apus agent runs a single agent turn from the command line without an inbound chat message. Use it for scripted workflows, testing, and programmatic delivery. Full flag and behavior reference: Agent CLI reference.

For strict, ephemeral CI or coding automation that should own setup, cleanup, output projection, and process status, use apus agent exec.

Quick start

```bash
apus agent --agent main --message "What is the weather today?"
```

Sends the message through the Gateway and prints the reply.

```bash
apus agent --agent ops --message-file ./task.md
```

Reads a valid UTF-8 file as the agent message body.

```bash
# Target a specific agent
apus agent --agent ops --message "Summarize logs"

# Target a phone number (derives session key)
apus agent --to +15555550123 --message "Status update"

# Reuse an existing session
apus agent --session-id abc123 --message "Continue the task"

# Target an exact session key
apus agent --session-key agent:ops:incident-42 --message "Summarize status"
```

```bash
# Deliver to WhatsApp (default channel)
apus agent --to +15555550123 --message "Report ready" --deliver

# Deliver to Slack
apus agent --agent ops --message "Generate report" \
  --deliver --reply-channel slack --reply-to "#reports"
```

Flags

Behavior

• By default, the CLI goes through the Gateway. Add --local to force the embedded runtime on the current machine.
• Pass exactly one of --message or --message-file. File messages preserve multiline content after removing an optional UTF-8 BOM. Files larger than 4 MiB are rejected before dispatch.
• After transient handshake retries, a Gateway timeout or closed connection fails the command with a stderr hint; the CLI never silently reruns the turn embedded. The Gateway may still finish an accepted turn, so verify Gateway and session state before retrying or rerunning with --local.
• Session selection: --to derives the session key (group/channel targets preserve isolation; direct chats collapse to main). With --agent, --channel, and --to together, routing follows the channel's canonical recipient and session.dmScope. Stable outbound-only identities use a provider-owned session isolated from the agent's main session.
• --session-key selects an explicit key. Agent-prefixed keys must use agent:<agent-id>:<session-key>, and --agent must match that agent id when both are supplied. Bare non-sentinel keys are scoped to --agent when supplied; for example, --agent ops --session-key incident-42 routes to agent:ops:incident-42. Without --agent, bare non-sentinel keys are scoped to the configured default agent. Literal global and unknown remain unscoped only when no --agent is supplied.
• --reply-channel and --reply-account affect delivery only.
• Thinking and verbose flags persist into the session store.
• Output: plain text by default, or --json for structured payload + metadata.
• With --json --deliver, the JSON includes delivery status for sent, suppressed, partial, and failed sends. See JSON delivery status.

Examples

# Simple turn with JSON output
apus agent --to +15555550123 --message "Trace logs" --verbose on --json

# Turn with a model override
apus agent --agent ops --model openai/gpt-5.4 --message "Summarize logs"

# Turn with thinking level
apus agent --session-id 1234 --message "Summarize inbox" --thinking medium

# Multiline prompt from a file
apus agent --agent ops --message-file ./task.md

# Exact session key
apus agent --session-key agent:ops:incident-42 --message "Summarize status"

# Bare key scoped to an agent
apus agent --agent ops --session-key incident-42 --message "Summarize status"

# Deliver to a different channel than the session
apus agent --agent ops --message "Alert" --deliver --reply-channel telegram --reply-to "@admin"

Related

Full `apus agent` flag and option reference.

Background sub-agent spawning.

How session keys work and how `--to`, `--agent`, and `--session-id` resolve them.

Emoji reaction semantics for the `react` action, per channel.

Native command catalog used inside agent sessions.

External agents reachable over ACP.