---
title: "Access Non-Interactive CLI"
url: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/ai-toolkit/ni-cli/install-cli/
description: "Step-by-step guide to installing the Catalyst CLI and accessing its non-interactive mode."
last_updated: 2026-09-28T11:04:26Z
service: AI Toolkit
type: general
related_links:
  - name: "Motivation"
    url: /en/ai-toolkit/ni-cli/motivation/
  - name: "CLI vs NI CLI"
    url: /en/ai-toolkit/ni-cli/cli-vs-ni/
  - name: "Non-Interactive Catalyst CLI Commands"
    url: /en/ai-toolkit/ni-cli/ni-commands/
  - name: "Interactive Catalyst CLI"
    url: /en/cli/v1/cli-command-reference/
repository:
  name: "Agent Skills"
  url: https://github.com/catalystbyzoho/agent-skills
---

# Access Non-Interactive CLI

Execute the following command to install the Catalyst CLI globally:

```sh
npm install -g zcatalyst-cli
```

> **Note:** If the command fails, try again with elevated privileges: `sudo` on **macOS/Linux**, or a terminal running as administrator on **Windows**.

You can verify the installation by executing the following command:

```sh
catalyst --version
```

> **Note:** Catalyst CLI requires Node.js v14 or higher to install, as npm is bundled with Node.js.

### Update the CLI

A running log of all of Catalyst CLI updates is available in the [Catalyst Release Notes](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/release-notes/cli/). To update your Catalyst CLI, execute the following command:

```sh
npm install -g zcatalyst-cli
```

To update to a specific version, execute the following command:

```sh
npm install -g zcatalyst-cli@<version>
```

### Troubleshooting CLI installation

If you are unable to install the Catalyst CLI try troubleshooting with the following steps:

* Confirm Node and npm versions by executing `node -v` and `npm -v`. If they return a compatible version (v14 or higher), then uninstall and reinstall Catalyst CLI (use `sudo` on **macOS**, or an administrator command prompt on **Windows**).
* If you hit a TLS authorization error, run `set NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0`, then retry the command. This disables TLS certificate verification for the session. Only use it as a temporary workaround, and set it back afterward (`set NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=1`).
* If the CLI shows abnormal behavior, check the `catalyst-debug.log` file created automatically in the directory the command was run from, and send it to support@zohocatalyst.com with a description of the issue.

### Access Non-interactive Mode in Catalyst CLI

You can access the Non-interactive mode in the Catalyst CLI either using a command flag, environment variable, or programmatically using the appropriate argument.

<table class="content-table">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th class="w30p">Method</th>
            <th class="w40p">How to activate</th>
            <th class="w30p">Example</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Command flag</td>
            <td>Add `-ni` (or `--non-interactive`) to any command</td>
            <td>`catalyst functions:add -ni --name InvoiceFetch --type bio --stack node20`</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Environment variable</td>
            <td>Set `ZCATALYST_NON_INTERACTIVE` to 1, true, or yes. (This applies to every command in that terminal session.)</td>
            <td>For **macOS/Linux**: `export ZCATALYST_NON_INTERACTIVE=1`
OR
For **Windows**: `ZCATALYST_NON_INTERACTIVE=1`</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Programmatically</td>
            <td>Pass the non-interactive option when invoking the CLI from code.</td>
            <td>Pass the equivalent of `-ni` as an argument in your script/CI call to the CLI.</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

> **Note:** Execute `catalyst &lt;command&gt; -ni --help` to access the non-interactive CLI specific help section for that command.