---
title: CLI
description: "Run Executor as a local background service and drive it from the command line."
---

The CLI runs a small HTTP runtime on your machine: a durable background service
that any MCP-compatible agent can connect to. Your integrations, credentials, and
policies stay local.

## Install

Requires Node.js 20 or newer.

<CodeGroup>

```bash npm
npm install -g executor
```

```bash pnpm
pnpm add -g executor
```

```bash bun
bun add -g executor
```

```bash yarn
yarn global add executor
```

</CodeGroup>

## Start the service

Install the durable background service, then open the web UI:

```bash
executor install   # install/start the durable background service
executor web        # open the web UI at http://127.0.0.1:4788
```

`executor install` registers Executor so it keeps running across restarts. For a
throwaway foreground runtime instead, run `executor web --foreground`.

## Connect an agent

Add Executor to any MCP client (Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode) with `npx add-mcp`.
It detects the client and writes its config for you. Connect over HTTP or through
the CLI:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="HTTP">
    Executor serves a streamable-HTTP MCP endpoint at `http://127.0.0.1:4788/mcp`:

    ```bash
    npx add-mcp http://127.0.0.1:4788/mcp --transport http --name executor
    ```

    The **Connect** card in the web UI shows this command with your exact URL
    (and port, if it differs) already filled in.

  </Tab>
  <Tab title="CLI (stdio)">
    With the `executor` CLI on your PATH, the client launches `executor mcp`
    directly (no URL needed):

    ```bash
    npx add-mcp "executor mcp" --name executor
    ```

  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Add an integration

From the web UI, click **Add Source** and paste an OpenAPI, GraphQL, or MCP URL.
Executor detects the type, indexes the tools, and handles auth. Or add one from the
CLI:

```bash
executor call executor openapi addSource '{
  "spec": "https://petstore3.swagger.io/api/v3/openapi.json",
  "namespace": "petstore",
  "baseUrl": "https://petstore3.swagger.io/api/v3"
}'
```

Use `baseUrl` when the OpenAPI document has relative `servers` entries (e.g. `"/api/v3"`).

Confirm it's live:

```bash
executor tools sources   # lists configured integrations + tool counts
```

## Call tools

```bash
executor tools search "send email"      # find tools by intent
executor call github issues --help      # browse a namespace
executor call github issues create '{"owner":"octocat","repo":"Hello-World","title":"Hi"}'
```

`executor call`, `executor resume`, and `executor tools …` auto-start the local
daemon if it isn't already running. If an execution pauses for auth or approval,
resume it:

```bash
executor resume --execution-id exec_123
```