Instructions Command

Show CLI-mode instructions for AI agents using a running 1MCP serve instance.

Synopsis

npx -y @1mcp/agent instructions [options]

Description

The instructions command is the entrypoint for CLI-mode agent workflows. It prints:

• A fixed playbook telling the agent to use inspect before run
• A server summary section
• A server details section
• Per-server instruction blocks when the server provides them

Use this command first when an agent or terminal session needs current guidance from the running 1MCP instance.

In practice, instructions is what replaces a large direct-MCP starting surface in the agent loop. Instead of expecting the agent to carry every available tool and schema up front, 1MCP gives it a compact playbook plus the current inventory, then tells it to narrow further with inspect.

Output Structure

The output is designed to be agent-readable and includes:

• === PLAYBOOK === - The required CLI workflow
• === SERVER SUMMARY === - One compact record per server
• === SERVER DETAILS === - Detailed records including instructions or availability notes

Each server entry includes metadata such as:

• Server name
• Server type
• Connection status
• Availability
• Tool count
• Whether instructions are available

Options

• --url, -u <url> - Override auto-detected 1MCP server URL
• --preset, -p <name> - Use a preset when querying the running server
• --tag-filter, -f <expression> - Apply an advanced tag filter expression
• --tags <tag> - Apply simple comma-separated tags

Examples

Show the Full CLI Playbook

npx -y @1mcp/agent instructions

Show Instructions for a Filtered Server Set

npx -y @1mcp/agent instructions --tags backend

Use a Saved Preset

npx -y @1mcp/agent instructions --preset development

Recommended Workflow

After reading instructions, continue with:

npx -y @1mcp/agent inspect <server>
npx -y @1mcp/agent inspect <server>/<tool>
npx -y @1mcp/agent run <server>/<tool> --args '<json>'

If authentication is required, the playbook directs the user or agent to retry with:

1mcp auth login --url <server-url> --token <token>

See Also

• CLI Mode Guide - Why this progressive-disclosure workflow exists
• Inspect Command - Discover tools and inspect schemas
• Run Command - Call a selected tool
• CLI Setup Command - Install startup hooks and bootstrap docs for Codex or Claude
• Serve Command - Start the 1MCP server that provides the instruction output