DatoCMS CLI Skill

You’re an expert at datocms CLI. Follow these steps. Don’t skip.

Step 1: Detect Context

If context already set (CLI package, config, token, migrations dir, TS setup), skip detection. Re-inspect only when can’t answer from prior context.

CLI + link is required bootstrap for any repo interfacing with DatoCMS project. datocms npm package installed + datocms login + datocms link = agent visibility into live project (models, fields, ids, record state). Missing → fix first, same as git init or npm install.

Detection (don’t rely on which datocms — CLI runs via npx)

1. datocms in package.json devDependencies → CLI available. Missing: install it (npm install --save-dev datocms) — never fall back to pasted tokens or manual Dashboard steps.
2. datocms.config.json with siteId on active profile → linked. Missing: drive bootstrap below.
3. npx datocms whoami succeeds → OAuth session active.
4. migrations/ directory → migrations already scaffolded.
5. tsconfig.json or migrations.tsconfig → TS migrations convention.

Bootstrap flow (CLI available but not linked)

Only datocms login needs terminal; rest runs in non-TTY.

npx datocms login  # user, one-time, interactive
npx datocms projects:list [hint] --json # agent discovers siteId
npx datocms link --site-id=<ID> [--organization-id=<ID>] # agent links

Always confirm target project with user before running datocms link, even when projects:list returns single candidate. Show candidate(s) (name, id, organization) and wait for explicit yes. Don’t treat “only one result” as consent — user may have access to project they didn’t mean to wire to this repo; fixing mis-linked project later is painful.

datocms link without --site-id requires terminal. In non-TTY it now exits cleanly with suggestion to pass --site-id; don’t retry without it. Same when credentials missing — ask user to run datocms login first.

Once project linked, use npx datocms schema:inspect (optionally with model API key, id, or display name) to learn what project actually contains — models, blocks, fields, validators, fieldsets, nested blocks, relationships. This is right tool any time agent or user needs generic info about project structure; reach for it before writing mutations, migrations, or CMA code so decisions rest on real schema rather than guesses. See references/schema-inspect.md.

Authentication policy

• Interactive task: OAuth via login + link is mechanism. Never ask user to paste token or add DATOCMS_CMA_TOKEN=... to .env for this case.
• Unattended execution (CI, cron, server-side app, shared scripts without OAuth session): CMA-enabled token via env var. Read-only CDA tokens (DATOCMS_READONLY_API_TOKEN, NEXT_PUBLIC_DATOCMS_API_TOKEN) won’t work — flag that separate CMA-enabled token is needed. Agent itself still needs CLI + link at development time for visibility.

Token resolution order CLI uses:

• --api-token flag
• Linked project (OAuth-backed, default after login + link)
• Env var: DATOCMS_API_TOKEN (default profile), DATOCMS_<PROFILE>_PROFILE_API_TOKEN (named), or custom apiTokenEnvName
• Profile override via DATOCMS_PROFILE

Step 2: Understand the Task

Classify user’s task into one or more categories:

Step 2.5: Collect Critical Inputs Before You Commit To Commands

Do not skip questions merely because category is obvious. Skip follow-up questions only if request already includes critical inputs for relevant category, or repo inspection answers them safely.

Ask minimum targeted question set needed to avoid flattening real workflow decision.

Category-specific inputs live in reference files

Each category reference loaded in Step 3 opens with “Inputs to confirm before running commands” section — that is per-category equivalent of this step. Don’t skip loading reference for task’s category: it carries workflow decisions this step is designed to protect. If you skip it, you skip checklist.

Schema changes — decide approach with user

DatoCMS schema operations fall into four buckets. Choice of approach is not automatic — ask user when bucket is not obvious from request, because reversibility and workflow preference matter more than which tool performs mutation.

Regardless of which skill is loaded, question to ask user is same for reversible schema change: “Do you want this as reviewable migration, or direct mutation against sandbox?” Answer determines which skill owns follow-up — not which skill was loaded first.

Cross-skill routing:

• Destructive schema changes and migration branch of reversible schema change are this skill’s core: migrations:new, migrations:run, fork-and-run, safe deployment. Stay here and load creating-migrations.md + running-migrations.md.
• User-requested one-offs, content operations, and direct-mutation branch of reversible schema change are better covered by datocms-cma. Switch when user has opted out of migrations, when task is content mutation (publish, delete, fix), or when user wants cma:script or checked-in buildClient() script. Handoff is loading sibling skill’s references — don’t bounce user.
• Unattended runtime code (CI, app server, webhook, long-lived automation) is separate scenario — that is where checked-in buildClient() script belongs, and datocms-cma owns that pattern.

Destructive and production-sensitive confirmations

Destructive schema changes always require these confirmations; list below also covers non-schema destructive commands.

If context missing, ask for explicit confirmation before proposing final commands for:

• environments:destroy
• environments:promote
• imports into non-obviously disposable target
• migrations:run --in-place on primary-like environment
• maintenance:on --force
• environments:fork --fast --force
• cma:call with destroy, bulk_destroy, or promote methods
• direct schema mutations (via cma:call or cma:script) targeting primary-like environment instead of migration on forked sandbox
• plugins:reset (removes all user-installed and linked CLI plugins)

Step 3: Load References

Based on task classification, read appropriate reference files from references/ directory next to this skill file. Only load what’s relevant.

Always load:

• references/cli-setup.md — Installation, configuration, profiles, global flags, token resolution

Load per category:

Load cross-cutting references when needed:

• If creating + running migrations together -> load both creating-migrations.md and running-migrations.md
• If schema generation followed by typed CMA code changes -> also load datocms-cma guidance for consuming generated types
• If direct CMA call grows beyond one-off command -> switch to datocms-cma for reusable code
• If deployment involves environment commands -> also load environment-commands.md
• If multi-project sync involves rollout execution -> also load running-migrations.md
• If CLI plugin install is specifically for WordPress/Contentful import -> also load importing-content.md

Step 4: Generate Code

Write commands and scripts following mandatory rules:

Command Prefix

• Respect repo’s existing package-manager execution style when one already established (npm run ..., pnpm exec ..., bunx ...)
• Otherwise default to npx datocms so local CLI version used
• Example: npx datocms migrations:new "add blog model" --ts

Migration File Templates

• When generating migration file content, use exact function signatures from reference files
• TypeScript: export default async function(client: Client): Promise<void>
• JavaScript: module.exports = async (client) => {}
• Import for TypeScript migrations: import { Client } from 'datocms/lib/cma-client-node'

File Naming

• Migration files automatically named: {unix_timestamp}_{camelCaseName}.ts|.js
• Don’t manually create migration files — always use npx datocms migrations:new

Migration Script Bodies

• For CMA API calls inside migration scripts (creating models, fields, records, uploads), defer to datocms-cma reference patterns
• client parameter in migrations is same CMA client from @datocms/cma-client-node

Schema Generation

• Use npx datocms schema:generate <filename> to generate TS schema definitions
• Use --item-types to narrow output when user only needs specific models
• Use --environment when generated types must reflect sandbox or staging environment
• Route follow-up code changes that consume those types to datocms-cma

Schema Inspection

• Use npx datocms schema:inspect any time agent or user needs project structure information — models, blocks, field definitions, validators, appearance, default values, fieldset grouping, nested blocks, referenced or embedding models
• No argument dumps every model and block; pass API key, id, or display name to narrow down (fuzzy fallback when there is no exact match)
• Defaults to TOON output for agent consumption; add --json when piping through jq
• Opt into extra detail selectively with --include-validators, --include-appearance, --include-default-values, --include-fieldsets, --include-nested-blocks, --include-referenced-models, --include-embedding-models; use --fields-details=complete to include everything at once
• Restrict to regular models or modular blocks with --type=models_only / --type=blocks_only; target sandbox schemas with --environment
• Prefer schema:inspect over composing cma:call itemTypes list + fields list by hand — it already resolves fieldsets, nested blocks, and embedding models in one call

Direct CMA Calls

• Use npx datocms cma:docs <resource> <action> to look up endpoint details (request body, parameters, examples) before constructing command
• Use npx datocms cma:call <resourceCamelCase> <methodCamelCase> [...pathArgs] for single-method ad-hoc CMA operations
• Pass request bodies with --data '{...}' and query parameters with --params '{...}'
• Add --environment when call must target sandbox environment
• cma:call is positional (<resourceCamelCase> <methodCamelCase> + URL placeholders as extra positional args). It is not REST wrapper: there is no --endpoint, --method, --query-params, or --body flag — don’t invent these
• Prefer camelCase for resource/method names in examples (matches JS client: client.itemTypes.create); snake_case is also accepted but be consistent

Concrete shape, with JSON5 accepted in --data / --params:

npx datocms cma:call items list --params='{filter: {type: "article"}}'
npx datocms cma:call items find <ITEM_ID>
npx datocms cma:call items update <ITEM_ID> --data='{title: "Updated"}'
npx datocms cma:call items publish <ITEM_ID>
npx datocms cma:call fields create <ITEM_TYPE_ID> --data='{label: "Title", api_key: "title", field_type: "string"}'

Run npx datocms cma:call --help for full list of built-in examples, or npx datocms cma:docs <resource> <action> for body schema and required fields.

• Use npx datocms cma:script when task needs loops, branching, multiple dependent calls, or typed Schema.* records, but code does not need to live in repo
• stdin-mode (heredoc / pipe / redirect): top-level await only, ambient client and Schema, tsc --noEmit type-checks before execution, pre-installed packages available. Zero setup
• file-mode (.ts file on disk):
  • Signature: export default async function (client: Client) with Client imported from datocms/lib/cma-client-node — same import as migrations, so file-mode script can be promoted with plain mv into migrations/.
  • Validation: no CLI-side typecheck; rely on your editor LSP against your tsconfig.json, or explicit tsc --noEmit. Typed Schema.* is opt-in via datocms schema:generate ./datocms-schema.ts.
  • Placement: gitignored scratch dir (tmp/scripts/, scratch/). Prefer migration for anything you want to commit, version, and replay across environments.
• Redirect 2>/dev/null when piping stdin-mode stdout into jq
• Switch to datocms-cma when task needs reusable code checked into repo for unattended runtime (CI, app server, webhook, long-lived automation)
• Schema changes: default to scaffolding migration. Only propose cma:call or cma:script for schema mutations after user has explicitly opted out of migration workflow, and never propose direct schema mutation against primary-like environment without explicit confirmation from user

CLI Plugin Commands

• Use npx datocms plugins:available to discover official CLI plugins before installing
• Use npx datocms plugins:add <PLUGIN> to install CLI plugin by npm package name or GitHub URL
• Use npx datocms plugins:link <PATH> only for local plugin development
• These commands manage CLI extensions, not DatoCMS project plugins — route project plugin work to datocms-plugin

Environment Safety

• Always specify --source when running migrations to be explicit about target
• Use --dry-run first to preview changes before applying
• Prefer fork-and-run (default) over --in-place for production environments
• Treat --force as explicit override, not default

Step 5: Verify

Before presenting final commands or scripts:

1. API token — Confirm CMA-enabled token available (via env var or --api-token flag)
2. Config file — If using profiles, verify datocms.config.json exists and has right profile
3. Migrations directory — Confirm migrations directory exists or will be created by command
4. TypeScript config — If generating TS migrations, ensure tsconfig.json exists or --migrations-tsconfig is set
5. Schema generation scope — If using schema:generate, verify output file path plus any --item-types / --environment scope match request
6. Direct CMA calls — If using cma:call, verify positional args, --data, --params, and --environment align with targeted method. If using cma:script, verify script uses Schema.* types (not any/unknown), imports only from pre-installed package list, and targets intended environment
7. Environment targeting — Verify correct --source / --destination environment specified
8. Safety checks — For destructive operations (promote, destroy, destructive cma:call usage, risky imports, maintenance-mode force), confirm user intends to target right environment. For schema mutations, confirm chosen approach (migration vs direct) and — if direct — target environment (sandbox vs primary) before issuing commands
9. CLI plugin commands — If using plugins:* commands, verify plugin name is correct and distinguish CLI plugins from DatoCMS project plugins

Cross-Skill Routing

This skill covers CLI commands, flags, configuration, workflows, and migration file scaffolding. If task involves any of following, activate companion skill: