npm install -g @postnitro/cli (requires Node.js 18+), or run it without installing via npx @postnitro/cli. You can also install it as a skill for AI coding agents with "npx skills add postnitro/postnitro-agent", or as a Claude Code plugin.

Why Put a Content Engine in Your Terminal?

Post Without Leaving the Shell

"postnitro carousel generate --context '5 remote work tips' --wait" is a finished, on-brand, ready-to-download carousel. No tabs, no drag-and-drop, no export dialog.

Built for AI Agents

Clean JSON on stdout, JSON errors on stderr, no colors or interactive prompts to parse around. Claude Code, Cursor, and any agent that can shell out can drive it reliably — or install it as a skill and let the agent teach itself.

Automate in CI and Cron

Publish release announcements from your deploy pipeline, or run a nightly job that turns tomorrow's content calendar into scheduled posts. Exit codes and JSON output make failures easy to catch.

AI Writes It — or You Do

Generate from a topic, an article URL, or an X post, or import your own slide JSON for full control — including infographic layouts with data columns. Both paths render through your templates and brand kit.

AI Images, One Flag Away

Add --generate-images with a short visual brief and AI images are created and baked into your slides before rendering — backgrounds or in-line, strategic slides or all of them.

Idea to Scheduled Post in One Command

generate-and-schedule writes the content, waits for the render, and books it on your calendar with per-platform captions — and import-and-schedule does the same for your own slides. A whole content workflow in a single shell command.

Set Defaults Once, Then Forget Them

Save your template, brand, preset, and output format with defaults set. Every later command just needs the content — and if your workspace has exactly one candidate, the CLI picks it automatically.

Same Key, Same Credits, Every Surface

The CLI is a thin wrapper over the Embed API and shares your key and credit balance with the REST API and MCP server. Start in the terminal, switch surfaces whenever you like.

Install in Seconds

Requires Node.js 18+ and a PostNitro account on a paid plan.

# Install globally from npm (recommended)
npm install -g @postnitro/cli
postnitro --help

From Zero to a Scheduled Post in Four Commands

1. Authenticate once

Get your API key from PostNitro → Profile → Embed → Generate API Key, then save it. You can also use the POSTNITRO_API_KEY environment variable or --api-key per command (recommended for CI).

postnitro auth set-key pn-xxxxxxxxxxxx   # save it once
postnitro auth status                    # check what's configured (key is masked)

2. Save your defaults

List your templates, brands, and AI presets, then save your favorites so create commands only need content.

postnitro template list && postnitro brand list && postnitro preset list
postnitro defaults set --template-id tpl_123 --brand-id brd_456 --preset-id prs_789

3. Generate — and get files back

--wait polls until the render finishes and prints the final JSON: file URLs, a designId for scheduling, and an editorUrl deep link to keep editing in PostNitro.

postnitro carousel generate --context "5 tips for remote work" --wait
# => { "designId": "dsg_abc", "editorUrl": "https://postnitro.ai/app/...", "data": [...] }

4. Schedule it — PostNitro publishes for you

Take the designId from the output and book the post to your connected LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or Threads accounts — or save it as a draft. That's the whole pipeline: idea → design → scheduled post, without leaving the terminal.

postnitro schedule create \
  --status SCHEDULED --scheduled-at "2026-07-25T09:00:00Z" \
  --design-id dsg_abc \
  --selected-accounts '["acct_123"]' \
  --post-content '{"common":"5 tips for remote work 🚀 #remotework"}'

New

Don't Just Create Posts — Schedule Them Too

Designing the post is only half the job, so PostNitro now finishes it: schedule posts or save drafts directly to LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads, with per-platform captions and settings. Generate or import a design, attach it to a time slot, and PostNitro publishes it for you — from the API, the MCP server, or the CLI, with no separate scheduling tool.

Instagram

TikTok

Threads

Read the Schedule API Docs Explore Scheduling

Real Workflows, Copy-Paste Ready

Turn a blog post into a LinkedIn carousel

Point --type article at a URL and the AI extracts the key points into swipeable slides.

postnitro carousel generate \
  --context "https://yourblog.com/post" --type article --wait

Generate and schedule in one shot

Content written, design rendered, post booked — one command. If scheduling fails, you get the designId back so you can retry without re-spending credits.

postnitro generate-and-schedule \
  --context "How AI agents automate content" --type text \
  --status SCHEDULED --scheduled-at "2026-12-31T12:00:00Z" \
  --selected-accounts '["acct_123"]' \
  --linkedin-post-settings '{"postType":"document","postTitle":"How AI agents automate content"}' \
  --post-content '{"common":"New drop 🚀 #ai #automation"}'

Import and schedule in one shot

The import-side counterpart: your exact slides go from JSON to a booked post in a single command. Same safety net — if scheduling fails after the import succeeds, you get the designId back to retry without re-spending credits.

postnitro import-and-schedule \
  --slides '{"slides":[
    {"type":"starting_slide","heading":"Our 2026 Results","description":"The numbers behind the year"},
    {"type":"body_slide","heading":"+42% Revenue","description":"Year over year growth"},
    {"type":"ending_slide","heading":"Full report on our blog","cta_button":"Read it"}
  ]}' \
  --status SCHEDULED --scheduled-at "2026-12-31T12:00:00Z" \
  --selected-accounts '["acct_123"]' \
  --post-content '{"common":"Our year in numbers 📊 #growth"}'

Import your own slides

Full editorial control: pass your slides as JSON inline or from a file, and PostNitro renders them into your template and brand.

postnitro carousel import --slides '{"slides":[
  {"type":"starting_slide","heading":"Your Title","description":"Intro"},
  {"type":"body_slide","heading":"Key Point","description":"Details"},
  {"type":"ending_slide","heading":"Take Action!","cta_button":"Learn More"}
]}' --wait

A single image post with AI artwork

Image posts mirror carousels — one slide object instead of an array, with the same AI-image flags available.

postnitro image generate --context "Announce our new scheduling feature" \
  --generate-images --image-context "upbeat and professional, product-focused" --wait

Schedule a design you already have

Creation gives you a designId; scheduling attaches it to your calendar with per-platform captions. Manage the whole queue — list, update, delete — without leaving the shell.

postnitro schedule create \
  --status SCHEDULED --scheduled-at "2026-12-31T13:00:00Z" \
  --design-id dsg_abc \
  --selected-accounts '["acct_123"]' \
  --post-content '{"common":"New carousel 🚀 #remotework"}'

postnitro schedule list --from "2026-12-01" --to "2026-12-31"

Kick off now, fetch later

Skip --wait for long generations or batch jobs: creation returns an embedPostId immediately, and status/output pick the result up whenever you're ready.

postnitro carousel generate --context "5 tips for remote work"
# => { "success": true, "data": { "embedPostId": "post_123", "status": "PENDING" } }

postnitro carousel status post_123   # PENDING → PROCESSING → COMPLETED
postnitro carousel output post_123   # file URLs + designId + editorUrl

Made for AI Agents

The CLI was designed agent-first: predictable flags, machine-readable output, and destructive actions gated behind --yes. Install the PostNitro skill and your coding agent learns the whole workflow — discovery, defaults, creation, scheduling — without you writing a prompt.

JSON on stdout (exit 0) on success; structured JSON errors on stderr (exit 1)
No interactive prompts, spinners, colors, or tables — nothing to trip up a parser
Inline JSON or file input for complex payloads; inline always wins
Install via "npx skills add postnitro/postnitro-agent", or as a Claude Code plugin

The Full Command Surface

Everything the Embed API can do, as composable commands. Run any command with --help for details.

Group	Commands	What it's for
Setup	`auth set-key · auth status · auth clear · defaults get · defaults set`	Save your API key and default template, brand, preset, and output format.
Discovery	`template list · brand list · preset list · social list`	Find the IDs for your templates, brand kits, AI presets, and connected social accounts.
Carousels	`carousel generate · carousel import · carousel status · carousel output · carousel import-template`	Create multi-slide posts with AI or from your own slides, and fetch results.
Image posts	`image generate · image import · image status · image output · image import-template`	The single-image equivalents — same flags, one slide object instead of an array.
Brand kits	`brand create · brand get · brand update`	Manage the logo, name, and handle stamped on your designs.
Scheduling	`schedule create · schedule list · schedule get · schedule update · schedule delete`	Book posts and drafts with per-platform captions and settings; manage the queue.
One-shots	`generate-and-schedule · import-and-schedule`	Create, wait, and schedule in a single command — for carousels or image posts.
Social accounts	`social list · social get · social disconnect`	Inspect connected LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads accounts.

Errors Your Scripts Can Actually Handle

Every failure is a structured JSON object on stderr with a non-zero exit code — no parsing log prose, no guessing. Your pipeline branches on exit status; your agent reads the message and fixes its own call.

{ "success": false, "error": { "message": "PostNitro API error (422): Scheduled at is in the past", "statusCode": 422 } }

Common error	Fix
`No API key found`	Pass --api-key, set POSTNITRO_API_KEY, or run auth set-key
`Missing --brand-id ... multiple candidates`	Pass the ID explicitly or save one with defaults set — the error lists the candidates
`Scheduled at is in the past`	Use an ISO-8601 time at least 5 minutes ahead, with a trailing Z
`Slides must be an array with at least 3 entries`	Provide starting + body + ending slides
`An IMAGE post takes a single slide object, not an array`	Use --slide (object) for images, --slides (array) for carousels
`Refusing to delete ... without --yes`	Add --yes to confirm destructive actions — nothing destructive runs by accident

Three Output Formats

PDF

A single document — the default, and the right shape for LinkedIn document posts.

PNG

One image per slide, ready for direct upload anywhere.

DESIGN

Skips rendering entirely and returns the editable design — fastest when you only need to schedule or keep editing.

Every completed output includes a designId (what scheduling expects) and an editorUrl deep link to open the design in the PostNitro editor. Response type doesn't change credit cost.

Credits & Pricing

Plan	Price	Credits/Month	Typical Usage
Monthly	$10/mo	250 credits/mo	Full CLI access and regular automation
Higher tiers	See plans page	More credits	Teams, agencies, and high-volume pipelines

Operation	Credits per Slide
Content import	1 credit per slide
AI generation	2 credits per slide

The CLI shares credits with the Embed API and MCP server. AI-generated images draw on a separate organization image quota and don't change a post's credit cost.

Get Your API Key

CLI vs MCP vs Embed API vs Embed SDK

	CLI	MCP Server	Embed API	Embed SDK
Best for	Terminal workflows, shell scripts, CI, and agents that shell out	AI assistants creating posts conversationally	Custom backends and no-code automation platforms	Letting your users design carousels inside your app
Interface	Commands with flags — JSON in, JSON out	Natural language via an MCP client	REST over HTTPS	Embeddable visual editor
Setup	npm install -g @postnitro/cli	One config block or CLI command	API key + any HTTP client	npm package + API key
Scheduling	Yes — including one-shot generate-and-schedule	Yes — full CRUD via tools	Yes — via the Schedule API	No — design only
Same key & credits	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

They're all the same engine. Use the CLI in terminals and pipelines, MCP inside AI assistants, the REST API from your own code, and the SDK when your users need a visual editor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PostNitro CLI?

How do I install it?

Do I need a paid plan?

How does authentication work?

Can AI agents use the CLI?

What's the difference between generate and import?

How do I schedule a post I just created?

Can the CLI generate AI images for my slides?

What output formats does it support?

What happens when a command fails?

Is the CLI open source?

When should I use the CLI vs the MCP server?

Related Resources

CLI Documentation MCP Server Embed API Embed SDK Pricing & Plans

PostNitro CLI — Create & Schedule Social Posts from Your Terminal

One command in, a designed post out. The PostNitro CLI creates on-brand carousels and single-image posts, optionally adds AI-generated images, and schedules them to LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads — without a browser, a design tool, or a single manual step. Every command speaks JSON, which makes it as comfortable for AI agents and CI pipelines as it is for you.

npm install -g @postnitro/cli — and your terminal becomes a content studio.

Package

@postnitro/cli on npm

Interface

JSON in, JSON out — script-safe

Creates

Carousels & image posts, PNG/PDF

Schedules to

LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Threads

Read the CLI Docs Get API Key

Why Put a Content Engine in Your Terminal?

Post Without Leaving the Shell

"postnitro carousel generate --context '5 remote work tips' --wait" is a finished, on-brand, ready-to-download carousel. No tabs, no drag-and-drop, no export dialog.

Built for AI Agents

Automate in CI and Cron

Publish release announcements from your deploy pipeline, or run a nightly job that turns tomorrow's content calendar into scheduled posts. Exit codes and JSON output make failures easy to catch.

AI Writes It — or You Do

AI Images, One Flag Away

Add --generate-images with a short visual brief and AI images are created and baked into your slides before rendering — backgrounds or in-line, strategic slides or all of them.

Idea to Scheduled Post in One Command

Set Defaults Once, Then Forget Them

Save your template, brand, preset, and output format with defaults set. Every later command just needs the content — and if your workspace has exactly one candidate, the CLI picks it automatically.

Same Key, Same Credits, Every Surface

The CLI is a thin wrapper over the Embed API and shares your key and credit balance with the REST API and MCP server. Start in the terminal, switch surfaces whenever you like.

Install in Seconds

Requires Node.js 18+ and a PostNitro account on a paid plan.

# Install globally from npm (recommended)
npm install -g @postnitro/cli
postnitro --help

From Zero to a Scheduled Post in Four Commands

1. Authenticate once

Get your API key from PostNitro → Profile → Embed → Generate API Key, then save it. You can also use the POSTNITRO_API_KEY environment variable or --api-key per command (recommended for CI).

postnitro auth set-key pn-xxxxxxxxxxxx   # save it once
postnitro auth status                    # check what's configured (key is masked)

2. Save your defaults

List your templates, brands, and AI presets, then save your favorites so create commands only need content.

postnitro template list && postnitro brand list && postnitro preset list
postnitro defaults set --template-id tpl_123 --brand-id brd_456 --preset-id prs_789

3. Generate — and get files back

--wait polls until the render finishes and prints the final JSON: file URLs, a designId for scheduling, and an editorUrl deep link to keep editing in PostNitro.

postnitro carousel generate --context "5 tips for remote work" --wait
# => { "designId": "dsg_abc", "editorUrl": "https://postnitro.ai/app/...", "data": [...] }

4. Schedule it — PostNitro publishes for you

postnitro schedule create \
  --status SCHEDULED --scheduled-at "2026-07-25T09:00:00Z" \
  --design-id dsg_abc \
  --selected-accounts '["acct_123"]' \
  --post-content '{"common":"5 tips for remote work 🚀 #remotework"}'

New

Don't Just Create Posts — Schedule Them Too

Instagram

TikTok

Threads

Read the Schedule API Docs Explore Scheduling

Real Workflows, Copy-Paste Ready

Turn a blog post into a LinkedIn carousel

Point --type article at a URL and the AI extracts the key points into swipeable slides.

postnitro carousel generate \
  --context "https://yourblog.com/post" --type article --wait

Generate and schedule in one shot

Content written, design rendered, post booked — one command. If scheduling fails, you get the designId back so you can retry without re-spending credits.

postnitro generate-and-schedule \
  --context "How AI agents automate content" --type text \
  --status SCHEDULED --scheduled-at "2026-12-31T12:00:00Z" \
  --selected-accounts '["acct_123"]' \
  --linkedin-post-settings '{"postType":"document","postTitle":"How AI agents automate content"}' \
  --post-content '{"common":"New drop 🚀 #ai #automation"}'

Import and schedule in one shot

postnitro import-and-schedule \
  --slides '{"slides":[
    {"type":"starting_slide","heading":"Our 2026 Results","description":"The numbers behind the year"},
    {"type":"body_slide","heading":"+42% Revenue","description":"Year over year growth"},
    {"type":"ending_slide","heading":"Full report on our blog","cta_button":"Read it"}
  ]}' \
  --status SCHEDULED --scheduled-at "2026-12-31T12:00:00Z" \
  --selected-accounts '["acct_123"]' \
  --post-content '{"common":"Our year in numbers 📊 #growth"}'

Import your own slides

Full editorial control: pass your slides as JSON inline or from a file, and PostNitro renders them into your template and brand.

postnitro carousel import --slides '{"slides":[
  {"type":"starting_slide","heading":"Your Title","description":"Intro"},
  {"type":"body_slide","heading":"Key Point","description":"Details"},
  {"type":"ending_slide","heading":"Take Action!","cta_button":"Learn More"}
]}' --wait

A single image post with AI artwork

Image posts mirror carousels — one slide object instead of an array, with the same AI-image flags available.

postnitro image generate --context "Announce our new scheduling feature" \
  --generate-images --image-context "upbeat and professional, product-focused" --wait

Schedule a design you already have

Creation gives you a designId; scheduling attaches it to your calendar with per-platform captions. Manage the whole queue — list, update, delete — without leaving the shell.

postnitro schedule create \
  --status SCHEDULED --scheduled-at "2026-12-31T13:00:00Z" \
  --design-id dsg_abc \
  --selected-accounts '["acct_123"]' \
  --post-content '{"common":"New carousel 🚀 #remotework"}'

postnitro schedule list --from "2026-12-01" --to "2026-12-31"

Kick off now, fetch later

Skip --wait for long generations or batch jobs: creation returns an embedPostId immediately, and status/output pick the result up whenever you're ready.

postnitro carousel generate --context "5 tips for remote work"
# => { "success": true, "data": { "embedPostId": "post_123", "status": "PENDING" } }

postnitro carousel status post_123   # PENDING → PROCESSING → COMPLETED
postnitro carousel output post_123   # file URLs + designId + editorUrl

Made for AI Agents

JSON on stdout (exit 0) on success; structured JSON errors on stderr (exit 1)
No interactive prompts, spinners, colors, or tables — nothing to trip up a parser
Inline JSON or file input for complex payloads; inline always wins
Install via "npx skills add postnitro/postnitro-agent", or as a Claude Code plugin

The Full Command Surface

Everything the Embed API can do, as composable commands. Run any command with --help for details.

Group	Commands	What it's for
Setup	`auth set-key · auth status · auth clear · defaults get · defaults set`	Save your API key and default template, brand, preset, and output format.
Discovery	`template list · brand list · preset list · social list`	Find the IDs for your templates, brand kits, AI presets, and connected social accounts.
Carousels	`carousel generate · carousel import · carousel status · carousel output · carousel import-template`	Create multi-slide posts with AI or from your own slides, and fetch results.
Image posts	`image generate · image import · image status · image output · image import-template`	The single-image equivalents — same flags, one slide object instead of an array.
Brand kits	`brand create · brand get · brand update`	Manage the logo, name, and handle stamped on your designs.
Scheduling	`schedule create · schedule list · schedule get · schedule update · schedule delete`	Book posts and drafts with per-platform captions and settings; manage the queue.
One-shots	`generate-and-schedule · import-and-schedule`	Create, wait, and schedule in a single command — for carousels or image posts.
Social accounts	`social list · social get · social disconnect`	Inspect connected LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads accounts.

Errors Your Scripts Can Actually Handle

{ "success": false, "error": { "message": "PostNitro API error (422): Scheduled at is in the past", "statusCode": 422 } }

Common error	Fix
`No API key found`	Pass --api-key, set POSTNITRO_API_KEY, or run auth set-key
`Missing --brand-id ... multiple candidates`	Pass the ID explicitly or save one with defaults set — the error lists the candidates
`Scheduled at is in the past`	Use an ISO-8601 time at least 5 minutes ahead, with a trailing Z
`Slides must be an array with at least 3 entries`	Provide starting + body + ending slides
`An IMAGE post takes a single slide object, not an array`	Use --slide (object) for images, --slides (array) for carousels
`Refusing to delete ... without --yes`	Add --yes to confirm destructive actions — nothing destructive runs by accident

Your Terminal Can Post to LinkedIn Now

Install the CLI, save your defaults, and turn any topic, article, or content calendar into scheduled, on-brand posts — from the shell, a script, or your AI agent.

Get Your API Key

Three Output Formats

PDF

A single document — the default, and the right shape for LinkedIn document posts.

PNG

One image per slide, ready for direct upload anywhere.

DESIGN

Skips rendering entirely and returns the editable design — fastest when you only need to schedule or keep editing.

Every completed output includes a designId (what scheduling expects) and an editorUrl deep link to open the design in the PostNitro editor. Response type doesn't change credit cost.

Credits & Pricing

Plan	Price	Credits/Month	Typical Usage
Monthly	$10/mo	250 credits/mo	Full CLI access and regular automation
Higher tiers	See plans page	More credits	Teams, agencies, and high-volume pipelines

Operation	Credits per Slide
Content import	1 credit per slide
AI generation	2 credits per slide

The CLI shares credits with the Embed API and MCP server. AI-generated images draw on a separate organization image quota and don't change a post's credit cost.

Get Your API Key

CLI vs MCP vs Embed API vs Embed SDK

	CLI	MCP Server	Embed API	Embed SDK
Best for	Terminal workflows, shell scripts, CI, and agents that shell out	AI assistants creating posts conversationally	Custom backends and no-code automation platforms	Letting your users design carousels inside your app
Interface	Commands with flags — JSON in, JSON out	Natural language via an MCP client	REST over HTTPS	Embeddable visual editor
Setup	npm install -g @postnitro/cli	One config block or CLI command	API key + any HTTP client	npm package + API key
Scheduling	Yes — including one-shot generate-and-schedule	Yes — full CRUD via tools	Yes — via the Schedule API	No — design only
Same key & credits	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

They're all the same engine. Use the CLI in terminals and pipelines, MCP inside AI assistants, the REST API from your own code, and the SDK when your users need a visual editor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PostNitro CLI?

How do I install it?

Do I need a paid plan?

How does authentication work?

Can AI agents use the CLI?

What's the difference between generate and import?

How do I schedule a post I just created?

Can the CLI generate AI images for my slides?

What output formats does it support?

What happens when a command fails?

Is the CLI open source?

When should I use the CLI vs the MCP server?

One Command Away from Automated Content

npm install -g @postnitro/cli — then generate, render, and schedule your first carousel in under five minutes.

Get Your API Key

Related Resources

CLI Documentation MCP Server Embed API Embed SDK Pricing & Plans