Tools/mvanhorn/cli-printing-press

cli-printing-press

Every API has a secret identity. This finds it, absorbs every feature from every competing tool, then builds the GOAT CLI — designed for AI agents first, with SQLite sync, offline search, and compound insight commands.

4.5k+57/wkemergingGoMIT Licensetrending

The Lens

By Erik Loyd, SaaS CEO and former COO/CFO of an AWS Premier Partner.

Updated Jul 2026

cli-printing-press is a tool that generates other tools. You point it at an API, and it builds a custom command-line interface for that API, optimized for AI agents to use. The generated CLIs have local SQLite caching, fast text search, compound query commands, and structured exit codes, designed so an agent gets predictable, parseable output instead of guessing at JSON shapes. MIT licensed, fully free, written in Go.

The generator runs as a standalone Go binary. Install with go install or grab a release. To actually use it, you need a Claude Code subscription because the generation runs inside Anthropic's CLI. Generated binaries are standalone with no runtime or Docker, just a local store at ~/printing-press/.

Distinctive positioning here. OpenAPI Generator and Speakeasy generate API clients, but they do not tune for agent workflows. If you are building agent toolchains and want every API connector to behave consistently for an LLM caller, this is worth trying. Otherwise, the existing client generators are fine.

The catch: solo project, depends heavily on Claude Code working a specific way. If Anthropic changes their tool-use protocol or pricing structure, this gets stranded.

Free vs Self-Hosted vs Paid

fully free

Free tier

The generator and all generated CLIs are MIT licensed and fully free.

Self-hosted

Not applicable, runs locally as a Go binary. No server, no DB, no Docker.

Paid

No paid product from this project. But the generator runs inside Claude Code, which requires a paid Anthropic subscription (Pro plan is $20/mo, or pay-as-you-go on the API). Generated CLIs are free to run.

Free tool, but the generator depends on Claude Code which is $20/mo for Pro or pay-as-you-go API pricing.

What to do by team size

Solo
free
Small team
free
Larger team
free
Self-hosting ops:trivial

Get tools like this every Wednesday

One featured tool, three on the radar. No fluff.

Score
74/100 · B+
Adoption17/30
Maintenance25/25
Community7/20
License15/15
Analysis10/10

A low score is not a verdict on quality. Young and niche tools start low by design. How we calculate scores

Trust Signals

Notable author: 1,764 followers

License: MIT License

Use freely, including commercial. Just keep the license.

Commercial use: ✓ Yes

About

Owner
Matt Van Horn (User)
Stars
4,462
Forks
475

Explore Further

More tools in the directory