anywrite

Overview

anywrite is a single compiled Bun/TypeScript CLI for the Anytype desktop app's local HTTP API — all 52 endpoints across spaces, objects, properties, tags, types, templates, lists, chat, files, members, search, and auth — as one binary with zero runtime dependencies. It exists as a low-context alternative to Anytype's official MCP server: rather than exposing 52 always-loaded tools to every agent session, anywrite is a normal CLI wired as a skill that costs zero context until it's actually invoked, and is equally usable from a terminal or any script.

When to Use This Skill

• Use when the user mentions Anytype or asks to create, update, search, or organize notes, tasks, or PKM objects.
• Use when working with Anytype spaces, properties, tags, types, templates, or lists (sets and collections).
• Use when the user asks to upload files to a space, chat inside a space, or read/write structured objects programmatically.

How It Works

Step 1: Ensure Anytype desktop is running and authenticated

This repository does not ship the anywrite executable. The user must install or build a reviewed upstream release outside the current workspace and provide its explicit absolute path. Before use, verify that path is an executable regular file, is not a symlink, and is not a workspace-relative dist/ artifact. Never auto-discover or execute ./dist/anywrite from the repository being worked on.

The Anytype desktop app must be running locally (default http://localhost:31009). Authenticate once:

"/absolute/path/to/anywrite" auth --status        # shows configured yes/no and where the key came from
"/absolute/path/to/anywrite" auth                 # challenge flow — a 4-digit code appears in the app
"/absolute/path/to/anywrite" auth --code 1234     # non-interactive form of the same exchange

The key is written to ~/.anywrite/config.json and is never printed by any command.

Step 2: Invoke a resource + action

anywrite <resource> <action> [positionals] [--flag value]

Resources: spaces, objects, properties, tags, types, templates, lists, files, members, search, chat, auth. Output is JSON by default; add --pretty for a human view, --json as an escape hatch for anything the typed flags don't model yet. space/type/property positionals accept a name or an id — names are resolved to ids automatically.

Resolve names to IDs and confirm the exact space/object before mutations; duplicate names must not select an arbitrary object. Whole-body replacements can erase content, so preserve a revision and review the complete replacement. Search requests do not authorize uploads/chat/deletes. Bound chat/search pages and payload sizes instead of using --all indiscriminately, and verify the resulting state after writes.

Examples

Example 1: Create and update an object

"/absolute/path/to/anywrite" objects create <space> --type task --name "Buy milk"
"/absolute/path/to/anywrite" objects update <space> <object_id> --status "Done"

Example 2: Search and upload a file

"/absolute/path/to/anywrite" search global --query "task" --types task
"/absolute/path/to/anywrite" files upload <space> --file ./image.png

Example 3: Read chat messages

"/absolute/path/to/anywrite" chat messages <space> <chat_id> --all

Best Practices

• ✅ Pass names for space/type/property and let the CLI resolve them to ids.
• ✅ Use default JSON output for scripting and --pretty for human review.
• ✅ Reach for --json when a brand-new API field isn't yet covered by a typed flag.
• ❌ Don't set an empty-string emoji --icon; omit the flag entirely instead.
• ❌ Don't expect lists add/remove to work on sets — they only apply to collections.

Limitations

• This skill does not replace environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, or safety boundaries are missing.
• Bounded by the Anytype local API itself: no block-level editing (body is whole-markdown replace only), no member invite/role management, no template create/update/delete, no space deletion.
• The object body field is named --body on create but --markdown on update.

Security & Safety Notes

• The API key is stored locally in ~/.anywrite/config.json and is never printed by any command, including auth --status.
• Config precedence at runtime: ANYTYPE_API_KEY env var, then ~/.anywrite/config.json, then a read-only fallback to an existing ~/.anytype-cli/config.yaml.
• CLI calls target the configured local instance, but Anytype may sync content according to its network/space configuration. Verify actual sync/sharing before writing private data; localhost does not establish local-only storage.
• Inspect the actual resource/version deletion semantics and recovery path; do not assume every delete is reversible or safe to retry from this index.

Common Pitfalls

• Problem: lists add/remove silently does nothing on a set.

Solution: These only work on collections, not sets.

• Problem: Re-uploading an identical file returns an existing object id instead of a new one.

Solution: This is intentional — file upload dedupes by content hash.

• Problem: Chat messages don't paginate like everything else.

Solution: Chat paginates by cursor; every other resource paginates by offset.

Related Skills

• @docx - When the deliverable is a Word document rather than an Anytype object.