CLI Beginner's Guide: From Command Line Basics to Using Lark CLI

A Simple Analogy: Two Ways to Order at a Restaurant

Imagine you walk into a restaurant. There are two ways to place your order.

The first way: you flip through a menu full of photos, point at something that looks good, and tell the waiter "I'll have that." Everything is visual, everything is laid out for you. That's how a graphical user interface (GUI) works — what you see is what you get.

The second way: you skip the menu entirely and say "Chicken stir-fry, easy on the spice, with a side of rice." No pictures needed — you describe exactly what you want in words. That's how a command-line interface (CLI) works — you type structured text commands to talk directly to the system.

For humans, browsing a visual menu is usually easier. But for AI, speaking in structured text is far more natural. That's exactly why CLIs are becoming so important in the age of AI.

GUI vs. CLI at a Glance

Common Commands, Explained Simply

Here are a few everyday CLI commands, explained in plain language:

Once you see the pattern, each CLI command is really just a structured instruction. It may feel less visual for people, but for AI it's exactly the right format.

A Three-Layer Command Structure

Lark CLI uses a clean three-layer command structure:

The first layer is the Skill name, which tells Lark CLI which part of the Lark ecosystem you want to work with. The second layer is the action, such as create, get, list, update, or delete. The third layer contains the arguments that define the details of the operation.

An Overview of 19 Skills

Lark CLI currently offers 19 Skills, covering the core parts of the Lark platform:

Docs & Knowledge

• lark-doc — Create, read, edit, and comment on cloud documents
• lark-wiki — Manage knowledge bases, spaces, and nodes
• lark-drive — Manage files and folders in cloud storage

Communication

• lark-im — Send and receive messages, manage chats and groups
• lark-mail — Work with Lark Mail
• lark-contact — Look up org structure, people, and contact info

Calendar & Tasks

• lark-calendar — Manage calendars and events
• lark-task — Manage tasks and checklists
• lark-vc — Handle video meeting workflows

Data & Tables

• lark-base — Work with Bitable databases
• lark-sheets — Work with spreadsheets

Other

• lark-minutes — Access meeting transcription and smart minutes
• lark-event — Subscribe to and monitor Lark events in real time
• lark-whiteboard — Work with whiteboards and visual diagrams
• lark-shared — Shared setup and initialization utilities
• Plus additional Skill modules that continue to expand over time

Get Started in 3 Steps

After setup, you can use Lark through any AI tool that supports Skills or the MCP protocol. Whether you're handling everyday office work or building more advanced automations, these 19 Skills give you broad coverage across the platform.