Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

Before installing the mxbai CLI, ensure you have:

Node.js version 20.0 or higher
A package manager
A Mixedbread API key (get one here)

Installation Methods

Global Installation (Recommended)

Install the CLI globally to use it from any directory:

npm install -g @mixedbread/cli

Local Installation

For project-specific installations:

npm install --save-dev @mixedbread/cli

When installed locally, use npx mxbai or add scripts to your package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "mxbai": "mxbai"
  }
}

Verify Installation

After installation, verify the CLI is working:

mxbai --version

Authentication

To use the CLI, you need a Mixedbread API key. The CLI checks for authentication in this order:

Command line flag: --api-key mxb_xxxxx
Environment variable: export MXBAI_API_KEY=mxb_xxxxx
Configuration file: mxbai config set api_key mxb_xxxxx

Quick Setup

The easiest way to get started is with an environment variable:

export MXBAI_API_KEY=mxb_xxxxx

For persistent configuration across sessions, use the config file:

mxbai config set api_key mxb_xxxxx

Learn more about configuration options in the Configuration Guide.

Shell Completion

The CLI supports tab completion for commands and subcommands. To set up completion:

# Install completion (auto-detects your shell)
mxbai completion install

# Install completion for a specific shell
mxbai completion install --shell bash
mxbai completion install --shell zsh
mxbai completion install --shell fish
mxbai completion install --shell pwsh