CLI authentication

The CLI uses the same pbk_ user API Tokens as the Public API and SDK. Create a Token from Settings → Public API, restrict it to the required Workspaces, and select only the scopes used by your commands.

postlybee auth:login

The CLI reads the Token through a hidden terminal prompt, validates it by calling GET /public/v1/workspaces, and saves it to:

~/.postlybee/credentials.json

The directory is created with mode 0700 and the credentials file with mode 0600.

postlybee auth:status
postlybee auth:logout

auth:logout removes only the local credentials file. Revoke a compromised or unused Token from the PostlyBee dashboard as well.

Environment variables

Environment variables take priority over saved configuration and are recommended for CI:

export POSTLYBEE_API_TOKEN="pbk_your_token"
export POSTLYBEE_WORKSPACE_ID="your-workspace-id"
export POSTLYBEE_API_URL="https://api.postlybee.com"

The global --token, --workspace, and --base-url options override environment variables for one command.

Avoid putting a Token directly in a shell command because it may be saved in shell history or visible in the process list. Prefer auth:login or a masked environment variable.

Required scopes

Command family	Scopes
`workspaces:list`, `ping`	`workspaces:read`
`accounts:list`, `accounts:settings`, `accounts:trigger`	`accounts:read`
`accounts:connect`, `accounts:delete`	`accounts:write`
`posts:list`, `posts:missing`	`posts:read`
`posts:create`, `posts:delete`, `posts:connect`, `posts:status`, `posts:settings`	`posts:write`
`media:*`	`media:write`
`analytics:*`	`analytics:read`
`notifications:list`	`notifications:read`

Scopes restrict a Token but never grant Workspace membership. If the Token owner stops managing a Workspace, CLI access ends immediately.

Self-hosted installations

postlybee --base-url https://api.example.com workspaces:list

Save the custom URL during auth:login, or set POSTLYBEE_API_URL for every command.

Get started

Essentials

MCP

CLI

SDKs

API reference

CLI authentication

Environment variables

Required scopes

Self-hosted installations

​Interactive login

​Environment variables

​Required scopes

​Self-hosted installations

Interactive login

Environment variables

Required scopes

Self-hosted installations