Command line

The silan command is the command-line client of the engine. It ships inside the app at /Applications/Silan.app/Contents/Helpers/silan and is not put on your PATH.

silan [--url URL] [--key KEY] [--json] <command> [arguments]

--json prints the engine’s reply as JSON instead of words. The engine address comes from --url, SILAN_URL, or ~/Library/Application Support/Silan/engine.json. The key comes from --key, SILAN_API_KEY, or the engine’s local key file that engine.json names (an engine on this Mac only). A lease token comes from --lease or SILAN_LEASE.

Devices

Command	What it does
`devices [--platform ios\|android] [--kind K] [--label L] [--state S]`	List devices
`device <device>`	One device with its capabilities and health
`observe <device> [--elements interactive\|all\|none] [--save FILE]`	A screenshot and the element list
`screenshot <device> [-o FILE] [--format png\|jpeg]`	The screen as an image
`tap <device> TARGET [--count 2\|3]`	Tap a target
`long-press <device> TARGET [--duration MS]`	Touch and hold
`type <device> <text> [TARGET] [--clear] [--submit]`	Type text
`press <device> <home\|lock\|back\|volumeUp\|volumeDown\|...>`	Press a hardware button
`key <device> <enter\|backspace\|tab\|...> [--modifiers command,shift] [--repeat N]`	Press a key
`swipe <device> <up\|down\|left\|right> [--speed slow\|medium\|fast]`	Swipe
`launch <device> <app id> [--fresh]`	Open an app
`terminate <device> <app id>`	Close an app
`open-url <device> <url>`	Open a link
`wait <device> QUERY [--gone] [--timeout MS]`	Wait for an element to show or go
`claim <device>... [--ttl SECONDS] [--wait MS]`	Claim devices (a lease)
`claim --platform ios [--count N]`	Claim by selector
`release <lease id>`	Give a lease back

TARGET is one of --text T, --id IDENTIFIER, --role ROLE, --description D (with --match exact|contains|regex|caseInsensitive and --index N), --ref e12@snap_7f3a, or --at X,Y [--space pixels|points|normalized]. QUERY is the same without --ref and --at.

Scenarios

Scenarios from the command line are a preview that is not tested yet. Do not rely on them in CI.

Command	What it does
`run <scenario.silan.yaml> [--bind role=device]... [--param name=value]... [--junit FILE] [--html FILE] [--report-json FILE] [--no-record] [--timeout SECONDS]`	Run a scenario, follow it, write the reports; exit 0 only when it passed

Safety and admin

Command	What it does
`stop`	Stop Everything: halt every action on every device and hold every task and run
`resume`	Let held tasks and runs go on
`approvals [--state pending\|approved\|denied\|expired]`	List approvals
`approvals approve\|deny <approval id> [--remember once\|thisTask\|thisChat\|thisSiteForAnHour]`	Answer an approval
`keys create --name NAME --scope SCOPE... [--device ID]... [--profile core\|testing\|full] [--policy-profile NAME] [--expires ISO-8601]`	Make an API key. Answers `403` on the current release: making a key needs the admin right, so make keys on the Connections page
`keys list`	List keys
`keys revoke <key id>`	Revoke a key. Answers `403` on the current release: revoke keys on the Connections page

Other

Command	What it does
`health`	Engine liveness and component status
`version`	Engine, API and MCP protocol versions
`call <operationId> [name=value]... [--body JSON\|@FILE\|-] [-o FILE]`	Any REST operation by its id; `silan call --list` names them
`mcp [--profile core\|testing\|full]`	The stdio MCP server for AI apps (over XPC; with `--key`, the engine’s `/mcp`)

Exit codes

Code	Means
0	success
1	failed
2	usage
3	no engine
4	key refused