# Quickstart: CLI

The CLI mirrors the API one-to-one and prints plain text: no colors, no interactive prompts, so agents can drive it directly. Everything it does, the [REST API](/docs/quickstart-api) does with the same names.

## Install

```bash
npm install -g routergrowth
```

`EACCES` on a locked-down machine? Install per-user instead:

```bash
npm install --prefix ~/.local routergrowth
ln -sf ~/.local/node_modules/.bin/routergrowth ~/.local/bin/routergrowth
```

## Set up and sign up

```bash
routergrowth setup --client "my-agent"
routergrowth signup --email you@company.com --org "Acme"   # sandbox account, $5 credit, key saved locally
```

Already have a key (from the [dashboard](/dashboard) or a teammate)? Store it instead:

```bash
routergrowth keys add -k rg_test_... -l main
```

## The loop

```bash
routergrowth balance
routergrowth discover -q "find a verified email for a person"
routergrowth inspect -c contact.find
routergrowth run -c contact.find \
  -i '{"first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Rivera","company_domain":"example.com"}' \
  -o result.json
routergrowth runs
```

Ground rules that keep spend predictable:

- `inspect` before any billable `run`, and surface the price.
- Cap any call with `--max-cost`.
- Write large results to a file with `-o` instead of printing them.

Every key gets a web view of the same state, balance, keys, runs and usage, on the [dashboard](/dashboard). Agents read it over the CLI and API; you read it in the browser.

## Next

- [CLI reference](/docs/cli/overview): every command and flag.
- [Quickstart: agents](/docs/quickstart-agents): make any coding agent use this CLI on its own.