web2cli redefines how to interact with the web by turning every website into a Unix command. It enables fast access to platforms like Hacker News or Discord directly from the terminal, eliminating the need for a browser. Designed for efficiency, it lets both agents and humans leverage the power of the command line for modern web interactions.
web2cli is a powerful command-line interface (CLI) tool that allows seamless interaction with web services directly from the terminal. Designed for both agents and humans, it transforms the way users approach web browsing by making every website accessible as a Unix command.
Key Features
- Efficient Browsing for Agents: Unlike traditional browsers, web2cli utilizes direct HTTP requests, enabling tasks to be completed in milliseconds while significantly reducing memory usage. With web2cli, agents can achieve up to 100 times faster access to web data without the overhead of rendering a full browser environment.
- User-Friendly for Everyone: This tool provides a modern alternative to
curl, allowing users to easily scrape data, send messages, or retrieve content from various platforms with simple commands. No browser, no API keys, and no high monthly fees are necessary.
Examples of Usage
User-friendly command structures allow for straightforward access to multiple services. Examples include:
# Get the top Hacker News stories
$ web2cli hn top --limit 3
┌──────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┬───────┬──────────┐
│ RANK │ TITLE │ SCORE │ COMMENTS │
├──────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┼───────┼──────────┤
│ 1 │ Show HN: I built a CLI for every website │ 313 │ 37 │
│ 2 │ Why agents don't need browsers │ 271 │ 89 │
│ 3 │ The Unix philosophy, 50 years later │ 198 │ 64 │
└──────┴──────────────────────────────────────────┴───────┴──────────┘
# Search for tweets on X.com
$ web2cli x search --query "build for agents" --limit 1 --format json
[
{
"author": "@karpathy",
"text": "CLIs are super exciting precisely because they are a \"legacy\" technology...",
"date": "2026-02-24 18:17",
"retweets": 1085,
"likes": 11481,
"replies": 610,
"views": "1923316"
}
]
Performance Insights
- Speed and Cost Efficiency: web2cli dramatically reduces the time and cost associated with web scraping and API calls. For instance, fetching news from Hacker News takes just 0.5 seconds compared to more than 20 seconds with traditional browser automation methods. Moreover, it costs mere cents to perform extensive requests, making it an ideal choice for high-demand tasks.
| Metric | Browser Automation | web2cli |
|---|---|---|
| Fetch 10 top news from HN | ~20s (launch + render) | 0.5s |
| Cost at 10k req/day | $20/day | ~$0 |
Built-In Adapters
web2cli comes with built-in support for popular platforms including Discord, Hacker News, Reddit, and more. Users can easily send messages, read posts, or retrieve top stories from each service using intuitive commands.
Custom Adapter Integration
For advanced users, new adapters can be created with minimal effort using a simple YAML file, allowing customization for various platforms.
- Quickstart Guide: Creating Custom Adapters
- Adapter Specifications: Full Adapter Spec
Conclusion
web2cli revolutionizes the way developers and system integrators can consume web services, providing an efficient, lightweight, and cost-effective solution for every web interaction. Its extensive capabilities combined with easy customization make it essential for anyone looking to streamline their web tasks.
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