pixiv-cli

Operate Pixiv through the pixiv-cli binary — search illustrations, novels, and users; inspect Pixiv artwork or user IDs/URLs; view rankings and recommendations; manage bookmarks/follows; and download works. Load only when the user explicitly mentions Pixiv or pixiv-cli, provides a pixiv.net URL or ID in a clear Pixiv context, or requests a specific Pixiv operation or pixiv command. Do not trigger for generic illustration, artist, image-search, or download requests without Pixiv context. Verify current syntax with pixiv <cmd> --help.

pixiv-cli Operator

Teaches an agent to drive the pixiv CLI correctly. This skill encodes workflow orchestration, safety rules, and semantic traps — flag details always defer to the installed binary's pixiv <cmd> --help output.

Preflight and account checks

1. Run pixiv version --json. The binary itself is the only environment probe: if it is missing or not executable, report that blocker. Install only when the user explicitly asked for installation; then read references/install.md and use the official platform script. Otherwise do not install or guess an installation method.
2. Do not enumerate local accounts on every session. Run pixiv auth list --json only when authentication, account selection, or an anonymous-fallback decision actually requires it. Presence in this list does not prove a credential is currently valid; use the networked pixiv auth check [UID] --json only when validation is needed. Treat both {"accounts": null} and {"accounts": []} as an empty account list. pixiv auth refresh [UID] [--all] rotates saved OAuth credentials and forces a profile/Premium-cache refresh, so run it only for an explicit maintenance request.

Hard rules

1. Refresh tokens and authentication export bundles contain secrets. Except for the explicit bare-stdout export case below, do not echo, log, summarize, or reproduce them in commentary or results. Use the controlled workflows in references/auth.md when the user's task requires moving a credential.
2. A bare auth export is allowed only when the user explicitly asks to receive or see its raw token or bundle for that invocation. Before running it, explain that the secret necessarily enters tool output/transcript and may be retained there, then obtain the user's explicit confirmation. After execution, do not repeat, transform, parse, or log the secret. This is the sole exception to rule 1; otherwise use --output or a direct same-command pipeline to the intended consumer.
3. If the user already disclosed a refresh token in the conversation and explicitly asks to import it, the agent may run the positional pixiv auth import 'RFT' form. Do not create an extra file or repeat the secret in the result. The token will still be copied into the tool call, process arguments, shell history, and process context; disclose that before execution, and explain that an already-disclosed token cannot be erased.
4. For a token not already disclosed, keep it out of chat and command arguments. Use the hidden pixiv auth import prompt only when the runtime gives the user a terminal they can type into directly. Do not start it in a standard agent PTY with no user-input channel and leave it waiting; instead, give the command to the user for their private terminal, or use an authorized secret-manager-to-stdin pipeline. Non-TTY input is read automatically; there is no --stdin flag. This is an environment constraint, not a command ban.
5. Run interactive pixiv auth login only when the user explicitly asks and is present to complete browser OAuth.
6. Do not accept or forward cookies (PHPSESSID, refresh_token=... cookie strings) as credentials — the CLI rejects them by design; only raw Pixiv App API refresh tokens work.

Operation tiers

Tier	Commands	Behavior
Credential transfer	auth import auth export	Execute only for the user's explicit import/export task; follow references/auth.md so secret input/output is not exposed accidentally
Read	search novel search search-options detail ranking recommended feed * mypixiv * user * config get/path version update --check	Execute when the user's task requires it
Account diagnosis	auth list/check	List only for authentication/account/fallback decisions; check only when network validation is needed
Account maintenance	auth refresh	Rotates saved OAuth credentials and refreshes the cached account profile/Premium status; run only on an explicit request
Write	bookmark add/remove follow add/remove	State the target (illust/user ID) in one line before executing; for NDJSON stdin actions, state the record type and scope before starting
Disk	download	Confirm target directory and exact targets (IDs or supported Pixiv URLs) before each invocation; a user URL expands every visual work, so state that scope explicitly; approval never carries over; see references/download.md
Interactive credential	auth login	Run only on explicit request while the user is present for browser OAuth
Account/config state	auth use/remove config set/unset update (actual install)	Ask for explicit confirmation each time; approval does not carry over
MCP server	mcp	Run only when the user explicitly asks to start it; it is a long-lived stdio JSON-RPC server, not a data command—do not auto-probe, auto-wait, or include it in preflight

Output & token control (in priority order)

1. Reduce at the source (preferred): pass a positive --limit N only when that command's help exposes it. In the audited binary these commands are search, novel search, ranking, recommended, user search, user artworks, user bookmarks, and user following. Add --page, --type, --rating, or other flags only when that specific command's help exposes them. --limit 0 requests all results, so never use it unless the user explicitly asks for everything. A result that reaches --limit N is not proof that only N matches exist; follow the pagination and completeness contract in references/discover.md.
2. Small result, display only: use the default human-readable output and relay it. JSON carries field names and metadata — it is larger than the table for display purposes.
3. Programmatic processing (extract IDs, filter, chain into a next command): use --ndjson, then use pixiv filter or pass the records to a compatible action. NDJSON is streaming: do not add a collector merely to make a pipeline convenient. --json remains for one complete result document when a command exposes it, but cannot be combined with --ndjson.
4. Opportunistic tooling: probe once for jq; if present, prefer --json + jq for field selection. If absent, fall back to tier 3 silently — never ask the user to install anything.
5. Check status before parsing JSON: --json controls successful output; it does not guarantee that usage, validation, flag, or authentication errors are JSON. Inspect the exit code first. On failure, expect stdout may be empty and report the plain stderr error rather than treating it as malformed JSON.

Command cheat sheet

Verify flags with --help before use; this list is orientation, not a contract.

text

pixiv auth list --json                    # only when an account decision needs it
pixiv auth check [UID] --json             # validate token, shows user_id/username
pixiv auth refresh [UID] --json           # explicit maintenance: token + Premium cache
pixiv auth import                         # hidden TTY prompt, or automatic non-TTY stdin
pixiv auth import --file PATH             # restore a versioned bundle offline
pixiv auth export UID --output PATH       # write one private versioned bundle
pixiv auth export --all --output PATH     # write all accounts to a private bundle
pixiv auth use [UID]                      # switch default account (confirm first)
pixiv config path                         # print location; creates baseline config if missing
pixiv config get download_path            # read one effective setting
pixiv config set download_path ./downloads # config write; confirm first
pixiv search "WORD" --limit 10 --json     # illustration search
pixiv search "WORD" --rating sfw --type illust --ai-mode exclude
pixiv search "WORD" --resolution high --aspect-ratio landscape --draw-tool "CLIP STUDIO PAINT"
pixiv novel search "WORD" --rating sfw --min-text-length 1000 --limit 10 --json
pixiv search-options "WORD" --json         # authenticated dynamic tool choices
pixiv detail ILLUST_ID_OR_URL --json      # single artwork detail
pixiv ranking --mode day
pixiv recommended illust --limit 10       # kind is REQUIRED; needs auth
pixiv recommended all --limit 10          # request all supported kinds; needs auth
pixiv feed following --type illust --limit 20
pixiv feed latest --type novel --limit 20
pixiv mypixiv works --type illust --limit 20
pixiv user search "WORD" --limit 10 --json # source labels App search vs related-author fallback
pixiv user detail USER_ID --json          # full public profile (USER_ID required)
pixiv user artworks [USER_ID] --limit 20  # omit USER_ID = current account
pixiv user bookmarks [USER_ID] --tag TAG --limit 20
pixiv user following [USER_ID] --limit 20
pixiv search "miku" --ndjson --limit 50 | pixiv filter --min-views 1000
pixiv search "miku" --ndjson --limit 20 | pixiv download --ugoira-format apng
pixiv bookmark add ILLUST_ID --tag TAG    # --tag repeatable; write op
pixiv bookmark remove ILLUST_ID           # write op
pixiv follow add USER_ID                  # write op
pixiv follow remove USER_ID               # write op
pixiv download [SRC...] [--pages 1,3-5] [--quality original|regular|small|thumb|mini] [--ugoira-format gif|apng] [--download-path DIR] [--concurrency N]
pixiv update --check --json               # read-only update check

Data commands use the account selected by pixiv auth use; they do not accept credential-selection flags and ignore PIXIV_REFRESH_TOKEN. A manually maintained [account_pool] can choose local accounts only for safe non-mutating reads and downloads. Common data flags are command-scoped --json or --ndjson, plus --proxy URL / --no-proxy (this command only, never persisted).

pixiv config manages only download_path, filename_template, and https_proxy. Other TOML settings are hand-maintained; inspect the installed help before suggesting them.

Critical semantics (traps — read before assuming a bug)

1. No silent fallback, by design. With a refresh token present, App API errors are surfaced as-is and NEVER auto-fall back to the anonymous web API. Anonymous fallback happens only when no token exists anywhere AND web_fallback_enabled=true, and only for search / detail / ranking / download. Authenticated detail, pages, and ugoira metadata therefore come from App API; a missing App page resource is a real error, not a reason to scrape or retry Web.
2. recommended requires a kind. Choose one of the kinds shown by pixiv recommended --help; it requires authentication and does not work anonymously.
3. --limit is command-specific. It is available on search, ranking, recommended, user search, user artworks, user bookmarks, and user following; do not attach it to detail, search-options, auth/config commands, or other commands whose help omits it. Where supported, a positive value sets the maximum result count and 0 requests all results. --page requires a positive --limit.
4. Search flags are command-scoped. Verify --search-by, --period, --start-date, --end-date, --sort, --rating, --type, --ai-mode, --aspect-ratio, --resolution, --draw-tool, --bookmark-min, and --bookmark-max against pixiv search --help; do not infer undocumented aliases or attach illustration-only filters to other commands. novel search supports --search-by, --sort, --period, --rating, --min-text-length, --max-text-length, and --original-only; it does not support illustration AI, drawing-tool, resolution, aspect-ratio, or type filters.
5. Anonymous restricted search fails explicitly. Web fallback uses only reliable illustration-search filters. r18, r18g, mature, --search-by tag-title-caption, bookmark-count bounds, and search-options require App authentication; bookmark-count bounds additionally require Pixiv Premium. For a saved account the CLI checks the cached self-profile status before search (24h by default); a non-Premium result fails locally rather than making a misleading search request. Use explicit auth refresh to force that cache. Do not present the failure as an empty result or add a Cookie workaround. novel search is App-only and requires authentication. Bookmark count is a public bookmark total, never a like count.
6. Extended rankings need authentication. Valid modes are day, day_male, day_female, week, week_original, week_rookie, month, day_manga, week_manga, month_manga, week_rookie_manga, day_r18, day_male_r18, day_female_r18, week_r18, week_r18g. The final nine must not be replaced with an anonymous day ranking.
7. Empty filtered batches are skipped. With local filters, search continues past leading empty upstream batches to the first non-empty logical batch or true end; --limit N fills logical results and --limit 0 walks all filtered results. Do not invent request caps.
8. No like-count field. Do not invent or label bookmark totals as likes.
9. update --json is only valid with --check. The actual install never emits JSON.
10. Proxy is per-command. The browser's system proxy is NOT inherited. Persist with pixiv config set https_proxy URL; override per command with --proxy / --no-proxy (mutually exclusive). With an HTTP(S) proxy, resource downloads deliberately use HTTP/1.1; App API, OAuth, and Web metadata requests retain normal protocol negotiation.
11. Long downloads may legitimately take time. Do not impose an arbitrary timeout or kill the process merely because it is slow; wait for completion, user cancellation, or a real error.
12. Tag search has query grammar. user bookmarks --tag TAG filters bookmark listings; bookmark add --tag TAG adds a repeatable bookmark tag. search has no --tag flag — put the tag expression in its required WORD. For a reliable boolean tag query, use --search-by tag-exact: tagA tagB requires both complete tags, and uppercase tagA OR tagB accepts either. Literal AND is not an operator. The default tag-partial also accepts the verified uppercase OR syntax, but its fuzzy/alias/translated matches are not a strict exact-tag AND. title-caption and App-only tag-title-caption have no boolean-tag contract; no literal-uppercase-OR escape syntax is verified.
13. Direct URLs are intentionally narrow. detail accepts only an artwork ID or a pixiv.net/www.pixiv.net HTTPS /artworks/{id} URL (an optional locale, query, or fragment is harmless). download also accepts /users/{id} and /users/{id}/artworks, which expand every illust, manga, and ugoira for that user — no novels and no implicit limit. User URL downloads require App OAuth and never use Cookie, WebView, or anonymous fallback. Do not suggest short links, old URLs, FANBOX, Pixivision, Sketch, or HTML scraping.

Routing

Task	Read
Explicitly install or repair the missing pixiv binary	references/install.md
Import, export, back up, or restore authentication	references/auth.md
Find works/artists (search → filter → detail chains)	references/discover.md
Download workflows (single, batch, ugoira)	references/download.md
Errors: auth failures, network/proxy, empty results	references/troubleshooting.md

Image delivery for agents

After pixiv download or MCP download, share local file paths via the host attachment API. If the host cannot attach files, share the artwork url only and do not claim an image was sent.