In the rapidly evolving world of software development, AI-powered agentic workflows are no longer a futuristic concept—they are a present-day reality. These smart, automated processes can handle everything from customer onboarding to complex data analysis, promising unprecedented efficiency. But as these workflows grow in complexity, managing them can become a bottleneck. How do you build, test, and deploy this new class of services without getting bogged down in complex UIs and disjointed tools?
The answer is to bring them back to the place where developers are most powerful: the terminal.
Enter cli.do, the command-line interface designed to bring your business logic directly into your terminal. With the .do CLI, you can transform complex business processes into versionable, deployable software—a concept we call "Business as Code." This guide will walk you through building and deploying your very first AI service using simple, intuitive commands.
Before we dive in, let's quickly define the term. An agentic workflow is a sequence of tasks executed by one or more AI agents to achieve a specific business goal. Think of it as a smart assembly line. Instead of a person manually checking documents, sending follow-up emails, and updating a CRM, an AI-powered workflow can orchestrate these steps automatically.
By treating these processes as code, you unlock the same benefits you get with traditional software development:
The .do CLI is the bridge that makes this "Business as Code" philosophy a practical reality for every developer.
The .do CLI is your command center for the entire lifecycle of an agentic workflow. It’s built for developers who live in the terminal and demand speed, control, and scriptability. Forget clicking through endless web forms; with .do, you can:
Ready to see it in action? Let's build and deploy a simple "customer-onboarding" workflow.
First, you'll need to install the CLI. We support all major package managers. If you're using npm, it's as simple as running:
npm install -g @do/cli
(We also provide standalone binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux on our website.)
Next, connect the CLI to your cli.do account. This command will open a browser window for you to securely log in.
do login
Let's create the basic structure for our customer onboarding workflow. The init command creates a new directory with all the boilerplate code you need to get started.
do workflow init customer-onboarding
cd customer-onboarding
Inside this new directory, you'll find files where you can define the steps and logic for your agentic workflow in your preferred language.
Once you've customized your workflow's logic, it's time to deploy it. The deploy command packages your code, uploads it, and provisions your service in the cloud. We'll give it a clear name using the --name flag.
// Example: Deploying a new agentic workflow from your terminal
// Step 1: Login to your .do account
$ do login
// Step 2: Navigate to your workflow directory and deploy
$ cd /path/to/my-agent-workflow
$ do workflow deploy . --name="customer-onboarding-v2"
// Output:
// ✓ Authenticating...
// ✓ Packaging workflow files...
// ✓ Uploading package (1.2MB)...
// ✓ Deploying agent 'customer-onboarding-v2'...
// ✓ Deployment successful!
//
// API Endpoint: https://api.do/workflows/customer-onboarding-v2
// Status: Active
And just like that, your AI service is live! The CLI provides you with a direct API endpoint that you can immediately integrate into your applications. You've successfully turned business logic into a live, cloud-hosted service without ever leaving your terminal.
Q: What can I do with the .do CLI?
A: The .do CLI allows you to create, manage, deploy, and monitor your agentic workflows directly from your terminal. It's the fastest way to integrate Business-as-Code into your development lifecycle.
Q: How do I install the .do CLI?
A: Installation is simple via your favorite package manager. For example, using npm, you would run: npm install -g @do/cli. We also provide binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Q: Can I use the CLI in my CI/CD pipelines?
A: Absolutely. The .do CLI is designed for automation and is a perfect fit for any CI/CD pipeline, such as GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins. You can automate the deployment and management of your services with just a few lines of script.
Q: Does the CLI support environment management and secrets?
A: Yes, you can manage everything from authentication and environment variables to logs and versioning. The CLI provides full control over your agentic workflows and their configurations.
The .do CLI bridges the gap between powerful AI capabilities and the familiar, efficient environment of the command line. By embracing the "Business as Code" approach, you can build more robust, scalable, and manageable AI-powered services than ever before.
Ready to turn your complex business processes into simple command-line operations?