ClaudeKit CLI Guide

Install ClaudeKit, run claude, and leverage powerful AI skills from your terminal!

What is ClaudeKit CLI?

ClaudeKit CLI helps you set up ClaudeKit in your projects, then you use Claude Code to get AI assistance. Install ClaudeKit, run claude, and leverage powerful skills like UI/UX Pro Max — all from your terminal!

Quick Workflow

$ ck init # Set up ClaudeKit in your project

$ claude # Start Claude Code CLI

→ Then chat with AI to build beautiful UIs instantly! 🎨

Note: ClaudeKit CLI is a free tool that helps install kits. The Engineer Kit and Marketing Kit are paid products that you need to purchase separately. Get ClaudeKit (20% OFF)

What It Looks Like in Your Terminal

Here's exactly what you'll see when using ClaudeKit CLI

Terminal — bash — 80×24

➜ ~/projects claude

Starting Claude Code CLI...

Type your message (or /help for commands)

You: Using ui-ux-pro-max skill, create a yoga studio landing page

AI is thinking...

✓ Searching product domain: beauty/wellness

✓ Style guide: minimalist + elegant

✓ Typography: Playfair Display + Inter

✓ Color palette: soft pastels (#E8E5F2)

✓ Design Complete!

Created: yoga-studio-landing.html

- Calming lavender color palette

- Elegant Playfair Display typography

- Responsive mobile-first design

- WCAG AA accessible

Files created in current directory

➜ ~/projects ls -la

drwxr-xr-x 5 user staff 160 Dec 3 15:20 .

drwxr-xr-x 12 user staff 384 Dec 3 15:15 ..

-rw-r--r-- 1 user staff 8420 Dec 3 15:20 yoga-studio-landing.html

➜ ~/projects open yoga-studio-landing.html

Opening in default browser...

→ You're already in Claude Code CLI. Just keep chatting!

You:

Using ui-ux-pro-max skill, make the buttons more prominent with hover effects

AI:

I'll enhance the button styles with:

• Smooth hover transitions (200ms)

• Scale effect (hover:scale-105)

• Shadow elevation on hover

• Clear cursor-pointer indication

✓ Updated yoga-studio-landing.html

➜ ~/projects ▊

Setup Project

ck init

Initialize ClaudeKit in your project (one-time setup)

Start Claude Code

claude

Open interactive AI assistant - chat and iterate

Use Skills

Using ui-ux-pro-max skill...

Inside Claude, activate powerful design intelligence

Quick Start Guide

Get ClaudeKit CLI running in 3 easy steps

Install ClaudeKit CLI

Install the ClaudeKit CLI tool globally:

npm install -g claudekit-cli

# or with bun

bun add -g claudekit-cli

# Verify installation

ck --version

Initialize ClaudeKit in Your Project

Navigate to your project and set up ClaudeKit:

cd ~/projects/my-project

ck init

# Interactive mode - follow the prompts

# This creates .claude/ directory with ClaudeKit files

💡 Choose Your Setup:

When running ck init, you'll see two options:

Global (Recommended): Installs for your user account. Works everywhere.
Local: Installs just for this specific project folder.

Choosing "Global" is usually easiest!

⚙️ Smart Authentication (CK CLI v3.16.0+):

ClaudeKit uses multi-tier authentication to download kits from private repository. It checks in order:

1. Environment Variables - GITHUB_TOKEN or GH_TOKEN (best for CI/CD)
2. GitHub CLI - If gh is logged in (recommended for local)
3. OS Keychain - Token saved from previous login
4. Interactive Prompt - Guides you to create and save token

gh auth login # Recommended: Login with GitHub CLI first

💡 Git Clone Mode: Use ck init --use-git to use your native git credentials instead.

Start Claude Code & Create!

Launch Claude Code CLI and chat with AI:

claude

# Starts interactive Claude Code CLI

Starting Claude Code CLI...

You: Using ui-ux-pro-max skill, create a landing page for my coffee shop

That's it! AI will search design databases and create beautiful code for you.

Best Practice: Daily Routine

💡 Pro Tip: Run these commands before starting your work to ensure you always have the latest intelligent capabilities.

1 Update CLI Tool

$ ck update

Ensures your claudekit-cli has the latest features and bug fixes.

2 Update Engineer Kit

$ ck init --kit engineer

Or via global flag:

$ ck init -g --kit engineer

Fully automated (non-interactive):

$ ck init -g --kit engineer --yes --install-skills

Install latest beta release:

$ ck init -g --kit engineer --yes --install-skills --beta

Add /ck: prefix to all slash commands:

$ ck init -g --kit engineer --yes --install-skills --prefix

Updates the engineer kit to fetch the latest AI prompts and capabilities.

POWER TOOL

CCS - Claude Code Switch

Need to switch between work/personal accounts or use cheaper models like Gemini/GLM? CCS is a powerful wrapper for Claude Code that saves you money and streamlines your workflow.

Warning: Google Account Bans

Google is actively banning accounts that use Antigravity/Gemini OAuth with third-party tools (OpenCode, CLIProxy-based tools like CCS/ProxyPal, AntigravityManager, etc.). This may violate Google's ToS and result in permanent loss of Google services. Consider using GLM or Kimi as safer alternatives.

Save ~80% costs Multi-account Fast delegation

View CCS Guide

Pro Tips for CLI Power Users

Use Quotes for Multi-word Requests

Always wrap your requests in double quotes: "your request here"

Interactive Mode = Better Iteration

Use ccs without arguments for back-and-forth refinement

Reference Files with @

Use @filename to tell AI which files to modify

Always Use "Using ui-ux-pro-max skill"

This activates the design intelligence system for professional results

Statusline & Gemini Model Config

In .ck.json, set statusline to "minimal" (stable default) or "full" (beta default). Default Gemini model is gemini-3-flash-preview (configurable via gemini.model). Beta also creates .claude/session-state/ for session persistence.