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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/buttondown/cli/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Installation

Get started with Buttondown CLI by installing it globally or using it directly with npx.

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Prerequisites

Before installing Buttondown CLI, ensure you have:
1

Node.js 18 or higher

Buttondown CLI requires Node.js version 18 or higher. Check your version:
node --version
If you need to install or update Node.js, visit nodejs.org
2

Buttondown Account

You’ll need an active Buttondown account to use the CLI
3

API Key

Get your API key from your Buttondown settings. You’ll need this to authenticate the CLI

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Install Buttondown CLI

Choose your preferred package manager to install Buttondown CLI: 
npm install -g @buttondown/cli
The -g flag installs the CLI globally, making the buttondown command available system-wide.

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Using npx (No Installation)

If you prefer not to install the CLI globally, you can use it directly with npx: 
px @buttondown/cli <command>
For example: 
px @buttondown/cli login
px @buttondown/cli pull
Using npx will download the CLI each time you run it, which may be slower than a global installation. For frequent use, we recommend installing globally.

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Verify Installation

After installation, verify that Buttondown CLI is installed correctly: 
buttondown --version
This should display the current version number (e.g., 1.0.9). You can also view all available commands: 
buttondown --help

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Troubleshooting

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Command Not Found

If you get a “command not found” error after global installation, your npm global bin directory may not be in your PATH.
1

Find your npm bin directory

npm bin -g
2

Add to your PATH

Add the output directory to your PATH in your shell configuration file (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.):
export PATH="$PATH:/path/to/npm/bin"
3

Reload your shell

source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc

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Permission Errors

If you encounter permission errors during installation with npm, you have a few options:
  1. Use npx instead (no installation required)
  2. Fix npm permissions following the official npm guide
  3. Use a version manager like nvm or volta

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Next Steps

Once you’ve installed Buttondown CLI, head to the Quick Start guide to authenticate and sync your first newsletter.

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