The CLI

modular drives a running Modular from a terminal: the board, agents, sessions, plugins, settings. Agents use it from their own shells too.

Installing#

Settings → General → Desktop → CLI installs modular and kanbo:

macOS: links in /usr/local/bin (it may ask for your password);
Windows: a shim folder added to your user PATH.

From a clone, pnpm cli <command> runs it without installing.

Which Modular it talks to#

In this order: --server <url>, then MODULAR_SERVER_URL, then the desktop app that is running, then http://127.0.0.1:21423. Commands that need a project use the project of the current folder, or MODULAR_WORKSPACE_ID (set in every terminal Modular opens).

Commands#

modular --help lists them all, and modular <group> --help a group. The main groups:

Group	For
`issue`, `board`	Cards, columns, delegation to agents (The board)
`session`	Agent sessions and their awaits (`session await …`)
`agent`, `agent-peer`	Agents and agent peers
`workspace`	Projects
`pull-request`, `github-repo`	Pull requests and repositories
`automation`	Automations
`plugin`	Install, update, develop (`plugin dev`) and read the docs (`plugin docs`) of plugins
`skill`, `mcp-server`, `provider`, `secret`, `preferences`	Settings
`usage`, `search`, `observability`, `health`	Usage, search and diagnostics

Also: modular open [path] opens a folder in the app, and modular man prints the full reference.