own here)
  .env.example          # Environment variable template
  package.json

Customization

Custom Tools

Add tools to src/tools.js. Each tool needs a description, a zod input schema, and a handler:

import { z } from 'zod'

export const customTools = {
  fetchUrl: {
    description: 'Fetch the contents of a URL',
    input: z.object({
      url: z.string().url().describe('The URL to fetch'),
    }),
    handler: async (input) => {
      const response = await fetch(input.url)
      const text = await response.text()
      return { success: true, content: text.slice(0, 5000) }
    },
  },
}

Environment Variables

Variable Required Description
CHATBOTKIT_API_SECRET Yes Your ChatBotKit API token

License

MIT - see LICENSE