# Install ask-cli with Homebrew

CLI tool for Alexa Skill Kit. Version 2.30.7 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:ask-cli
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install ask-cli
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:ask-cli
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 2.30.7
- **Source summary:** CLI tool for Alexa Skill Kit
- **Homepage:** <https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-intro.html>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-15T10:20:10-04:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- ask (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 2.30.7
## Project history and usage

ASK CLI is Amazon's command-line interface for the Alexa Skills Kit. It creates, manages, tests, and deploys Alexa skills, wrapping both higher-level project workflows and lower-level Skill Management API operations.

### Project history

The alexa/ask-cli repository was created in December 2016 under the Alexa GitHub organization. Amazon's documentation presents it as the command-line front door for Alexa skill development, with commands for configuring credentials, creating projects from templates, deploying skill packages and Lambda code, and testing deployed skills.

The v2 line is the modern shape documented by Amazon: `ask configure` initializes Amazon developer and optional AWS credentials; `ask new` creates local skill projects; `ask deploy` publishes the skill manifest, interaction model, and backend resources; and `ask dialog` simulates conversations against a skill.

### Adoption history

ASK CLI's adoption is tied to the Alexa developer ecosystem rather than general-purpose command-line culture. It is distributed through npm and Homebrew, and the official README points users to npm global installation. Homebrew analytics show modest but continuing installs, consistent with a specialized vendor SDK tool.

Amazon's documentation also made ASK CLI the documented workflow for Alexa-hosted skills, AWS Lambda backed skills, and skill package management. That gave the tool real operational weight for developers who wanted reproducible Alexa deployments instead of only using the web console.

### How it is used

A typical session starts with `ask configure`, which opens a browser login to an Amazon developer account and creates the `~/.ask/cli_config` profile file. Developers then run `ask new`, edit the generated skill-package, lambda, infrastructure, and ask-resources files, and deploy with `ask deploy`.

The command reference distinguishes high-level commands such as `new`, `deploy`, and `configure` from low-level `smapi` commands that expose more direct control over Skill Management API calls.

### Why package nerds care

ASK CLI is a classic vendor CLI package: not glamorous, but important because it captures a cloud product's deployment contract in a versioned tool. For package nerds it is interesting as a Node-distributed CLI that is also bottled by Homebrew, and as an example of a platform SDK where local config, cloud credentials, generated project files, and API wrappers all meet.

### Timeline

- 2016: alexa/ask-cli repository created.
- 2023: v2.30.x releases published through GitHub releases.
- 2024: v2.30.7 published as the latest GitHub release observed in the official repository metadata.
- 2026: Homebrew API lists stable version 2.30.7.

### Related projects

- The README and docs connect ASK CLI to Alexa Skills Kit, SMAPI, AWS Lambda, AWS CloudFormation deployers, Alexa-hosted skills, and ASK SDKs.

### Sources

- <https://api.github.com/repos/alexa/ask-cli>
- <https://api.github.com/repos/alexa/ask-cli/releases>
- <https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-command-reference.html>
- <https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/ask-cli-intro.html>
- <https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/manage-credentials-with-ask-cli.html>
- <https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/smapi/quick-start-alexa-skills-kit-command-line-interface.html>
- <https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/ask-cli.json>
- <https://github.com/alexa/ask-cli#readme>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Unix: ~/.ask/cli_config, ask-resources.json

## Credential files

- Unix: ~/.ask/cli_config

## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/ask-cli.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/ask-cli.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph