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AI coding agents can use the AskNews CLI through the Agent Skills standard. The skill teaches an agent how to select article retrieval, story tracking, DeepNews research, source-specific search, generated API operations, and authorized mutations while preserving provenance and controlling cost.
The curl installer and package installation include the skill with the CLI. Installation writes the
embedded skill to ~/.agents/skills/asknews-cli and refreshes it whenever the CLI package is
installed again. If ~/.claude already exists, the skill is installed there too.
No network request is needed for setup because the skill and generated command references are included in the package.
Disable automatic setup:
curl -fsSL https://docs.asknews.app/cli/install | bash -s -- --no-agent-skillsOr, during package installation:
ASKNEWS_NO_AGENT_SKILLS=1 npm install --global @emergentmethods/asknews-cliInstall or refresh the embedded skill globally:
asknews cli setup --scope globalInstall it only for the current repository:
asknews cli setup --scope project --directory .Install both:
asknews cli setup --scope all --directory .Compatible skill managers can install the published skill directly:
npx skills add https://docs.asknews.appThe docs site publishes /.well-known/skills/index.json, SKILL.md, task recipes, and generated
per-command references.
With the AskNews skill, agents can:
asknews api list.| User intent | Agent command |
|---|---|
| “Find the latest reporting about this policy.” | asknews news search "..." --limit 5 --output json |
| “How has this event developed?” | asknews stories list --query "...", then stories get |
| “Research and compare the implications.” | asknews research "..." --output json |
| “What are people saying on Reddit?” | asknews reddit "..." --output json |
| “Which API operations exist for newsletters?” | asknews api list --tag newsletters --output json |
| “Show the exact options for news search.” | asknews news search --help |
| “Create or run this alert.” | Inspect help, summarize the mutation, obtain authorization, then use --yes |
Agents should prefer curated commands, then generated API commands, and use asknews request only
when neither covers the required operation.
The skill uses progressive disclosure:
SKILL.md provides concise command selection, safety, authentication, and output rules.references/task-recipes.md is loaded only for advanced filtering, research tuning, or mutations.references/commands/index.md points to generated route references.references/commands/news.md or
references/commands/api-news.md.For efficient agent output:
--output json for inspection and transformation.--output jsonl for streaming DeepNews events.The skill uses existing CLI authentication:
asknews auth status --offline --output json
asknews auth loginFor CI and noninteractive agents, configure ASKNEWS_API_KEY in the environment. Never paste keys
into prompts or pass them on the command line.
Read-only retrieval can proceed when it directly answers the request. Creating, updating, deleting, sending, running, or triggering resources requires clear user authorization. Historical search, DeepNews, web search, forecasts, graphs, and operations marked high-cost should be treated as potentially billable.
~/.agents, .agents/skills, or a compatible manager.See the complete command reference for generated usage, argument, and option tables.