The terminal agent

Running vector with no subcommand starts the interactive agent in the current directory, or in the path you pass. The published vector binary is free but needs a Vector account.

vector vector ~/code/myapp --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-5Copy

It takes the same session flags as run: --model, --agent, --prompt, --continue, --session and --fork. --mini starts a minimal interface, and --replay, --no-replay and --replay-limit control how much history is redrawn when you resume or resize.

For free models, sign in with vector login, then use vector models to find them under Free models inside of Vector. They are provided by Vector at no cost to you, and you don't need an OpenRouter account of your own. The guarded route never switches to a paid model or provider. At a limit, wait until they are available again or connect a provider with your own key using vector providers login. See Models and providers for each free model's data policy, the “May train on your prompts” label and vector models --accept-training (from the next CLI release), limits and current availability.

Install the CLI

Install the CLI from npm as @vectordevai/cli:

npm install -g @vectordevai/cliCopy

vectordev.ai serves a shell installer at https://vectordev.ai/install and a PowerShell installer at https://vectordev.ai/install.ps1. They download a standalone Vector CLI archive, check its size and SHA-256 checksum before installing, and do not require Node.js or npm. They install only standalone CLI releases that Vector has published for them, which are separate from the npm package: the latest published release by default. When the requested release is not published, the installer stops with an error and leaves any existing installation unchanged. vector upgrade and vector uninstall respect the verified installer or package manager that owns the running executable. On Windows, replacement of a running executable is scheduled after it exits; scheduled does not mean completed. Windows acceptance is still pending. Use the install instructions for available downloads.

Account and CLI tokens

vector login opens the page that mints a token, or takes one directly with --token; vector whoami prints who is signed in and vector logout removes it. The same token is the VECTOR_CLI_TOKEN secret used by GitHub Actions.

vector login vector whoamiCopy

The token is verified at the first command of each UTC day and cached with a seven-day offline grace window, so a flaky network never locks you out of your own terminal. Only a definitive invalid or expired answer signs you out. login, logout, whoami, completion, upgrade and uninstall work signed out.

Each check also counts your account as active that day, with the CLI version, operating system and CPU architecture. Once a day the CLI also sends the totals of your local token use: tokens by type, recorded cost, tokens and tasks per day, the models and providers you use with their share of tokens, effort levels, chats and streaks. Never your prompts, code, file names or model output. A CI runner (where CI is set) never sends these totals, and the workflows vector github install writes set VECTOR_DISABLE_USAGE=1. Set VECTOR_DISABLE_USAGE=1 to keep the account check without being counted and send nothing else.

One-shot and scripted runs

vector run sends one prompt and prints the result. It is the surface you script against: --format json emits raw events for a pipeline, --file attaches files, --model and --agent choose who answers, --variant sets reasoning effort and --title names the session. --continue resumes the last session, --session a specific one, and --fork branches instead of appending.

vector run "why is the checkout test flaky?" --format json vector run -c "now fix it" --variant highCopy

From the next CLI release, --max-cost caps one run in US dollars, counted at the charge the provider reported for a step, as OpenRouter does, or else from its tokens at catalog list price, and --max-steps caps its model steps. Steps a plan pays for, such as a ChatGPT sign-in, are not counted in dollars, and Vector Codium steps, which spend Codium credits, count as unpriced. Vector stops within one step of the cap for each agent running at the time, says why, and exits with code 3, so a script can tell a budget stop from a failure. See Tokenomics for the Run Guard.

Sessions: list, export, import

vector session list prints recent sessions, with --max-count to cap them and --format for scripting; vector session delete <id> removes one permanently. Those ids are what --session takes elsewhere.

vector session list -n 20 vector export <id> --sanitize > session.json vector import session.jsonCopy

vector export writes a session's transcript and metadata as JSON, and --sanitize redacts the sensitive parts — transcript text, file contents, subtask commands — so it can be attached to a bug report. vector import reads a local JSON file back. Public session sharing and import from share URLs are no longer supported. vector invite remains available for live workspace access; see Multiplayer.

Server, web and editors

vector serve runs the agent as a headless server with --port and --hostname; vector web starts the same server and opens the browser interface. vector attach <url> connects a terminal session to a running server, with --dir to choose its directory and --username and --password for Basic authentication.

vector serve --port 4096 vector attach http://localhost:4096 --dir ~/code/myappCopy

From 1.99.99, configure VECTOR_SERVER_PASSWORD and, optionally, VECTOR_SERVER_USERNAME; the default username is vector, and non-loopback binding requires a password unless you explicitly choose --unsecured. Releases before 1.99.99, such as desktop 1.99.8 and npm CLI 1.99.7, do not read these names or enforce that rule, so keep vector serve on loopback until you upgrade. Use a protected secret source for server passwords. From 1.99.99, the settings and database overrides are VECTOR_AGENT_CONFIG, VECTOR_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR and VECTOR_AGENT_DB. Keep the existing database file when migrating an ambiguous historical override.

From the next CLI release, a server with a password stays on loopback unless you say the network is trusted: plain HTTP carries the password in every request. Pass --trusted-network with a non-loopback --hostname for a container's bridge or a private LAN; from anywhere else, keep the server on loopback behind a TLS reverse proxy or tunnel. Without a password, a passwordless server answers only its own page, Vector's desktop app and the origins you list with --cors, so another page on your computer, or any website, including vectordev.ai, cannot drive it.

vector acp starts an Agent Client Protocol server for compatible editors. For programmatic HTTP use, see the SDK guide; first public SDK publication remains pending.

Windows Subsystem for Linux

From desktop 1.99.99, Install Vector in server settings runs the shell installer with the exact CLI version that desktop requires, and each desktop release is published only after its required CLI version is available to the installer. It installs ~/.vector/bin/vector-native using Linux download, archive and SHA-256 tools. Node.js and npm are not required. A matching installed engine can start without the download tools; a version mismatch requires an update.

Sign in to the desktop before starting its managed WSL server. The desktop passes its Vector account token through the managed process's stdin and stops stale processes when the account changes or signs out. It does not put the token in command arguments, an installer receipt or a new credential file. Provider credentials remain separate; connect your chosen provider inside that environment when needed. Startup binds to Linux loopback, checks health and requires an unauthenticated request to be rejected before connecting. Actual Windows/WSL and published-installer validation remain release requirements.

Public transcripts and teams

Vector's source includes public transcript sharing on Vector's own service; it stays off until Vector completes its setup. Preview the content, explicitly choose publication and future updates, and set an expiry before sharing. Public links can expose visible prompts, code and tool output; importing creates passive local history. Removing a new Vector share does not remove a historical copy on another service. vector invite remains the separate live-workspace feature.

Vector Teams offers vector org list, vector org switch <orgID> and vector org personal. A selected team supplies signed provider, permission and integration defaults; Personal clears selection even while offline. Refresh running apps after changing the selection from a separate CLI. Sharing and Teams require their production service setup before availability can be announced.

Upkeep, flags and your data

vector upgrade updates @vectordevai/cli to the newest npm version, or one you name. Supported --method values are npm, pnpm and bun. vector uninstall removes it, keeping configuration with --keep-config or sessions with --keep-data, and --dry-run lists what would go.

vector db path vector db "select count(*) from session"Copy

Vector keeps sessions, messages and permissions in a local SQLite database. vector db opens a sqlite3 shell against it, vector db "<query>" runs one query with --format for the output shape, and vector db path prints where the file is. It is the plain answer to where your data lives: on your disk, in a file you can open yourself.

• --print-logsSend logs to stderr.
• --log-levelDEBUG, INFO, WARN or ERROR.
• --pureRun without external plugins.
• vector completionPrint a shell completion script.

Models, MCP servers, plugins and GitHub have terminal commands too: see Models in the terminal, Custom MCP servers and GitHub from the terminal.