Create and Maintain CLIs

Describe the workflow you want. The agent can turn it into a command, keep its output compatible, and verify the result.

Start With a Workflow

Use a command when a workflow is useful enough to repeat. A private plugin is the default for personal workflows; Webcmd core does not bundle site adapters.

Create a private Webcmd adapter for the Acme supplier portal.
Command: webcmd acme part <part_number>
Output: part_number, title, price, currency, stock, moq, lead_time, product_url
Use my `work` profile if login is needed. Read-only only. Verify with two part numbers and return JSON examples.

What to Put in the Prompt

Specify the target, command name, inputs, login needs, safety limits, and verification expectations. Name the JSON fields you need: stable JSON fields are the contract for people and other agents that consume the command.

Return JSON rows with stable keys. Use null for missing optional fields. Do not rename existing fields in future updates unless I explicitly ask for a breaking change.

What the Agent Should Do

The agent should check the existing registry first, reuse or extend a matching adapter, explore only when needed, implement the simplest reliable command, and validate it. When updating or healing a command, it preserves compatible inputs and output fields unless you request a breaking change.

What a Good Handoff Includes

A finished command should include:

Command usage and output schema.
Adapter location and strategy used.
Verification result and JSON examples.
Known limitations and any required authentication.
Clear next steps if authentication or site access blocked the work.

Extend an Existing Command

Extend the existing PubMed adapter with a command that returns related articles for a PMID. Match the style of existing PubMed commands and preserve existing command compatibility.

Repair Instead of Duplicating

When a command breaks, repair the existing command instead of creating a near-duplicate.

Heal `webcmd acme part ABC-123`. It used to return price and stock, but now stock is null. Preserve the output schema, repair the adapter, and explain the root cause.

Only add a new command when the workflow itself has changed.

Private, Plugin, or Upstream

Keep personal or company workflows in private plugins. The legacy ~/.webcmd/clis/ path remains supported, but new portable work should use plugins. Prepare a plugin for upstream only when it is broadly useful and ready for repository review.

Start

Agent Harnesses

Understand Webcmd

Build and Share

Use Cases

Reference and Support

Create and Maintain CLIs

Create and Maintain CLIs

Start With a Workflow

What to Put in the Prompt

What the Agent Should Do

What a Good Handoff Includes

Extend an Existing Command

Repair Instead of Duplicating

Private, Plugin, or Upstream

​Create and Maintain CLIs

​Start With a Workflow

​What to Put in the Prompt

​What the Agent Should Do

​What a Good Handoff Includes

​Extend an Existing Command

​Repair Instead of Duplicating

​Private, Plugin, or Upstream

Create and Maintain CLIs

Start With a Workflow

What to Put in the Prompt

What the Agent Should Do

What a Good Handoff Includes

Extend an Existing Command

Repair Instead of Duplicating

Private, Plugin, or Upstream