apkg init

The init command creates an apkg.json manifest in the current directory through a series of interactive prompts. This is the first step when building a new package.

Synopsis

apkg init [--force]

Options

Option	Description
`--force`	Overwrite an existing `apkg.json` if present

Without --force, the command exits with an error if apkg.json already exists in the current directory.

Interactive prompts

The command walks you through each field:

Prompt	Default	Validation
Package name (`@scope/name`)	`@<username>/<directory>`	Must be scoped, lowercase alphanumeric with hyphens, max 214 characters
Version	`0.1.0`	Must be valid semver
Package type	`skill`	Select from list (see below)
Description	(empty)	Free text
License	`MIT`	Free text
Keywords	(empty)	Comma-separated list

If you are logged in, the default package name uses your username as the scope (e.g. @alice/my-tool). Otherwise it defaults to @scope/<directory>.

Package types

Type	Description
`skill`	A reusable skill for AI assistants
`agent`	An autonomous agent package
`mcp-server`	A Model Context Protocol server
`prompt`	A prompt template
`config`	A configuration package
`library`	A shared library
`composite`	A bundle of multiple package types

Package name rules

The package name must:

Start with a scope: @username/name or @org/name
Use only lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens, dots, and underscores
Start and end with a letter or number (after the scope prefix)
Be 214 characters or fewer

Generated manifest

After answering the prompts, the command writes apkg.json. A readme field is automatically included if a README.md file exists in the current directory. For a complete reference of all manifest fields, including type-specific options and dependency fields, see the apkg.json Schema Reference.

{
  "name": "@alice/my-skill",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "type": "skill",
  "description": "A useful skill that does things",
  "license": "MIT",
  "readme": "README.md",
  "keywords": ["example", "skill"]
}

Examples

Create a new package in the current directory:

mkdir my-skill && cd my-skill
apkg init

Reinitialize an existing package (overwrites apkg.json):

apkg init --force

Command	Description
`login`	Authenticate to set default scope
`add`	Add dependencies to the manifest
`publish`	Pack and upload the package to the registry