Agent-native CLI · v0.2.0

qname-cli

Bring WHOIS, domain traffic, and Google keyword research into one command line. Enter a domain or seed phrase and get structured results built for people, scripts, and AI agents.

Request API access npm package GitHub repo

One entry point, four research jobs

Watch commands turn into evidence

This interactive workspace demonstrates the core qname-cli capabilities. It cycles automatically, or you can choose a task to inspect its command and response fields.

QName AI research session

v0.2.0

Current command

$qname-cli whois canva.com --pretty

·domain: canva.com·source: WHOIS

Field	Live response
Registry ID	70395741_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Status	clientTransferProhibited
Created / updated	2001-05-05 / 2026-05-18
Expires	2030-05-05
Registrar	Gandi SAS · IANA 81
Registrant	Canva Pty. Ltd. · AU
WHOIS server	whois.gandi.net
Nameservers	4 AWS DNS records
DNSSEC	signedDelegation

qname.ai/apiWHOIS returned

Built for automation

JSON is the default output. Stable commands and fields let scripts, CI jobs, and AI agents continue the work.

Approved access

Every API key is bound to approved capability types, per-request limits, and a daily request quota.

Agent Skill included

The public Skill teaches Codex, Claude, and other agents when to call a command, which arguments to use, and how to read the result.

Copy and run

Common qname-cli commands

Install and initialize once, then choose a command for the research job. Quote phrases that contain spaces. Google Ads locations and languages use target IDs.

Install the CLI

npm install -g @qname/cli

Install the latest stable qname-cli release and register the global command.

Configure an approved API key

qname-cli init --api-key <approved-key>

Run this once, or provide the key through the QNAME_API_KEY environment variable.

Look up one or more domains

qname-cli whois qname.ai example.com --pretty

Return registration status, registrar, creation and expiry dates, status codes, and nameservers.

Inspect domain traffic

qname-cli traffic qname.ai --pretty

Return available visit, source, country, and top-keyword fields for the domain.

Expand Google keywords

qname-cli keywords "ai video generator" --country 2840 --language 1000 --pretty

Return search volume, advertiser competition, top-of-page bid ranges, and a 12-month trend.

Discover keywords from a website

qname-cli keywords --website canva.com --network google --pretty

Generate Google Ads ideas from a public site. This does not claim that the site ranks organically for those terms.

Produce a script-friendly table

qname-cli keywords "ai image generator" --format text

Return a tab-separated summary. Omit --format to keep the default JSON response.

qname-cli API scope

Version 0.2.0 covers WHOIS, domain traffic, and Google keyword research. Each capability requires the matching scope on the API key; the CLI never bypasses account approval or quota controls.

whois handles a single domain or a batch within the approved quota

traffic returns domain traffic and visit signals

keywords accepts 1–10 seed phrases or a website discovery request

Keyword research supports location, language, Google network, and pagination options

JSON is default; --pretty formats JSON; --format text returns a summary

Backlinks, domain rating, rank tracking, and domain purchases are outside the CLI

About qname-cli

Understand qname-cli access, output formats, keyword data, and agent integration before you automate a research workflow.

Which permissions does qname-cli require?

Every command requires the matching scope on the API key. WHOIS, traffic, and keyword research access can be approved separately, while per-request and daily limits are also attached to the key. A missing permission returns an explicit error instead of silently skipping the restriction.

How do qname-cli JSON, --pretty, and --format text differ?

Default JSON works best for scripts and AI agents. The --pretty option changes only the JSON indentation for human review. The --format text option returns a compact tab-separated summary that is easy to paste into a spreadsheet, but it does not preserve every nested response field.

Where does qname-cli keyword research data come from?

The keywords command returns Google Ads ideas and historical metrics, including average monthly searches, advertiser competition, bid ranges, and a 12-month trend. Website discovery generates ideas from public pages; it does not claim that the site already ranks organically for those phrases.

Can an AI agent use qname-cli directly?

Yes. After you install the QNameAI/qname-cli Skill, an agent receives the command boundaries, arguments, and output-field guidance. The API key still comes from local configuration or QNAME_API_KEY, so the agent can call only the capabilities and quotas approved for that key.

How the CLI and Skill work together

The npm package provides the executable. The QNameAI/qname-cli Skill provides agent instructions. Together they let an agent choose the right command while respecting API scopes and quotas.

View the source and Skill

1Install @qname/cli so qname-cli is available in terminals and agent environments.
2Run npx skills add QNameAI/qname-cli -y -g to install the public Skill.
3Request the WHOIS, traffic, or keyword research permissions you need in QName AI settings.
4Initialize the approved API key, then let the agent run research tasks within its allowed scope.