seedPass/docs/advanced_cli.md

SeedPass Advanced CLI and API Documentation

Overview

Welcome to the Advanced CLI and API Documentation for SeedPass, a secure, deterministic password manager built on Bitcoin's BIP‑85 standard. This guide is designed for power users, developers, and system administrators who wish to leverage the full capabilities of SeedPass through the command line for scripting, automation, and integration.

SeedPass uses a noun-verb command structure (e.g., seedpass entry get <query>) for a clear, scalable, and discoverable interface. You can explore the available actions for any command group with the --help flag (for example, seedpass entry --help).

The commands in this document reflect the Typer-based CLI shipped with SeedPass. Each command accepts the optional --fingerprint flag to operate on a specific seed profile.

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Table of Contents

1. Global Options
2. Command Group Reference
   • Entry Commands
   • Vault Commands
   • Nostr Commands
   • Config Commands
   • Fingerprint Commands
   • Utility Commands
   • API Commands
3. Detailed Command Descriptions
4. API Integration
5. Usage Guidelines

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Global Options

These options can be used with any command.

Flag	Description
--fingerprint <fp>	Specify which seed profile to use. If omitted, the most recently used profile is selected.
--help, -h	Display help information for a command or subcommand.

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Command Group Reference

Entry Commands

Manage individual entries within a vault.

Action	Command	Examples
List entries	entry list	seedpass entry list --sort label
Search for entries	entry search	seedpass entry search "GitHub"
Retrieve an entry's secret (password or TOTP code)	entry get	seedpass entry get "GitHub"
Add a password entry	entry add	seedpass entry add Example --length 16
Add a TOTP entry	entry add-totp	seedpass entry add-totp Email --secret JBSW...
Add an SSH key entry	entry add-ssh	seedpass entry add-ssh Server --index 0
Add a PGP key entry	entry add-pgp	seedpass entry add-pgp Personal --user-id me@example.com
Add a Nostr key entry	entry add-nostr	seedpass entry add-nostr Chat
Add a seed phrase entry	entry add-seed	seedpass entry add-seed Backup --words 24
Add a key/value entry	entry add-key-value	seedpass entry add-key-value "API Token" --value abc123
Add a managed account entry	entry add-managed-account	seedpass entry add-managed-account Trading
Modify an entry	entry modify	seedpass entry modify 1 --username alice
Archive an entry	entry archive	seedpass entry archive 1
Unarchive an entry	entry unarchive	seedpass entry unarchive 1

Vault Commands

Manage the entire vault for a profile.

Action	Command	Examples
Export the vault	vault export	seedpass vault export --file backup.json
Change the master password	vault change-password	seedpass vault change-password

Nostr Commands

Interact with the Nostr network for backup and synchronization.

Action	Command	Examples
Sync with relays	nostr sync	seedpass nostr sync
Get public key	nostr get-pubkey	seedpass nostr get-pubkey

Config Commands

Manage profile‑specific settings.

Action	Command	Examples
Get a setting value	config get	seedpass config get inactivity_timeout
Set a setting value	config set	seedpass config set inactivity_timeout 300

Fingerprint Commands

Manage seed profiles (fingerprints).

Action	Command	Examples
List all profiles	fingerprint list	seedpass fingerprint list
Add a profile	fingerprint add	seedpass fingerprint add
Remove a profile	fingerprint remove	seedpass fingerprint remove <fp>
Switch profile	fingerprint switch	seedpass fingerprint switch <fp>

Utility Commands

Miscellaneous helper commands.

Action	Command	Examples
Generate a password	util generate-password	seedpass util generate-password --length 24

API Commands

Run or stop the local HTTP API.

Action	Command	Examples
Start the API	api start	seedpass api start --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
Stop the API	api stop	seedpass api stop

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Detailed Command Descriptions

entry Commands

• seedpass entry list – List entries in the vault, optionally sorted or filtered.
• seedpass entry search <query> – Search across labels, usernames, URLs and notes.
• seedpass entry get <query> – Retrieve the password or TOTP code for one matching entry, depending on the entry's type.
• seedpass entry add <label> – Create a new password entry. Use --length to set the password length and optional --username/--url values.
• seedpass entry add-totp <label> – Create a TOTP entry. Use --secret to import an existing secret or --index to derive from the seed.
• seedpass entry add-ssh <label> – Create an SSH key entry derived from the seed.
• seedpass entry add-pgp <label> – Create a PGP key entry. Provide --user-id and --key-type as needed.
• seedpass entry add-nostr <label> – Create a Nostr key entry for decentralised chat.
• seedpass entry add-seed <label> – Store a derived seed phrase. Use --words to set the word count.
• seedpass entry add-key-value <label> – Store arbitrary data with --value.
• seedpass entry add-managed-account <label> – Store a BIP‑85 derived account seed.
• seedpass entry modify <id> – Update an entry's label, username, URL or notes.
• seedpass entry archive <id> – Mark an entry as archived so it is hidden from normal lists.
• seedpass entry unarchive <id> – Restore an archived entry.

Example retrieving a TOTP code:

$ seedpass entry get "email"
[##########----------] 15s
Code: 123456

vault Commands

• seedpass vault export – Export the entire vault to an encrypted JSON file.
• seedpass vault change-password – Change the master password used for encryption.

nostr Commands

• seedpass nostr sync – Perform a two‑way sync with configured Nostr relays.
• seedpass nostr get-pubkey – Display the Nostr public key for the active profile.

config Commands

• seedpass config get <key> – Retrieve a configuration value such as inactivity_timeout, secret_mode, or auto_sync.
• seedpass config set <key> <value> – Update a configuration option. Example: seedpass config set inactivity_timeout 300.

fingerprint Commands

• seedpass fingerprint list – List available profiles by fingerprint.
• seedpass fingerprint add – Create a new seed profile.
• seedpass fingerprint remove <fp> – Delete the specified profile.
• seedpass fingerprint switch <fp> – Switch the active profile.

util Commands

• seedpass util generate-password – Generate a strong password of the requested length.

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API Integration

SeedPass provides a small REST API for automation. Run seedpass api start to launch the server. The command prints a one‑time token which clients must include in the Authorization header.

Set the SEEDPASS_CORS_ORIGINS environment variable to a comma‑separated list of allowed origins when you need cross‑origin requests:

SEEDPASS_CORS_ORIGINS=http://localhost:3000 seedpass api start

Shut down the server with seedpass api stop.

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Usage Guidelines

• Use the --help flag for details on any command.
• Set a strong master password and regularly export encrypted backups.
• Adjust configuration values like inactivity_timeout or secret_mode through the config commands.
• entry get is script‑friendly and can be piped into other commands.