Ark CLI
The official Volcengine Ark CLI for agents: model chat, image and video generation, plans, deployment and diagnostics
- 149 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- Apache-2.0
Broad access
Why this level
- `plans buy` and `plans renew` order paid plans, and `+deploy` creates paid Endpoints in your account.
- Login gives the CLI access to the Volcengine account API keys, and `+connect` and `helper` write skills and MCP settings into local agent directories.
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add cli/ark-cliDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- `plans buy` and `plans renew` order paid plans, and `+deploy` creates paid Endpoints in your account.
- Login gives the CLI access to the Volcengine account API keys, and `+connect` and `helper` write skills and MCP settings into local agent directories.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Ark CLI (the `arkcli` command) is Volcengine's official tool for the Ark model platform, hooked into Claude Code, OpenCode, Codex and other local agents. `+chat` runs text and multimodal conversations, `+gen` makes images with Seedream and video with Seedance and downloads the result, and `+understand` reads text from images, summarizes video, transcribes speech and extracts fields from documents. Platform tasks are commands too: `models` searches models, `plans` shows and orders Agent Plan and Coding Plan subscriptions including team seats, `train finetune` starts fine-tuning, `+deploy` rolls a base or custom model out as an Endpoint, `usage` and `billing` show spend, and `doctor` diagnoses a model, an Endpoint and error codes and is read-only by default. `arkcli +connect` installs skills with `ark-` and `arkcli-` prefixes from the repository's `skills/` directory into local agents so they know which tasks Ark can solve. `arkcli helper configure codex --with-mcp` sets up the Harness and adds MCP tools. `arkcli +connect uninstall` removes the skills.
Who it is for. Developers and teams building on Doubao, Seedream and Seedance models in the Volcengine cloud who want to run the platform from an agent instead of a browser console.
Good fit when
- An agent must pick an Ark model for a task, connect to it and check whether spend fits the plan.
- Video or images are generated from the terminal and the result is saved to disk.
- A fine-tuned model is deployed as an Endpoint with one command and a `--dry-run` rehearsal.
- Requests to an Endpoint fail with an error code and you need analysis by code with metrics.
- Team Plan: check occupied seats and renew a subscription from the agent.
Not a fit when
- Volcengine cloud is not in use: the tool works with Ark only.
- Reading Chinese documentation is a problem: the README and help are written in that language.
- An agent must not be given payment operations: `plans buy` and `plans renew` change paid subscriptions, even though the CLI asks for confirmation.
Example request
Find an Ark model for video understanding, summarize demo.mp4 by chapter with +understand and show this month's token spend.Limitations
Login goes through Volcengine SSO with `arkcli auth login volc-sso` and needs a Volcengine account; a machine without a browser can use `arkcli auth login --no-browser`. Node.js 16 or newer is required. The `ARKCLI_SKIP_SKILLS=1` variable skips downloading skills at install time, and they can be added later through `arkcli +connect`. Generation and models are billed at Ark rates. Detailed documentation and the support chat are in Chinese.
How to disable. `arkcli +connect uninstall` removes the `ark-` and `arkcli-` skills from local agents, `npm uninstall -g @volcengine/ark-cli` removes the tool itself, and `arkcli auth logout` ends the session.
FAQ
How do I install Ark CLI?
Run `npm i -g @volcengine/ark-cli@latest`. Then check `arkcli --version`, sign in with `arkcli auth login volc-sso` and attach the skills with `arkcli +connect`.
Which agents are supported?
The README names Claude Code, OpenCode and Codex; `arkcli +connect list` shows which agents were found on your machine. The Harness is configured with `arkcli helper configure <agent>`.
Does the CLI charge money without confirmation?
For `plans buy` and `plans renew` the CLI first shows the agreement and confirmation steps and does not charge by default. Check the parameters in `arkcli plans buy --help` before the call.
What does doctor do?
It diagnoses models, Endpoints, request metrics and error codes and by default only reads data. Fixes go through a separate confirmation step.
Can the CLI be installed without skills?
Yes. Install with `ARKCLI_SKIP_SKILLS=1`, which takes effect only when set to `1`. Skills can be attached later with `arkcli +connect`.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark CLI (this card) | no | 149 | ||
| Aliyun Model Studio CLI | yes | 370 | a CLI for Alibaba Cloud models; Ark CLI works with Volcengine models, Seedream and Seedance generation and their plans | |
| Volcengine MCP Servers | yes | API key | 334 | MCP servers for Volcengine services; Ark CLI gives console commands for the Ark platform and installs skills into agents |
README in short
The README is in Chinese: features, a diagram of the consumption and production chains, then commands for install, chat, plans, agent connection, deployment and diagnostics. It ends with sections on login, profiles and skills.