AXCTL - macOS Automation CLI

Command-line automation for macOS that saves $3,000/year in time and 98% on AI token costs.

🚀 Features

• Xcode Build Automation - Build, archive, export, and upload iOS apps from the command line
• App Store Connect API - Manage apps, TestFlight, and submissions programmatically
• Accessibility Helper - Control any macOS app via native Accessibility APIs (no screenshots needed)
• Token Efficient - Uses 150 tokens/action vs 7,800 for Vision AI (98% reduction)

📦 Installation

Recommended: Local Install (no permissions needed)

cd ~
npm install @axctl/core

# Install Python dependencies (required for ax-helper)
pip3 install -r ~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/ax-helper/requirements.txt

# Then use commands with full path:
~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/ax-helper/ax-helper.py query "Safari"

# Or create aliases for convenience:
alias ax-helper="~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/ax-helper/ax-helper.py"
alias asc-api="~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/asc-api-helper/asc-api-helper.py"

Alternative: Global Install (requires sudo)

sudo npm install -g @axctl/core

# Install Python dependencies (required for ax-helper)
pip3 install pyobjc-core pyobjc-framework-Cocoa pyobjc-framework-ApplicationServices

# Then use commands directly:
ax-helper query "Safari"
axctl help

Note: Python 3 and pip3 must be installed. The ax-helper tool requires PyObjC to access macOS Accessibility APIs.

⚡ Quickstart

Desktop Automation (Free - No License Required)

# Query any Mac app's UI
~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/ax-helper/ax-helper.py query "Safari"

# Click a button
~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/ax-helper/ax-helper.py click "button:Submit"

# Type into a field
~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/ax-helper/ax-helper.py type "textfield:Email" "[email protected]"

# Press a key
~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/ax-helper/ax-helper.py press "Enter"

Tip: Create an alias for easier use:

alias ax-helper="~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/ax-helper/ax-helper.py"

iOS Automation (Pro - License Required)

# Get your license from https://axctl.dev
# Note: License validation will be added in a future update
# For now, tools work without activation for testing

# Build & archive your app
~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/xcodebuild/xcode-archive.sh \
  --project MyApp.xcodeproj \
  --scheme MyApp \
  --configuration Release

# Export for App Store
~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/xcodebuild/xcode-export.sh \
  --archive MyApp.xcarchive \
  --method app-store

# Upload to TestFlight
~/node_modules/@axctl/core/skills/xcodebuild/xcode-upload.sh \
  --ipa MyApp.ipa \
  --asc-key-id YOUR_KEY_ID

📚 Usage Examples

Example 1: Automated iOS Build Pipeline

#!/bin/bash
# Full iOS build + TestFlight upload in one command

# 1. Archive
xcode-archive \
  --project MyApp.xcodeproj \
  --scheme "MyApp" \
  --configuration Release \
  --output build/MyApp.xcarchive

# 2. Export IPA
xcode-export \
  --archive build/MyApp.xcarchive \
  --method app-store \
  --output build/MyApp.ipa

# 3. Upload to TestFlight
xcode-upload \
  --ipa build/MyApp.ipa \
  --asc-key-id ABC123DEF456 \
  --asc-issuer-id 12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012

echo "✅ Build uploaded to TestFlight!"

Example 2: Browser Automation (Token-Efficient)

# Fill a web form (150 tokens instead of 7,800 with Vision AI)
ax-helper query "Google Chrome"
ax-helper type "textfield:Email" "[email protected]"
ax-helper type "textfield:Password" "secure-password"
ax-helper click "button:Sign in"

Example 3: Check TestFlight Status

# List all TestFlight builds
asc-api list-builds --app-id 1234567890

# Get specific build info
asc-api build-info --build-id abc123def456

🆓 Pricing

| Feature | Free | Monthly | Annual | Lifetime | |---------|------|---------|--------|----------| | Price | $0 | $9/mo | $69/year | $179 once | | Desktop automation | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited | | Xcode build automation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | App Store Connect API | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Machine limit | N/A | 1 machine | 3 machines | 5 machines | | Updates | N/A | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Forever |

Best Value: Lifetime ($179) = 2.6 years of annual, then free forever 🚀

💡 Why AXCTL?

Token Savings Example:
At 20M tokens/month ($2 per 1M):

• Vision AI: $480/year 💸
• AXCTL: $9/year ✨
• Savings: $471/year

Time Savings:
30 hours/year automation × $100/hr = $3,000/year

Total Annual Value: $3,471
Cost: $69/year
ROI: 50x 🚀

📖 Documentation

• Xcode Build Skill
• App Store Connect API
• AX Helper (Desktop Automation)

🔗 Links

• Website: https://axctl.dev
• License API: https://github.com/damediacoadmin/axctl/tree/main/api
• Landing Page: https://github.com/damediacoadmin/axctl/tree/main/landing

📄 License

Proprietary - Free tier is unlimited for personal use. Pro features require a license.

Built by David Miller | DAMedia Co