revenuecat-cli — Claude Code skill: RevenueCat from the terminal

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name: revenuecat-cli
description: Drive RevenueCat from the terminal with the `rc` CLI, an alternative to the RevenueCat MCP server for humans, CI, and agents. Covers install, authentication, command discovery, and output conventions. Use for uploading paywall images to the Media Gallery (`rc media-assets upload`) or custom paywall fonts (`rc fonts upload`) — MCP has no upload tools for these. Referenced by the other RevenueCat skills whenever they offer a CLI path.
---

# revenuecat-cli: driving RevenueCat from the terminal

`rc` is the official RevenueCat command line interface. It covers most of the same project, app, product, entitlement, offering, paywall, chart, and store-state operations as the RevenueCat MCP server (the CLI adds paywall generate/edit and paywall image/font upload; the MCP server has some SDK feature-gate and experiment tools the CLI does not). Use whichever surface is available; this skill is the reference for the CLI path.

## Before the first command

The CLI needs a shell. Without one (for example in a chat app with only the MCP server), use MCP, or tell the user which `rc` command to run or which dashboard page to use.

1. **Check it is installed:** `rc --version`. If that fails, pick one:
   - Run without installing: `npx @revenuecat/cli <command>` everywhere `rc` appears below. Needs Node. Best for CI and agent sandboxes.
   - Install on macOS/Linux: `brew install RevenueCat/tap/rc`.
   - Install with npm: `npm install -g @revenuecat/cli`.

   Installing changes the user's machine, so ask before running `brew` or `npm install -g`. `npx` needs no permission beyond running the command.
2. **Check it is logged in:** `rc auth status --json`. The CLI does not share the MCP server's login. If no credential is active, ask the user to run `rc auth login` themselves: it opens a browser for OAuth. In CI, set `RC_API_KEY` or pass `--api-key`.
3. **Check the project:** pass `--project-id <id>`, or have the user set a default with `rc projects use`.

The CLI authenticates with a RevenueCat **secret** key (`sk_...`); that is correct because the CLI is a server-side tool. This is not the same as the **public** SDK keys (`appl_`/`goog_`/`amzn_`) you fetch for client app code. Never put a secret key in an app, and never ask the user to paste one into the chat.

## Discover the surface

The CLI is self-describing. Don't guess a command or flag, ask the binary:

- `rc commands --json` lists the full command tree. Capability IDs appear in colon form (`apps:create`, `products:store:plan`).
- `rc commands --schemas --json` returns every command's flags, args, and examples in one call. This is the most reliable way for an agent to discover per-command detail.
- `rc schema <command> --json` returns detail for a single command, but the command must be **space-separated tokens** (`rc schema apps create`), not the colon form from `rc commands`. `rc schema apps:create` silently returns the root schema, so when in doubt use `rc commands --schemas`.
- `rc --help` and `rc <noun> --help` give human-readable help.

## Output conventions

- `--json` gives stable, machine-readable output. Data goes to stdout, progress and chatter to stderr.
- The envelope is `{ "data": ... }`, but the shape under `data` varies by command: lists are usually `data.items[]`, though some commands use other keys (charts use `data.names[]`). Inspect the schema or the response rather than assuming `data.items`.
- `--no-input` never prompts, it fails instead. Use it in scripts, CI, and agents.
- `--yes` / `-y` skips confirmation prompts on mutating commands.
- `--project-id <id>` selects the project (or set a default with `rc projects use`). Pass it explicitly in scripts.
- Exit codes: `0` success, `1` error, `2` bad usage, `4` auth, `5` not found, `6` rate limited.

## Common operations

Look up exact flags with `rc commands --schemas --json` (or `rc schema <space-separated command>`). The common nouns:

- **Projects and apps**: `rc projects list|create|use`, `rc apps list|create|keys`
- **Catalog**: `rc products ...`, `rc entitlements ...`, `rc offerings ...`, `rc packages ...`
- **Store credentials and state**: `rc setup apple|google`, `rc products store plan|apply|sync`
- **Data**: `rc charts list|show`, `rc customers ...`
- **Paywalls**: `rc paywalls generate|edit|publish` (dashboard design/audit playbook: `revenuecat-paywall-design`)
- **Paywall media and fonts**: `rc media-assets list|upload <file>`, `rc fonts list|upload <file>`. MCP cannot upload these; do not use the dashboard in a browser.
- **Dashboard**: `rc open [section] [id] --print` (resource URLs: `revenuecat-dashboard-links`)

Images: jpg/png/webp/avif/heic/heif, up to 2 MiB. Fonts: ttf/otf, up to 5 MiB. Write or generate the file on disk first, then pass that path. Confirm flags with `rc schema media-assets upload` / `rc schema fonts upload`.

Prefer the specific command. Drop to `rc api <METHOD> <path>` only for endpoints not yet in the CLI surface.