playcode is Playcode's command line. Sign in once through the browser, and every command acts as you, with the permissions you allowed. It is also the door a coding agent such as Claude Code walks through: it runs shell commands, so it needs nothing more.
| Way |
Command |
| Install it |
npm i -g @playcode/cli |
| Run it once without installing |
npx @playcode/cli <command> |
| Check the version |
playcode --version |
| List the commands |
playcode --help |
| Command |
What it does |
playcode login |
Shows a page address and a code. Open the page, type the code, choose Continue and Yes, sign in, then pick a workspace and choose Allow. The code expires after 10 minutes |
playcode login --permissions projects:vm,domains:write |
The same, asking for more. Without it, the sign-in asks for projects:vm only |
playcode login --paste |
Asks for an access token instead of the browser. playcode login pc_live_... takes it on the line |
playcode whoami |
Says how you are signed in, and whether the sign-in reaches your projects |
playcode logout |
Deletes the stored sign-in. A browser sign-in is also taken back at Playcode |
A browser sign-in refreshes itself while you use it. It ends after 30 days without use, and after a year at the latest. It is stored in ~/.config/playcode/credentials.json, readable only by you. To sign it out from elsewhere, choose Revoke beside it under Signed in as you on the Developers page.
A project is named by its uid or by the name it answers to, as playcode projects shows them.
| Command |
What it does |
playcode projects |
Your projects: title, name, kind and uid |
playcode vm ls <project> [path] |
Lists a project's files. --depth N goes deeper |
playcode vm cat <project> <path> |
Prints one file |
playcode vm exec <project> -- <shell line> |
Runs one shell line on a Cloud app's computer, prints its output as it runs, and exits with its exit code. Quote the line as for ssh |
playcode vm cp <local> <project>:<path> |
Uploads a file or a folder to a Cloud app's computer |
playcode vm cp <project>:<path> <local> |
Downloads a file or a folder |
playcode vm shell <project> |
Opens an interactive shell on a Cloud app's computer. It needs a terminal |
playcode publish <project> |
Starts a publish of a Cloud app and returns at once |
playcode publish <project> --wait |
Publishes and waits until the publish ends: exit code 0 when it is live, 1 when it failed |
playcode mcp |
Runs an MCP server on stdio over your sign-in. See Connect Claude Code, Cursor or another MCP client |
playcode <family> |
Lists a family's operations, each with its effect and whether it needs consent |
playcode <family> <operation> --help |
Prints an operation's arguments |
playcode <family> <operation> --<argument> <value> |
Calls the operation |
Example: playcode domains domainGet --domain example.com.
An argument value is read as JSON when it parses, as a plain string otherwise; @file.json reads it from a file. An operation that needs consent takes --proposalId from proposalCreate: see Consent.
| Flag |
Works with |
What it does |
--json |
Every command |
Answers with JSON on stdout, for a program to read |
--env DEV or --env PROD |
vm commands |
Which computer: development (the default) or production |
--depth N |
vm ls |
How many folder levels to list; 1 by default |
--cwd DIR |
vm exec |
The folder the command runs in |
--timeout 10m |
vm exec |
Stops the command after this long: 90s, 10m or 2h. 15 minutes by default, 60 minutes at most |
--alias NAME |
publish |
The address name for the published app, like coolapp |
--wait |
publish |
Waits until the publish ends |
--permissions A,B |
login |
The permissions the browser sign-in asks for |
--paste |
login |
Signs in with an access token |
--token TOKEN |
Every command |
Uses this access token for one command |
--origin URL |
Every command |
The Playcode address; https://playcode.io by default |
| Variable |
What it does |
PLAYCODE_TOKEN |
An access token. It wins over the stored sign-in: use it in CI and scripts |
PLAYCODE_ORIGIN |
The Playcode address, like --origin |
PLAYCODE_CONFIG_DIR |
Where to keep the stored sign-in, instead of ~/.config |
| Code |
Means |
| 0 |
Done |
| 1 |
The call failed, or a publish with --wait failed |
| 2 |
A usage mistake, or not signed in, or the sign-in ended |
| 3 |
Playcode could not be reached, or answered something unexpected |
| 4 |
Not allowed: a missing permission, no access, or consent needed |
| 5 |
Not found |
| 124 |
vm exec: the command ran out of time |
| 130 |
vm exec: the command was cancelled |
For vm exec, any other code is the command's own exit code.
| Family |
What it holds |
Permission it needs |
projects |
Projects, their files, commands, publishes |
projects:read to read; projects:vm to change |
domains |
Names to buy, domains, DNS zones, orders |
domains:read to read; domains:write to change |
events |
The workspace's activity |
None |
consent |
Proposals for operations that need consent |
None |
api |
Search and describe operations |
None |
apps, tokens, webhooks |
App settings, access tokens, webhook endpoints |
Listed, but refused for any sign-in or token: manage these in the app |
vm exec, vm cp, vm shell and publish work on Cloud apps only. vm ls and vm cat work on every project.- The first publish of a project creates its production computer, which uses credits while it runs. See Run a Cloud app.
playcode projects lists the projects you own, not every project you can open.- The CLI's list of operations is fixed when the version is released; a newer operation needs a newer CLI.
playcode mcp reads the current list from Playcode.
- A sign-in acts in one workspace. To work in another one, sign in again.
