OpenCode CLI Skill

Run OpenCode CLI to leverage fast code generation and analysis tools directly from the terminal.

When to Use

• Rapid code generation and scaffolding
• Quick refactoring tasks
• Test file generation
• Code quality analysis
• API integration generation
• Boilerplate and template creation
• Fast prototyping tasks

Quick Start

Interactive mode

opencode

One-shot generation

opencode generate "Create a function that validates user emails"

With specific template

opencode generate --template react-component "Button with loading state"

Analyze code

opencode analyze myfile.js

Generate tests

opencode test "src/utils/auth.js"

Installation

# npm (recommended)
npm install -g opencode-cli

# Verify installation
opencode --version

Key Commands

Command	Description
opencode	Interactive mode
opencode generate "<prompt>"	Generate code from description
opencode analyze <file>	Analyze code quality and structure
opencode test <file>	Generate test cases for file
opencode refactor <file>	Suggest refactoring improvements
opencode document <file>	Generate documentation

Key Options

Option	Description
--template <name>	Use specific code template
--language <lang>	Target language (js, ts, python, go, etc.)
--output <path>	Output file path
--format <fmt>	Output format (default, json, etc.)
--model <model>	Model variant (default, fast, quality)

Authentication

OpenCode CLI uses OAuth:

# First-time authentication
opencode auth login

# Check auth status
opencode auth status

No API key configuration needed—authentication is OAuth-based.

Working with Files

OpenCode can read and generate code for files in your project:

# Analyze a file
opencode analyze src/api.ts

# Generate tests for existing code
opencode test src/utils/helpers.js

# Refactor code
opencode refactor src/components/Form.jsx

# Generate documentation
opencode document src/services/auth.js

Code Templates

OpenCode includes templates for common patterns:

# List available templates
opencode templates list

# Use a specific template
opencode generate --template express-api "User management API"
opencode generate --template react-form "Login form"
opencode generate --template node-cli "CLI tool for backups"

Built-in Capabilities

• Template Library: Pre-configured patterns for common use cases
• Multi-language Support: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, etc.
• Test Generation: Automatic unit and integration test creation
• Code Analysis: Quality metrics and improvement suggestions
• Refactoring: Smart refactoring recommendations

For Sub-Agent Delegation

When spawning OpenCode CLI for background work:

# Generate code non-interactively
opencode generate "Express API with validation" 2>&1

# Analyze code and capture output
opencode analyze myfile.js --format json > analysis.json

# Generate tests
opencode test src/utils.js --output test/utils.test.js 2>&1

# Run with timeout
timeout 180 opencode generate "Database schema for e-commerce" 2>&1

Script: Run OpenCode Task

Use the bundled script for reliable sub-agent execution:

node {baseDir}/scripts/run-opencode-task.cjs "Your task prompt" [options]

Options:

• --action <action> — Action: generate, analyze, test, refactor, document (default: generate)
• --file <path> — File path for non-generation actions
• --template <name> — Template to use for generation
• --language <lang> — Programming language
• --timeout <secs> — Timeout in seconds (default: 180)
• --output <path> — Output file path
• --workdir <path> — Working directory

The script handles:

• Timeout protection
• Error capture and formatting
• Clean output for parsing
• Exit code propagation

Model Selection

OpenCode offers different model variants:

Variant	Best For
fast	Quick generation, simple tasks
default	Balanced speed and quality (recommended)
quality	Complex code, high-quality output

opencode generate --model quality "Complex state management system"

Tips

1. Be specific with descriptions — Better prompts yield better code
2. Use templates for consistent patterns in your codebase
3. Review generated code — Always review and test generated code
4. Combine with analysis — Analyze before refactoring
5. Set timeouts for long-running generation tasks

Rate Limits

Rate limits depend on your OpenCode plan:

• Free tier: Limited generations per day
• Pro tier: Higher rate limits and priority
• Team tier: Custom limits with team management

Comparison with Other CLIs

Feature	OpenCode	Claude CLI	Gemini CLI	Copilot CLI
Template library	✅ Extensive	❌	❌	❌
Test generation	✅ Native	❌	❌	❌
Code analysis	✅ Native	❌	❌	❌
Fast generation	✅ Optimized	Slower	Medium	Medium
Extended context	❌	✅ 200K tokens	✅ 1M tokens	Limited

Working with Output

JSON Output for Parsing

opencode analyze myfile.js --format json | jq '.issues'

Save Generated Code

# Output to file
opencode generate "REST API boilerplate" --output api.js

# Or redirect
opencode generate "Database schema" > schema.sql

Pipeline with Other Tools

# Generate, format, then lint
opencode generate "Express app" | prettier --write /dev/stdin

# Generate test and run immediately
opencode test src/utils.js && npm test

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

# Check auth status
opencode auth status

# Re-authenticate
opencode auth logout
opencode auth login

Command Not Found

# Verify installation
which opencode

# Reinstall
npm install -g opencode-cli

Generation Timeout

# Use longer timeout or simpler prompt
timeout 300 opencode generate "Simpler version: Basic auth endpoint"

# Try fast model
opencode generate --model fast "Your prompt"

Poor Quality Output

# Use quality model
opencode generate --model quality "Complex feature needed here"

# Be more specific in prompt
opencode generate "User authentication API with JWT, email verification, and refresh tokens"

# Check templates first
opencode templates list