Install the GoDaddy CLI as `gddy` and make a first call—`gddy` handles authentication automatically when a command needs it.

Overview

The CLI installer installs the GoDaddy CLI as gddy. If you prefer raw HTTP calls instead, go to the API quickstart. You can also have an AI coding agent install and drive gddy for you by using the agent skill. For read-only domain search without installing anything, go to the MCP server. Go to About the GoDaddy CLI for what gddy covers and how it relates to the agent skill and the MCP server.

The install scripts come from the public godaddy/cli repository. You don't need GitHub authentication to install or update the CLI.

What to do after setup

This page covers installation and authentication. After that, use CLI reference to look up commands for Domains, DNS, and other CLI operations. If you are building a GoDaddy Platform application, continue with Build Apps with the CLI for the end-to-end implementation workflow.

Install or update the CLI

Run the installer for your shell. Re-running the same command updates gddy to the latest release. The following procedure installs or updates the CLI.

The script downloads the gddy binary, verifies its checksum, and installs it to ~/.local/bin. It doesn't modify your PATH.

Run the following command:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/godaddy/cli/releases/latest/download/install.sh | bash

(Optional) If ~/.local/bin is not already in your path, add it yourself:
```
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
```

Add to your path

Add the same line to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc) to persist it across new terminals. This also works from Git Bash, MSYS2, or Cygwin on Windows.

Verify the install

Verify the install by checking the version and help message. If your shell can't find gddy, the install directory isn't on your PATH. The following procedure verifies the installation was successful.

Open a new terminal if the installer changed your PATH, then run:
```
gddy --version
gddy --help
```
(Optional) Confirm the binary exists (if your shell can't find gddy):

~/.local/bin/gddy

Authenticate

You don't need to log in ahead of time. Any command that needs authentication opens a browser for OAuth login automatically the first time you run it. The following procedure logs in early, which is useful if you want to confirm your session before running commands or switch accounts.

Run the following command:
```
gddy auth login
```
Confirm the CLI has an active session:
```
gddy auth status
```

Use a PAT for non-interactive environments

CI pipelines, SSH sessions, and other non-interactive environments can't complete the browser flow, so authentication has to happen ahead of time there. Generate a Personal Access Token and store it for gddy to use instead:

echo 'gd_pat_...' | gddy pat add --env prod "CI token"

Or skip local storage and supply it per-run with the GDDY_PAT (or GDDY_PAT_<ENV>) environment variable. The CLI checks for a PAT before falling back to OAuth. Run gddy guide auth for the full walkthrough.

Add a payment method

Domain purchase requires a billing method on your GoDaddy account. If you haven't logged in yet, gddy prompts you to before opening the payment-methods page. The following procedure adds a payment method.

Open the payment-methods page for your environment:
```
gddy payment-methods add
```

Go to Set up a payment profile for information on account URLs, verification steps, and common billing errors.

Make a first call

The following procedure makes a first call to the Domains API to get available domain suggestions for "coffee shop". If you haven't logged in yet, gddy prompts you to the first time one of these commands needs it.

Ask the Domains API for available domain suggestions for "coffee shop":
```
gddy domain suggest "coffee shop" --tlds com --limit 5
```
Check a suggestion directly:
```
gddy domain available <DOMAIN>
```
After you've found an available domain, get a price quote before purchasing:
```
gddy domain quote <DOMAIN>
```

Complete the purchase using the quote token from the previous step:

gddy domain purchase --quote-token <QUOTE_TOKEN> --agree --confirm

This charges your account

gddy domain purchase registers the domain and charges the payment method you added earlier. The quote token from step 3 is only valid for about 10 minutes, and --confirm is required to finalize the charge. Run gddy guide domain-purchase for the full walkthrough, including how to supply registrant contact details.

Go to CLI workflow reference for command details on domain management, DNS, Platform Apps, and payment methods. Run gddy tree for the exact complete command list in your installed version.

Agent & Automation Notes

PermissionsAny account

ScopesDepends on invoked command — CLI wraps REST endpoints and inherits their scopes

Rate limitRate-limited per credential per window (per underlying REST call). Go to /docs/api-users/rate-limits for current values.

IdempotentYes

DestructiveNo

On failureCLI is a wrapper — same recovery semantics as the underlying REST endpoint. Config is stored in ~/.config/gddy/ (Linux/macOS) or the platform equivalent. Delete config to reset credentials.

Guides

Concepts

Last updated on

Set up the CLI