Mantis is a spatial data workspace. It embeds records (dataset rows, documents, code files, anything with text) into a 2D semantic map where proximity means similarity, then auto-groups them into labelled clusters so the shape of a dataset is visible at a glance.

This CLI puts the whole workspace in your terminal. Every Mantis MCP tool is reachable through mantis use <tool> (no editor plugin required), so AI coding agents (Claude Code, OpenCode, Codex, Cursor, and more) can inspect, search, and reshape spatial data directly.

Quick Start

npm install -g mantisai-cli      # Node ≥18, no Bun needed
mantis setup                     # API key + space + thread
mantis setup claude              # optional: install Claude Code skills
mantis use get_space_context     # confirm you're connected

Config lives at ~/.mantis/config.json. Grab a developer key at mantis.csail.mit.edu/developer.

Naming: repo KellisLab/mantis-cli · npm package mantisai-cli · binary mantis.

Using with Claude Code

Run mantis setup claude once to install the Mantis skills, then drive your spaces and maps straight from a Claude Code session, no MCP plugin required.

See the Claude Code guide for the full workflow.

Commands

| Command | Description | | --- | --- | | mantis setup [editor] | API + space/thread, or sync skills for claude/opencode/codex/cursor/windsurf/copilot/antigravity | | mantis status | Show current space, thread, and config | | mantis select [space\|thread\|both] | Switch the active space and/or thread | | mantis spaces list\|resolve\|set | Scriptable space ops (JSON) | | mantis threads list\|new\|set | Scriptable thread ops (JSON) | | mantis tools | List every MCP tool and its arguments | | mantis use <tool> | Call any MCP tool (JSON output) | | mantis create map <file> | Build a map from a local CSV/XLSX | | mantis create codebase [root] | Index a repo into CSV; add --create-map to embed it |

The mantis use toolbox

Reach for these through mantis use <tool> (run mantis tools for full argument schemas):

| Tier | Tools | | --- | --- | | Orient | get_space_context, inspect | | Reason | search, compare, intersect, diff, union, export | | Act | create_bag, add_to_bag, remove_from_bag, rename_bag, delete_bag, filter_to_bag, set_plot_variables, legend_command, create_page, project, install_extension |

# Orient: what's in this space?
mantis use get_space_context

# Reason: semantically search a map
mantis use search --args '{"query":"memory systems","kind":"point","scope":["mantis://map/<id>"]}'

# Act: save a cluster as a reusable bag
mantis use create_bag --from-uri "mantis://map/<id>/cluster/<cid>" --name "My Bag"

# Act: project text (or a file's contents) onto a map as a new point, get its URI back
mantis use project --text "attention is all you need" --map-id <id>
mantis use project --file notes.md --map-id <id>

Documentation

• Overview
• Install
• Claude Code · OpenCode · Codex

Requirements

• Node.js 18+ (the only runtime dependency; Bun is used to build, never to run)
• A Mantis API + Developer key → mantis.csail.mit.edu/developer

Contributing

git clone https://github.com/KellisLab/mantis-cli.git
cd mantis-cli
bun install          # or: npm install
bun run build        # bundles bin/mantis.js -> dist/mantis.js
node dist/mantis.js --version

Publishing is automated: push a v* tag and the GitHub Actions workflow builds the bundle and publishes to npm.