Install & Authenticate
Install the ByteKit CLI, authenticate, and learn the global flags shared by every command.
The bytekit CLI wraps the ByteKit API as shell subcommands — scrape, screenshot,
record, monitor, and more, straight from your terminal.
Install
Install globally from npm:
npm install -g @bytekit/cliThis puts the bytekit binary on your PATH. Verify the install:
bytekit --versionAuthenticate
Every command needs an API key. You can provide it two ways:
1. Environment variable (recommended)
Set RAPIDCRAWL_API_KEY once and every command picks it up automatically:
export RAPIDCRAWL_API_KEY="sk_live_your_api_key_here"
bytekit scrape create --url https://example.com2. The --key flag
Pass the key inline for a single command (overrides the env var):
bytekit scrape create --url https://example.com --key sk_live_your_api_key_hereThe resolution order is: --key flag → RAPIDCRAWL_API_KEY environment variable.
If neither is set, the command exits with Error: API key required. Pass --key or set RAPIDCRAWL_API_KEY.
Global flags
These flags are available on every command:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--key <key> | API key for this invocation. Overrides RAPIDCRAWL_API_KEY. |
--base-url <url> | Override the API base URL (or set RAPIDCRAWL_BASE_URL). Useful for self-hosted or staging endpoints. |
--json | Print the raw JSON response instead of the formatted, human-readable output. |
-V, --version | Print the CLI version and exit. |
-h, --help | Show help for the program or a subcommand. |
For example, to point at a staging endpoint and get raw JSON:
bytekit scrape create --url https://example.com --base-url https://api-stg.bytekit.com --jsonNext steps
- Scrape — capture URL content as markdown, HTML, or structured data.
- Screenshots — render full-page or viewport screenshots.
- Monitors — track page changes on a schedule.
- API Reference — the underlying REST endpoints.