Ashby (agent-first CLI)

Use this skill when the task touches Ashby candidates, applications, stages, or notes.

Important naming detail:

• npm package name: ashby-cli
• CLI binary name: ashby

Resolution order:

1. If ashby is already on $PATH, use it directly.
2. Otherwise run the published package explicitly with npx -y ashby-cli <args>.

Do not guess alternate package names like @danielgwilson/ashby-cli or npx ashby unless those packages are explicitly published later.

If the binary is missing, install it with npm install -g ashby-cli.

Default stance:

• Prefer the official API-backed ashby CLI, not browser automation.
• Prefer --json for machine-readable output.
• Prefer read-only inspection before mutations.
• Be conservative with candidate data in logs and chat output.

Default workflow

• If auth is missing, run ashby auth setup
• Sanity check auth: ashby doctor --json
• Inspect key identity: ashby whoami --json
• Search for a candidate: ashby candidate search --name "Jane Doe" --json
• Or by email: ashby candidate search --email "[email protected]" --json
• Inspect one candidate: ashby candidate get <candidate-id> --json
• List candidate notes: ashby candidate notes --candidate-id <candidate-id> --json
• Update candidate contact/social fields: ashby candidate update --candidate-id <candidate-id> --github-url "https://github.com/jane"; --suppress-notifications --json
• Upsert one candidate by email: ashby candidate upsert --name "Jane Doe" --email "[email protected]" --json
• Add an idempotent note: ashby note ensure --candidate-id <candidate-id> --marker "unique marker" --note-file ./note.txt --json
• Discover jobs: ashby job list --status Open,Draft --json
• Resolve stages for a job: ashby stage list --job-id <job-id> --json
• List applications: ashby application list --job-id <job-id> --status Active --json
• List application history: ashby application history --application-id <application-id> --json
• List application feedback: ashby application feedback --application-id <application-id> --json
• Build a synthetic application feed: ashby application feed --application-id <application-id> --json
• List interview schedules: ashby interview schedules --application-id <application-id> --json
• List stages: ashby stage list --interview-plan-id <plan-id> --json
• List sources: ashby source list --json

For this repo's common Ashby triage flow, the default sequence is:

1. ashby doctor --json
2. ashby whoami --json
3. ashby candidate search ... --json
4. ashby job list --status Open,Draft --json
5. ashby stage list --job-id ... --json
6. ashby application list --job-id ... --json

Common mutations

• Create a candidate:

- ashby candidate create --name "Jane Doe" --email "[email protected]" --json

• Update a candidate:

- ashby candidate update --candidate-id <candidate-id> --linkedin-url "https://linkedin.com/in/jane"; --suppress-notifications --json

• Upsert a candidate by email:

- ashby candidate upsert --name "Jane Doe" --email "[email protected]" --github-url "https://github.com/jane"; --json

• Add a note:

- ashby note create --candidate-id <candidate-id> --note "Strong fast-track candidate" --json

• Add a note idempotently:

- ashby note ensure --candidate-id <candidate-id> --marker "AHH 2026" --note-file ./note.txt --json

• Create an application:

- ashby application create --candidate-id <candidate-id> --job-id <job-id> --interview-stage-id <stage-id> --json

• Move an application to a new stage:

- ashby application stage-change --application-id <application-id> --interview-stage-id <stage-id> --json

Auth

Ashby does not expose OAuth for this API. The recommended human path is browser-assisted API key setup.

If ashby doctor --json reports missing auth:

• Best interactive path: ashby auth setup
• Best ephemeral path: ASHBYAPIKEY=... ashby doctor --json
• Saved local config: printf '%s' "$ASHBYAPIKEY" | ashby auth set --stdin
• If using npx, remember it does not load .env.local automatically. Export ASHBYAPIKEY first, or explicitly source your env file in the shell before invoking npx -y ashby-cli ....
• In this repo specifically, loading .env.local before npx -y ashby-cli ... is often the fastest fix.

ashby auth setup opens https://app.ashbyhq.com/admin/api/keys, tells the user which permissions to enable, and then saves + validates the pasted key.

Avoid pasting full keys into logs or chat.

Quick verification

If you are unsure which invocation path works in the current shell:

command -v ashby >/dev/null 2>&1 && ashby doctor --json || npx -y ashby-cli doctor --json

Important constraints

• This CLI covers candidate/application state well, but it does not replace the full Ashby UI.
• Do not assume support for general outbound candidate email.
• Do not assume support for self-serve scheduling links or Ashby automation triggers.
• Do not assume the public FE job and the secret fast-track job share the same interview plan or stage IDs.
• Before mutating candidate/application state, confirm ids and current stage.

Mutation checklist

Before creating or moving anything:

1. Confirm the candidate does not already exist.
2. Confirm the correct job id.
3. Confirm the correct interview plan and stage ids for that specific job.
4. Only then create the candidate, add notes, create the application, or move the stage.

Contract

Stable JSON behavior is documented in docs/CONTRACT_V1.md.