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The abstract command signs you in and saves an API key on your machine, so a script or an agent can call the API.

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Install

The installer supports macOS and Linux on arm64 and x64. It downloads the binary for your machine, checks its SHA-256 against the release’s checksums.txt, and puts it in ~/.local/bin. On Alpine, install libstdc++ and libgcc first.

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Commands

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abstract login

The command prints a link and a code. Open the link in a browser, sign in, and confirm the code. The CLI then creates a key named abstract-cli@<hostname> and saves it. A machine that is already signed in keeps its key, so an agent can run abstract login without checking first. The account needs a payment method or credit before the CLI can create a key. Set one up at abstract.inc/start?setup=billing.

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abstract token

Use it inside a command, and never print its output:

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abstract status

The command calls GET /v1/models with the saved key. If the API answers 401, it tells you to run abstract logout --local, then abstract login.

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abstract skill install

The command saves the skill for every agent it finds in your home directory: An agent that is already running may need a new session to load the skill.

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Files

ABSTRACT_CONFIG_DIR names another directory for this file. Without it, a set XDG_CONFIG_HOME moves the file to $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/abstract/credentials.json.

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Exit codes

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Set up an agent

Paste this into an agent with a terminal, such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or OpenCode:
Set up Abstract for me. Run curl -fsSL https://abstract.inc/install.sh | bash, then abstract login, and show me the link and code it prints. After I confirm, run abstract status. Use $(abstract token) as the API key and never print it. Then run abstract skill install, read the skill it installs, and follow it for every call to the Abstract API.