Algolia Agent Studio is Algolia's platform for building AI agents — RAG systems, conversational experiences, genAI content generation — with Algolia search and recommendations as the retrieval backbone. algobot (npm install -g algobot-ai) is its CLI for creating, testing, and deploying agents.
When to Use Algobot vs Other Tools
| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Build/manage AI agents on Algolia (RAG, chatbot, genAI UI) | algobot-cli (this skill) |
| Algolia search index ops (records, settings, synonyms) | algolia-cli |
| Search queries, analytics, recommendations | algolia-mcp |
Setup
npm install -g algobot-ai
algobot init # Interactive wizard (creates first agent + profile)
Or add a profile manually (CI-safe, non-interactive):
algobot profiles add --name prod --env prod
Non-Interactive Mode (Critical for Agents)
The TUI won't render in non-TTY environments (CI, scripts, agent subprocesses). Use these instead:
algobot ask "What is your return policy?" # One-shot
algobot interactive --text "hello ||| list my orders ||| /context" # Multi-turn
algobot agents list --jq '.[] | .name' # JSON filtering
--jq is built-in — no need to install jq separately.
Core Commands
Agent Management
algobot agents list
algobot agents get <agent-id>
algobot agents create --name "Support Bot" --model gpt-4o
algobot agents update <agent-id> --name "New Name"
algobot agents publish <agent-id>
algobot agents unpublish <agent-id>
algobot agents delete <agent-id>
algobot agents copy <id> --from-env dev --to-env prod
Chatting with an Agent
algobot ask "Find wireless headphones under $100"
algobot --profile staging ask "hello" # Target specific environment
algobot --verbose ask "debug this" # Show full HTTP traces
Profile / Environment Management
algobot profiles list
algobot profiles add --name dev --env dev
algobot profiles setdefault prod
algobot --profile prod agents list
algobot --env dev agents list
Config-as-Code Workflow
Version-control agent definitions with mustache templates — ideal for repeatable deployments across events, teams, or environments.
# 1. Scaffold from an existing agent
algobot agents scaffold <agent-id> # → agent-config.json + PROMPT.md
# 2. Preview (API-level kill switch — mutations blocked by construction)
algobot --dry-run agents create --config agent-config.json --var event="Spring 2026"
# 3. Deploy
algobot agents create --config agent-config.json --var event_name="Spring 2026"
# 4. Update + publish in one step
algobot agents update <id> --config agent-config.json --var event_name="Summer 2026" --publish
{{key}} in JSON fields: JSON-safe escaping. In .md instructions: raw substitution.
Agent Studio Capabilities (via agent config)
Beyond basic chat, Agent Studio agents support:
- Tools: Algolia Search, Algolia Browse, Algolia Recommend, client-side tools, and MCP tools (connect CRMs, inventory systems, external APIs alongside Algolia). Manage with
algobot tools list/add/remove - Memory: Semantic (facts/preferences) and episodic (past interactions) memory across sessions, using
algolia_memorize,algolia_ponder, andalgolia_memory_searchtools. Configure retrieval mode (preload vs preflight) in agent config. - Conversation storage: Persistent history with configurable retention — see
algobot conversationsfor export/delete - Experimental: Citation markers
[1][2]on responses, date injection, response caching — enable in agent config
Use algobot agents scaffold to inspect/edit these settings, algobot --dry-run to preview before applying.
Live Development
algobot agents watch patch.json # Auto-apply patches on file change
Global Flags
| Flag | Effect |
|---|---|
--env dev|staging|prod|local |
Target environment |
--profile <name> |
Use named profile |
--dry-run |
Preview without mutating (API-enforced) |
--verbose |
Full HTTP logs |
--jq '<expr>' |
Filter JSON output |
--confirm |
Skip exec tool confirmations |
Gotchas
- TUI requires TTY.
algobotwith no args launches the TUI — hangs in scripts. Always useaskor--textin non-interactive contexts. - Exit codes are 0/1 only in v2.0. Can't distinguish "not found" from "auth error" — parse stderr if needed.
--output jsonmissing on most commands in v2.0. Use--jqor JSON-structured stdout.algobot initis interactive. Don't use in CI — useprofiles addwith flags instead.prodresolves to the EU host. v2.0.0 hardcodes three API hosts —agent-studio.eu.algolia.com(prod),agent-studio-staging.eu.algolia.com(staging),conversational-ai-dev.algolia.com(dev). There is no region flag, and the only environment variables read areALGOLIA_APP_ID,ALGOLIA_APPLICATION_ID,ALGOLIA_API_KEY, andALGOLIA_AGENT_ID— none of which override the host. If an app's agents are not in EU,agents listreturns[]andagents get <id>returns 404 for an agent that is live and serving completions. An admin API key does not change this. Confirm the host withalgobot --verbose agents listbefore assuming a credential problem.- Credentials are stored in
~/.algobot-profiles(encrypted), not~/.algobot-cookie.algobot auth showwas removed in v2.0 — usealgobot profiles list, oralgobot profiles show <name>for full detail. Note thatprofiles showprints the API key in plaintext, so avoid it in shared terminals, screenshares, and logs. --configauto-discoversagent-config.jsonin cwd. Explicit:--config path/to/config.json.- algobot = dev/deploy tool; REST API = production invocation. Use algobot to build and publish agents; call the Agent Studio completions API directly from your app. Don't guess the endpoint URL — run
algobot agents get <id>to retrieve it, or check the Agent Studio dashboard. - Completions URL has no
/agent-studioprefix. Useagent-studio.<region>.algolia.com/1/agents/<id>/completions?stream=false&compatibilityMode=ai-sdk-4.compatibilityModeis required (omitting → 422). Response:{ id, role, content }withcontentas a flat string. agents create --provider <name>does not link the provider. Agent staysdraft, publish 409s. After create, runalgobot agents patch <id> --json patch.jsonwith{"providerId": "<uuid>"}, then publish.
Reference Docs
- Command Reference — Full flags for every command
- Config-as-Code Guide — Templates, variables, multi-env patterns