Atlassian CLI (acli)

Use acli to automate and operate Atlassian Cloud workflows from the terminal (Jira, Admin, and Rovo Dev).

Workflow

1. Install or upgrade acli (pick the OS-specific path).
2. Authenticate (pick token vs OAuth vs admin API key).
3. Discover the exact command/flags via acli help ... and --help.
4. Prefer machine-readable output (--json) for automation; parse with jq.
5. Handle bulk operations with --ignore-errors where appropriate; capture trace IDs on unexpected errors.

Decision Tree

Install / Upgrade

Which OS?
  macOS:
    - Preferred: Homebrew
    - Fallback: download binary + put on PATH
  Linux:
    - Preferred: apt (Debian/Ubuntu) or yum (RHEL/CentOS)
    - Fallback: download binary to /usr/local/bin or ~/.local/bin
  Windows:
    - Download acli.exe via PowerShell (Invoke-WebRequest)
Upgrade:
  - Homebrew: brew upgrade acli
  - apt/yum: upgrade package
  - binary installs: re-download and replace

Read references/install.md for exact commands.

Authenticate

What are you trying to access?
  Jira Cloud:
    - API token (non-interactive, CI-friendly)
    - OAuth (interactive): acli jira auth login --web
  Atlassian Admin (org admin):
    - API key (admin commands)
  Rovo Dev:
    - API token login, then: acli rovodev run

Read references/auth.md for exact login commands.

Secrets Handling (Do This By Default)

• Avoid putting tokens/keys directly in the command line.
• Prefer stdin from a secret store/CI secret variable.
• Never print tokens/keys into logs, diffs, or chat transcripts.

Command Discovery Pattern

• Show top-level help: acli --help
• Show product help: acli jira --help, acli admin --help, acli rovodev --help
• Show deep help: acli jira workitem create --help
• Use acli help [path] when unsure where a command lives.

Automation Patterns

• Chain commands with && when later steps must only run on success.
• Redirect tabular output (--csv) to files.
• Use --json | jq ... to extract specific fields.

Read references/automation.md.

Shell Completion

Enable completion for bash/zsh/fish/powershell.

Read references/shell-completion.md.

Troubleshooting

• Capture trace IDs from unexpected errors for support tickets.
• Use --ignore-errors for bulk operations where partial success is acceptable.
• Use --generate-input-json / --generate-json on commands that support JSON-driven workflows.

Read references/troubleshooting.md.

References

• references/install.md
• references/auth.md
• references/automation.md
• references/shell-completion.md
• references/troubleshooting.md