# readwise-cli

This skill guides an agent through the Readwise CLI to search, read, and manage Reader documents and Readwise highlights. Use it to work with your reading library from the terminal.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 594 installs · ★ 325
- Author: readwiseio
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/readwiseio/readwise-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/readwise-cli/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-06-19
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/readwise-cli

## What it does

The skill covers CLI commands for finding and browsing Reader documents and Readwise highlights. An agent can fetch a document’s content, save a URL or Markdown, create highlights and notes, change tags, move documents, and export documents as a ZIP of Markdown files. Search supports semantic queries and filters.

Install `@readwise/cli` with `npm install -g @readwise/cli`, then authenticate with a Readwise access token using `readwise login-with-token <token>`. Commands accept `--help` for option details; `--json` returns machine-readable output. There is an important constraint when creating a Reader highlight: the supplied HTML must match the document’s HTML exactly. The skill also describes daily review and bulk metadata edits.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

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

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add readwiseio/readwise-skills --skill readwise-cli -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add readwiseio/readwise-skills --skill readwise-cli -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install readwiseio/readwise-skills readwise-cli
```

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

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add readwiseio/readwise-skills --skill readwise-cli -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/readwiseio/readwise-skills --path skills/readwise-cli
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add readwiseio/readwise-skills --skill readwise-cli -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/readwiseio/readwise-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/readwise-cli/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- search Reader documents by topic or author
- retrieve document text and its highlights
- save a URL or Markdown in Reader
- move documents and change their tags
- export documents as Markdown files

## Example prompts
- Search my saved Reader documents for machine learning and show their titles and authors.
- Save this link to Reader with the `research` tag, then move it to the archive.
- Find my recent highlights about memory and prepare today’s review.

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From the same set: [readwiseio/readwise-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/readwiseio/readwise-skills.md) — 11 cards

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