EmailBison CLI

EmailBison in your terminal. Manage cold email campaigns, leads, email accounts, warmup, and more — from the command line or through AI assistants.

117 MCP tools | 130+ commands | 100% API coverage | 1 dependency

Quick Start

npm install -g leadgrow-bison-cli
bison setup

The setup wizard walks you through:

1. Entering your API key (from EmailBison → Settings → Developer API)
2. Verifying the connection
3. Configuring AI integration for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients

Or configure manually:

bison auth login --api-key YOUR_API_KEY
bison campaigns list

Installation

npm (recommended):

npm install -g leadgrow-bison-cli

From source:

git clone https://github.com/LeadGrowGTM/leadgrow-bison-cli.git
cd leadgrow-bison-cli
npm install && npm run build
npm install -g .

Requires Node.js 18 or higher.

Authentication

Three ways to authenticate, checked in this order:

| Method | How | |--------|-----| | Flags | --api-key on any command | | Environment | BISON_API_KEY env var | | Config file | bison auth login --api-key KEY saves to ~/.bison/config.json |

The login command validates your key against the API before saving.

# Interactive setup (recommended)
bison setup

# Direct login
bison auth login --api-key sk_live_abc123

# Environment variable
export BISON_API_KEY=sk_live_abc123
bison campaigns list

# Custom instance
bison auth login --api-key KEY --base-url https://your-instance.com/api

API key permissions: A regular API user key works for all campaign, lead, account, and inbox operations. Super admin keys are only needed for workspace management (creating/deleting workspaces, generating tokens).

Capabilities

What You Can Do

| Category | Capabilities | |----------|-------------| | Campaigns | List, create, update, duplicate, pause, resume, archive, delete, bulk delete, get stats | | Sequences | Create email steps, update steps, delete steps, toggle A/B variants, send test emails | | Leads | List, search, create, update, upsert, bulk create/upsert, import CSV, delete, bulk delete, update status, unsubscribe, blacklist | | Replies | List, filter (interested/automated/folder), read, compose, reply, forward, mark interested/read/automated, thread view, delete | | Email Accounts | List, create (IMAP/SMTP), bulk create from CSV, update, delete, check MX, bulk check MX, update signatures/limits, get OAuth tokens | | Warmup | List, enable/disable per account, update limits | | Workspaces | List, switch, create, delete, invite members, create API tokens, stats | | Tags | Create, delete, attach/remove from campaigns, leads, and senders | | Blacklists | Add/remove emails and domains, bulk add from CSV | | Webhooks | Create, update, delete, list event types, test with sample payloads | | Tracking | Custom tracking domains — create, list, delete | | Variables | Custom lead variables for personalization | | Scheduling | Campaign send schedules, templates, timezones | | Events | Campaign event breakdowns by date range | | AI/MCP | Built-in MCP server with 117 tools for Claude, Cursor, and other AI assistants |

Commands

Auth & Config

bison setup                   # Interactive setup wizard
bison auth login --api-key K  # Save and verify API key
bison auth logout              # Remove saved API key
bison auth status              # Check connection and account info
bison auth whoami              # Same as status
bison auth token               # Generate headless UI token
bison auth profile-picture f   # Upload profile picture
bison auth update-password     # Change account password
bison config show              # View current config
bison config set --api-key K   # Update config values
bison config reset             # Reset to defaults
bison config path              # Print config file location

Campaigns

bison campaigns list                     # List all campaigns
bison campaigns list --status active     # Filter by status
bison campaigns get <id>                 # Get campaign details
bison campaigns create --name "Q1 Push"  # Create campaign
bison campaigns update <id> --name "Q2"  # Update campaign
bison campaigns duplicate <id>           # Duplicate campaign
bison campaigns pause <id>               # Pause campaign
bison campaigns resume <id>              # Resume campaign
bison campaigns archive <id>             # Archive campaign
bison campaigns delete <id>              # Delete campaign
bison campaigns bulk-delete --ids 1,2,3  # Bulk delete

# Stats — both dates are REQUIRED
bison campaigns stats <id> --start-date 2025-01-01 --end-date 2025-03-31
bison campaigns full-stats <id> --start-date 2025-01-01 --end-date 2025-03-31

Campaign Schedule

bison campaigns schedule get <id>              # Get schedule
bison campaigns schedule create <id>           # Create schedule
bison campaigns schedule update <id>           # Update schedule
bison campaigns schedule from-template <id>    # Apply template
bison campaigns schedule templates             # List templates
bison campaigns schedule timezones             # List timezones
bison campaigns schedule sending-list          # All sending schedules
bison campaigns schedule sending <id>          # Campaign's schedule

Campaign Sequence

bison campaigns sequence get-steps <campaignId>             # View steps (v1.1)
bison campaigns sequence get <campaignId>                   # View full sequence (deprecated)
bison campaigns sequence create-step <campaignId> --data '...'  # Create steps
bison campaigns sequence update-step <sequenceId> --data '...'  # Update steps
bison campaigns sequence delete-step <stepId>               # Delete step
bison campaigns sequence toggle-variant <stepId> --active   # Activate variant
bison campaigns sequence toggle-variant <stepId> --no-active  # Deactivate variant
bison campaigns sequence test-email <stepId> --to email --sender-email-id N

Sequence JSON format:

{
  "title": "My Sequence",
  "sequence_steps": [
    {
      "email_subject": "Quick question about {COMPANY_NAME}",
      "email_body": "Hey {FIRST_NAME}, ...",
      "wait_in_days": 1
    },
    {
      "email_subject": "Re: Quick question",
      "email_body": "Following up...",
      "wait_in_days": 3,
      "thread_reply": true
    }
  ]
}

Campaign Leads & Senders

bison campaigns leads list <id>          # Campaign's leads
bison campaigns leads import <id>        # Import from list
bison campaigns leads add <id>           # Add leads by ID
bison campaigns leads move <id>          # Move to another campaign
bison campaigns leads stop <id>          # Stop future emails
bison campaigns leads remove <id>        # Remove leads
bison campaigns senders list <id>        # Campaign's senders
bison campaigns senders attach <id>      # Attach senders
bison campaigns senders remove <id>      # Remove senders
bison campaigns replies list <id>        # Campaign's replies
bison campaigns replies send <id>        # Send reply
bison campaigns emails list <id>         # Scheduled emails

Leads

bison leads list                         # List all leads
bison leads list --search "acme"         # Search leads
bison leads get <id>                     # Get lead details
bison leads create --email [email protected]    # Create lead
bison leads update <id> --name "Jane"    # Update lead
bison leads replace <id>                 # Full replace (PUT)
bison leads delete <id>                  # Delete lead
bison leads bulk-create --data '[...]'   # Create multiple
bison leads bulk-upsert --data '[...]'   # Create or update multiple
bison leads upsert --email [email protected]    # Single upsert
bison leads import-csv <file>            # Import from CSV
bison leads bulk-delete --ids 1,2,3      # Bulk delete
bison leads update-status <id>           # Update status
bison leads bulk-update-status           # Bulk update status
bison leads unsubscribe <id>             # Unsubscribe
bison leads blacklist <id>               # Add to blacklist
bison leads replies <id>                 # Lead's replies
bison leads emails <id>                  # Lead's scheduled emails
bison leads sent-emails <id>             # Lead's sent emails

Replies (Master Inbox)

bison replies list                       # List all replies
bison replies list --status interested   # Filter by status
bison replies get <id>                   # Get reply details
bison replies compose                    # Send new email
bison replies reply <id>                 # Reply to thread
bison replies forward <id>              # Forward reply
bison replies mark-interested <id>       # Mark interested
bison replies mark-not-interested <id>   # Mark not interested
bison replies mark-read <id>            # Mark as read
bison replies mark-unread <id>          # Mark as unread
bison replies mark-automated <id>        # Mark automated
bison replies mark-not-automated <id>    # Mark not automated
bison replies unsubscribe <id>           # Unsubscribe contact
bison replies delete <id>                # Delete reply
bison replies thread <id>               # Conversation thread
bison replies attach-scheduled <id>      # Attach scheduled email
bison replies push-followup <id>         # Push to followup campaign

Email Accounts

bison accounts list                      # List all accounts
bison accounts get <id>                  # Account details
bison accounts create                    # Create IMAP/SMTP account
bison accounts update <id>               # Update account
bison accounts delete <id>               # Delete account
bison accounts bulk-create <file>        # Bulk add from CSV
bison accounts campaigns <id>           # Account's campaigns
bison accounts replies <id>              # Account's replies
bison accounts oauth-token <id>          # Get OAuth token
bison accounts check-mx <id>            # Check MX records
bison accounts bulk-check-mx             # Bulk check all MX
bison accounts update-signatures         # Bulk update signatures
bison accounts update-limits             # Bulk update daily limits

Warmup

bison warmup list                        # List warmup status
bison warmup get <id>                    # Warmup details
bison warmup enable <id>                 # Enable warmup
bison warmup disable <id>                # Disable warmup
bison warmup update-limits <id>          # Update warmup limits

Tags, Blacklists, Webhooks & More

# Tags
bison tags list | get | create | delete
bison tags attach-campaigns | remove-campaigns
bison tags attach-leads | remove-leads
bison tags attach-senders | remove-senders

# Email Blacklist
bison blacklist emails list | add | get | remove | bulk-add

# Domain Blacklist
bison blacklist domains list | add | get | remove | bulk-add

# Webhooks
bison webhooks list | get | create | update | delete

# Webhook Events
bison webhook-events types | sample | test

# Tracking Domains
bison tracking list | get | create | delete

# Custom Lead Variables
bison variables list | create

# Ignore Phrases
bison phrases list | get | create | delete

# Reply Templates
bison templates list | get | create | update | delete

# Scheduled Emails
bison scheduled list | get

# Campaign Events
bison events breakdown --campaign-ids N --start-date YYYY-MM-DD --end-date YYYY-MM-DD

Workspaces

bison workspaces list                    # List workspaces
bison workspaces get <id>                # Workspace details
bison workspaces create --name "Ops"     # Create workspace
bison workspaces update <id>             # Update workspace
bison workspaces delete <id>             # Delete workspace (super admin)
bison workspaces switch --team-id <id>   # Switch workspace
bison workspaces create-user <id>        # Create user in workspace
bison workspaces create-token <id>       # Create API token (super admin)
bison workspaces invite <id>             # Invite member
bison workspaces accept-invite           # Accept invitation
bison workspaces remove-member <id>      # Remove member
bison workspaces stats <id>              # Workspace stats
bison workspaces full-stats <id>         # Full statistics
bison workspaces master-inbox <id>       # Master inbox settings
bison workspaces update-master-inbox <id> # Update inbox settings

Important Notes & Gotchas

Things to know to avoid errors:

| Topic | Details | |-------|---------| | Workspace first | Always switch workspace before operating: bison workspaces switch --team-id <id> | | Stats require dates | stats and full-stats need both --start-date and --end-date (YYYY-MM-DD) | | Events flag | events breakdown uses --campaign-ids (plural), not --campaign-id | | wait_in_days | Minimum value is 1 (not 0) when creating sequence steps | | create-step appends | create-step adds to existing steps — it does not replace them | | update-step IDs | update-step requires id and order on every step object | | A/B variants | Split test variants can only be created in the web UI. The API can read and toggle (activate/deactivate) existing variants, but cannot create new ones | | Variables | Use single braces: {FIRST_NAME}, {COMPANY_NAME} — not {{double braces}} | | thread_reply | Setting thread_reply: true auto-prepends "Re: " to the subject — don't add it yourself |

Output Options

Every command supports these global flags:

# Machine-readable JSON
bison campaigns list --json

# Select specific fields
bison campaigns list --fields "id,name,status,replied,interested"

# Silent mode — exit code only (0=success, 1=error)
bison campaigns pause 42 --quiet

# Combine with jq
bison leads list --json | jq '.[] | .email'

# Pipe between commands
bison campaigns list --json --fields "id" | jq -r '.[].id'

Default output is formatted tables for humans. Use --json for scripts and pipelines.

AI Integration (MCP)

The CLI includes a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server with 117 tools. This lets AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients manage EmailBison directly.

One-command setup

bison mcp setup

This auto-configures Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor. Or run it during bison setup.

Manual MCP configuration

Add to your MCP client config (e.g., ~/.claude/mcp_servers.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "emailbison": {
      "command": "bison",
      "args": ["mcp"],
      "env": {
        "BISON_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP management

bison mcp setup               # Configure all AI clients
bison mcp setup --client cursor  # Configure specific client
bison mcp status               # Check which clients are configured
bison mcp remove               # Remove from all clients
bison mcp                      # Start MCP server directly (for testing)

Claude Code context

Running bison mcp setup also injects CLI context into ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md so Claude Code knows the CLI is available. Run bison docs anytime for the full command reference.

Configuration

Config file location: ~/.bison/config.json

bison config show    # View current config (API key is masked)
bison config set     # Update values
bison config reset   # Reset to defaults
bison config path    # Print file path

Environment Variables

| Variable | Description | Overrides | |----------|-------------|-----------| | BISON_API_KEY | API key | Config file key | | BISON_BASE_URL | API base URL | Config file URL |

Environment variables always take precedence over the config file.

Scripting & Automation

The CLI is designed for scripting, CI/CD pipelines, and AI agents:

# Exit codes: 0=success, 1=error, 2=auth missing
bison campaigns pause 42 --quiet && echo "Paused"

# JSON input via stdin
echo '{"name":"New Campaign"}' | bison campaigns create --data -

# Bulk operations
bison leads import-csv leads.csv
bison accounts bulk-create accounts.csv
bison leads bulk-delete --ids 1,2,3,4,5

# Environment-based auth for CI
BISON_API_KEY=sk_live_xxx bison campaigns list --json

License

MIT — Leadgrow.ai