CLI

Kiro CLI runs the Kiro agent in your terminal. In Kiro CLI 3.0.0 or later, its default agent harness is V3, the same unified agent harness as the Kiro IDE and Kiro Web, so your Steering, custom agents, Hooks, permissions, and MCP servers apply here too. Install it, then pick the task you need below.

Install on macOS, Linux, or

curl -fsSL https://cli.kiro.dev/install | bash

Start using Kiro CLI:

bash

cd my-project
kiro-cli

Kiro CLI 3.0.0 or later is a single standalone kiro-cli binary: the desktop app and inline shell autocomplete are retired. If you installed the desktop app, see Moving from the Kiro CLI desktop app.

Start with what you need

Start a chat

Talk to Kiro in your terminal, reference files, add images, and queue follow-up messages.

Choose an agent harness

See which harness a launch starts, pick V3 or V2 for one run or as your default, and get back to V2.

Terminal UI

Panels, themes, keyboard shortcuts, and the fullscreen and voice modes built into the terminal interface.

Manage sessions

Resume, search, and clean up local and cloud sessions, and branch a conversation with a tangent.

Automate with headless runs

Run prompts non-interactively in scripts and CI/CD pipelines.

Connect an editor over ACP

Use Kiro as the agent inside JetBrains IDEs, Zed, and other Agent Client Protocol clients.

Fix a problem

Match a symptom to the page that owns the fix.

Upgrade from CLI 2.x

Move your sessions, agent configs, permissions, Hooks, and ACP clients to V3, one checked step at a time.

Code Intelligence

Language-aware code understanding and navigation.

Which harness runs

Which harness each launch type starts, the one-run and saved choices, and the way back to V2 are covered once in Choose an agent harness.

Shared capabilities

Kiro CLI supports the capabilities below. Each linked page lists its availability by surface:

Specs — Define requirements, generate designs, and execute task plans
Workflows — Run multi-step work in the background in a V3 session; turn it on with the chat.enableWorkflows setting
Steering — Guide Kiro with project-specific context and conventions
Hooks — Automate actions before and after commands
MCP — Connect external tools and data sources
Custom agents — Build specialized agents for your workflows
Skills — Extend Kiro with reusable skill packages
Sub-agents — Delegate focused work to agents that run in parallel
Models — Configure which AI models to use
Permissions — Manage capability-based access controls
Cloud sessions — Keep a session running in a managed sandbox after you disconnect

Use cases

The Kiro CLI is ideal for:

Interactive Development: Chat with Kiro directly in your terminal for instant help
Headless Automation: Run prompts non-interactively in CI/CD pipelines using API key authentication
Custom Automation: Create specialized agents for your specific workflows
Team Standardization: Use team-level best practices and preferences
External Integrations: Connect tools and services through MCP servers
Editor Integration: Bring the Kiro agent into other editors over ACP
Workflow Optimization: Automate repetitive tasks with smart hooks

Page updated: November 3, 2026

0.x reference

Setup & First Run