Tambo CLI

Agent-friendly CLI for project setup and component management.

Quick Start

bash

npx tambo init --api-key=sk_...              # Initialize with API key
npx tambo add message-thread-full --yes      # Add a component
npx tambo create-app my-app --template=standard  # New app from template

Non-Interactive Mode

The CLI detects non-interactive environments and returns guidance instead of hanging:

bash

# In CI or piped environments, this returns guidance (exit 2) instead of prompting
npx tambo init
# Error: Project name required.
# Run one of:
#   tambo init --project-name=myapp    # Create new project
#   tambo init --project-id=abc123     # Use existing project

Detection Logic

Non-interactive when ANY of these are true:

•process.stdin.isTTY is false (piped input)
•process.stdout.isTTY is false (piped output)
•CI environment variable is set
•GITHUB_ACTIONS=true

Override with FORCE_INTERACTIVE=1 (requires real TTY).

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success
1	Error (network, invalid args, etc.)
2	User action required - check stderr for exact command

Commands for Agents

Initialize Project

bash

# Option 1: Direct API key (simplest for agents)
npx tambo init --api-key=sk_...

# Option 2: Create new project (requires prior auth)
npx tambo init --project-name=myapp

# Option 3: Use existing project
npx tambo init --project-id=abc123

# Skip all prompts with defaults
npx tambo init --yes --project-name=myapp

Add Components

bash

npx tambo add form --yes                    # Skip confirmation
npx tambo add form graph --yes              # Multiple components
npx tambo add form --prefix=src/components  # Custom directory
npx tambo add form --dry-run                # Preview changes
npx tambo add form --legacy-peer-deps       # For dependency conflicts

Component Library

Browse and preview all components at ui.tambo.co.

Available Components

Component	Description
`message-thread-full`	Complete message thread with all content and interactions
`message-thread-panel`	Message thread in a side panel or modal context
`message-thread-collapsible`	Message threads that can be expanded or collapsed
`message`	Individual messages with markdown support
`message-input`	Composes and sends messages in a conversation
`message-suggestions`	AI-generated suggestions to help users compose responses
`control-bar`	Controls and actions in the interface
`input-fields`	Reusable input fields with styles and validation
`graph`	Visualizes graph-based data structures
`form`	Collects user input with validation support
`map`	Interactive map with clustering and heatmap support
`canvas-space`	Displays rendered components from chat messages
`thread-history`	Chronological history of a conversation thread
`thread-dropdown`	Dropdown menu for collapsible chat threads
`thread-content`	Displays messages within a thread
`scrollable-message-container`	Container that auto-scrolls to new messages
`edit-with-tambo-button`	Inline AI editor button for interactable components
`elicitation-ui`	MCP elicitation UI for user input requests
`mcp-components`	MCP prompt and resource picker buttons

What You Get

Each component includes:

•Source code copied to your project (not a dependency)
•Tambo integration pre-configured with hooks
•Styling via Tailwind CSS (customizable)
•TypeScript with full type definitions

Example: Full Chat Interface

bash

npx tambo add message-thread-full control-bar --yes

This adds a complete chat UI with:

•Message history display
•AI-generated component rendering
•Input bar with send button
•Streaming status indicators

List Components (No Prompts)

bash

npx tambo list --yes

Create New App

bash

npx tambo create-app my-app --template=standard

Authentication

bash

npx tambo auth login --no-browser   # Prints URL instead of opening browser
npx tambo auth status               # Check current auth (no prompts)

Full Setup (One Command)

bash

npx tambo full-send    # Complete setup with components

Agent Docs

The CLI auto-creates/updates AGENTS.md with Tambo documentation:

bash

npx tambo add form --yes   # Also updates AGENTS.md

The generated section includes CLI commands formatted for non-interactive use.

Key Flags Summary

Flag	Commands	Purpose
`--yes`, `-y`	init, add, list	Skip all prompts
`--api-key`	init	Direct API key input
`--project-name`	init	Create new project
`--project-id`	init	Use existing project
`--no-browser`	auth login	Output URL instead of opening
`--dry-run`	add	Preview without installing
`--prefix`	add, list	Custom component directory