For AI agents: a documentation index is available at the root level at /llms.txt and /llms-full.txt. Append /llms.txt to any URL for a page-level index, or .md for the markdown version of any page.
The Vapi CLI is the official command-line interface that brings world-class developer experience to your terminal and IDE. Build, test, and deploy voice AI applications without leaving your development environment.
In this guide, you’ll learn to:
Install and authenticate with the Vapi CLI
Initialize Vapi in existing projects
Manage assistants, phone numbers, and workflows from your terminal
Forward webhooks to your local development server
Turn your IDE into a Vapi expert with MCP integration
Installation
Install the Vapi CLI in seconds with our automated scripts:
Follow the interactive prompts to configure your assistant.
Key features
🚀 Project integration
Drop Vapi into any existing codebase with intelligent auto-detection:
$
vapi init
$
# Detected: Next.js application
$
# ✓ Installed @vapi-ai/web SDK
$
# ✓ Generated components/VapiButton.tsx
$
# ✓ Created pages/api/vapi/webhook.ts
$
# ✓ Added environment template
Supports React, Vue, Next.js, Python, Go, Flutter, React Native, and dozens more frameworks.
🤖 MCP integration
Turn your IDE into a Vapi expert with Model Context Protocol:
$
vapi mcp setup
Your IDE’s AI assistant (Cursor, Windsurf, VSCode) gains complete, accurate knowledge of Vapi’s APIs and best practices. No more hallucinated code or outdated examples.
🔗 Local webhook testing
Forward webhooks to your local server for debugging:
$
# Terminal 1: Create tunnel (e.g., with ngrok)
$
ngrok http 4242
$
$
# Terminal 2: Forward webhooks
$
vapi listen --forward-to localhost:3000/webhook
Important:vapi listen is a local forwarder only - it does NOT provide a public URL. You need a separate tunneling service (like ngrok) to expose the CLI’s port to the internet. Update your webhook URLs in Vapi to use the tunnel’s public URL.
🔐 Multi-account management
Switch between organizations and environments seamlessly:
$
# List all authenticated accounts
$
vapi auth status
$
$
# Switch between accounts
$
vapi auth switch production
$
$
# Add another account
$
vapi auth login
📱 Complete feature parity
Everything you can do in the dashboard, now in your terminal:
Assistants: Create, update, list, and delete voice assistants
Phone numbers: Purchase, configure, and manage phone numbers
Calls: Make outbound calls and view call history
Workflows: Manage conversation flows (visual editing in dashboard)
Campaigns: Create and manage AI phone campaigns at scale
Tools: Configure custom functions and integrations
Webhooks: Set up and test event delivery
Logs: View system logs, call logs, and debug issues
Common commands
Assistant management
$
# List all assistants
$
vapi assistant list
$
$
# Create a new assistant
$
vapi assistant create
$
$
# Get assistant details
$
vapi assistant get <assistant-id>
$
$
# Update an assistant
$
vapi assistant update <assistant-id>
$
$
# Delete an assistant
$
vapi assistant delete <assistant-id>
Phone number management
$
# List your phone numbers
$
vapi phone list
$
$
# Purchase a new number
$
vapi phone create
$
$
# Update number configuration
$
vapi phone update <phone-number-id>
$
$
# Release a number
$
vapi phone delete <phone-number-id>
Call operations
$
# List recent calls
$
vapi call list
$
$
# Make an outbound call
$
vapi call create
$
$
# Get call details
$
vapi call get <call-id>
$
$
# End an active call
$
vapi call end <call-id>
Debugging and logs
$
# View system logs
$
vapi logs list
$
$
# View call-specific logs
$
vapi logs calls <call-id>
$
$
# View error logs
$
vapi logs errors
$
$
# View webhook logs
$
vapi logs webhooks
Configuration
The CLI stores configuration in ~/.vapi-cli.yaml. You can also use environment variables:
$
# Set API key via environment
$
export VAPI_API_KEY=your-api-key
$
$
# View current configuration
$
vapi config get
$
$
# Update configuration
$
vapi config set <key> <value>
$
$
# Manage analytics preferences
$
vapi config analytics disable
Auto-updates
The CLI automatically checks for updates and notifies you when new versions are available:
