# planetscale-pscale-cli-automation

Teaches coding agents to run the PlanetScale CLI non-interactively with JSON output. Useful when automating database tasks and verifying authentication.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1700 installs · ★ 136
- Author: planetscale
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/planetscale/skills/tree/HEAD/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation

## What it does

This skill configures agents to invoke the `pscale` command-line tool in headless scripts. It enforces passing `--format json` on commands and replacing interactive `pscale shell` sessions with `pscale sql`, preventing agent hangs caused by missing TTY terminals.

Parameter order matters here. Positional arguments must appear before flags, while the `--org <org>` flag belongs on resource subcommands like `database` or `sql` rather than the root command. By default, queries run under the `reader` role; write operations require explicit flags such as `--role admin` or `--role writer`.

Passing `--format json` never bypasses confirmation prompts on destructive actions. You must supply `--force` directly to individual subcommands because `pscale` does not provide an engine-wide global force flag or environment variable.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add planetscale/skills --skill planetscale-pscale-cli-automation -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add planetscale/skills --skill planetscale-pscale-cli-automation -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add planetscale/skills --skill planetscale-pscale-cli-automation -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install planetscale/skills planetscale-pscale-cli-automation
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add planetscale/skills --skill planetscale-pscale-cli-automation -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/planetscale/skills --path planetscale-pscale-cli-automation
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add planetscale/skills --skill planetscale-pscale-cli-automation -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/planetscale/skills/tree/HEAD/planetscale-pscale-cli-automation/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- invoke PlanetScale CLI commands in headless automation
- verify pscale authentication state from an agent
- execute SQL queries without requiring a TTY terminal
- handle destructive database subcommands with per-command force flags

## Example prompts
- Verify authentication status using pscale auth check --format json
- Query mydb on branch main with admin role using pscale sql
- List databases for organization my-org using pscale database list --format json

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: b9f2b86a72a3ddc1.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE b9f2b86a72a3ddc1
````text
---
name: planetscale-pscale-cli-automation
description: >-
  Use the PlanetScale CLI (pscale) from automated agents with --format json,
  auth check, pscale sql, and per-command --force. Run before other PlanetScale
  skills when driving pscale directly. Use when the user asks to automate
  pscale, run CLI commands headless, or verify pscale auth from an agent.
---

# PlanetScale CLI automation

## Purpose

Teach agents how to invoke `pscale` non-interactively. This skill covers **CLI
conventions only**. Operational workflows (inventory, safety review, schema
recommendations) use the other skills in this repo — start with
`../planetscale-safe-orchestrator/SKILL.md` for a full assessment.

## Two AGENTS.md files (do not confuse them)

| Document | Where | Purpose |
|----------|-------|---------|
| **CLI agent guide** | Shipped with `pscale` (`AGENTS.md` in the CLI repo, or `pscale agent-guide`) | How to call `pscale`: auth, `--format json`, flag placement, `pscale sql` |
| **Project agent guide** | Your application repository's `AGENTS.md` | Which org, database, branch, engine, prod branch, MCP scope, approval rules |

Do not edit project `AGENTS.md` without operator approval (see
`../planetscale-mcp-agent-operating-model/SKILL.md`).

## Bootstrap (always start here)

```bash
pscale agent-guide --format json
pscale auth check --format json
```

If `auth check` returns `"status": "action_required"`, follow `issues` and
`next_steps` in the JSON. For login, the human may need to approve in the
browser; use `pscale auth login --format json`.

## Conventions

- Always pass **`--format json`** for automation.
- Put **`--org <org>`** on resource subcommands (`database`, `branch`, `sql`,
  `api`, …) — not on root `pscale`.
- Put **positional arguments before flags** (`pscale sql mydb main --org bb …`).
- Use **`pscale sql`**, not `pscale shell` (shell requires a TTY).
- Default SQL role is **reader**; pass `--role admin` (or writer/readwriter) for
  writes. Match `pscale shell` semantics for `--role` and `--replica`.
- **`--force`** is per subcommand only (e.g. `database delete … --force`, `pscale
  sql … --force`). There is no global `--force` or `PSCALE_FORCE`.
- **`--format json` alone never skips confirmations** — add `--force` on the
  destructive subcommand after explicit user approval.

## Typical workflow

```bash
pscale auth check --format json
pscale org list --format json
pscale database list --org <org> --format json
pscale branch list <database> --org <org> --format json
pscale sql <database> <branch> --org <org> --format json --query "SELECT 1"
```
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE b9f2b86a72a3ddc1

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the b9f2b86a72a3ddc1 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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