> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.agentcard.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# For Coding Agents

> The api namespace: list, search, describe, and call every account tool from the terminal

`agent-cards api` projects the full Agentcard tool catalog (the same tools the [MCP server](/personal/mcp/overview) serves) through the CLI, built for coding agents: structured JSON on stdout, `{error, hint}` envelopes on failure, exit code 1 on error. No MCP client required; being signed in (`agent-cards login`) is enough.

Point an agent at it with one command:

```bash theme={null}
agent-cards api --agent-help   # prints the full agent guide; have your agent load it into context
```

## Discover tools

```bash theme={null}
agent-cards api tools                  # every advertised tool name
agent-cards api tools --table          # human view: boxed table with one-line descriptions
agent-cards api tools --all            # include the expert shopping and advanced tools hidden by default
agent-cards api search 'card|balance'  # regex search over names and descriptions
agent-cards api describe create_card   # what a tool does (alias: api info)
agent-cards api schema create_card     # its input/output schemas
agent-cards api schema create_card amount_cents   # drill into one field
```

## Call tools

```bash theme={null}
agent-cards api call get_balance '{}'
agent-cards api call create_card '{"amount_cents": 2500}' --confirm
echo '{"amount_cents": 2500}' | agent-cards api call create_card --stdin --confirm
```

| Option                 | Description                                                            |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--confirm`            | Required for tools that move money or irreversibly change the account. |
| `--dry-run`            | Validate the arguments against the tool schema without executing.      |
| `--stdin`              | Read the JSON arguments object from stdin.                             |
| `--no-fail` (on `api`) | Always exit 0; errors still print their `{error, hint}` envelope.      |

## Skills

Published Agentcard skills (markdown playbooks that teach an agent the workflows) install straight from the CLI, sha256-verified:

```bash theme={null}
agent-cards api skill list             # what's published
agent-cards api skill install agent-card   # install into .agents/skills/ (add --force to overwrite)
```

See [Agent Skill](/personal/mcp/skill) for what the skill covers.

## Teach your coding agent

One command wires a coding agent to drive Agentcard through the `api` namespace: it writes a steering block into the agent's instruction file.

```bash theme={null}
agent-cards agents add
```

| Option          | Description                                                |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--agent <id>`  | Target one agent: `claude-code`, `codex`, or `gemini`.     |
| `--all`         | Wire every detected agent without prompting.               |
| `--path <file>` | Write the steering block into a specific instruction file. |

Installed steering blocks refresh themselves when the CLI updates, so the instructions never go stale.