walkeros-using-cli

name: walkeros-using-cli description: Use when bundling walkerOS flows, testing events with simulate/push, running local servers, validating configs, or configuring Flow JSON files.

Using the walkerOS CLI

Overview

The walkerOS CLI (walkeros) bundles, tests, and runs event collection flows.

Core workflow:

1. Configure - Write Flow.Json JSON config
2. Bundle - Generate optimized JS bundle
3. Test - Simulate events (mocked) or push (real)
4. Deploy - Run locally or deploy to production

Quick Start

# Install
npm install -g @walkeros/cli

# Bundle a flow
walkeros bundle flow.json

# Test with simulated event
walkeros push flow.json -e '{"entity":"page","action":"view"}' --simulate destination.demo

# Push real event
walkeros push flow.json -e '{"entity":"page","action":"view"}'

Commands Overview

For detailed command reference, see commands-reference.md.

Common Workflows

Development Workflow

1. Write flow.json config
2. Bundle: walkeros bundle flow.json
3. Simulate: walkeros push flow.json -e event.json --simulate destination.demo
4. Fix issues, repeat 2-3
5. Push test: walkeros push flow.json -e event.json
6. Deploy: walkeros deploy start <flowId>

Multi-Flow Development

# Bundle specific flow
walkeros bundle flow.json --flow myFlow

# Bundle all flows
walkeros bundle flow.json --all

# Test specific flow
walkeros push flow.json --flow myFlow -e event.json --simulate destination.demo

Local Development Server

# HTTP event collection server
walkeros run flow.json --port 3000

Server port note: The --port flag (or PORT env var) is forwarded at runtime to all source configs that have a port setting. You don't need to hardcode ports in the flow config — set port: 8080 as a default and let the runtime override it.

Flow.Json Configuration

Minimal Config

{
  "version": 4,
  "flows": {
    "default": {
      "config": {
        "platform": "web",
        "bundle": {
          "packages": {
            "@walkeros/web-destination-gtag": {}
          }
        }
      },
      "destinations": {
        "gtag": {
          "package": "@walkeros/web-destination-gtag",
          "config": { "measurementId": "G-XXXXXX" }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Config Structure

{
  "version": 4,
  "flows": {
    "<flowName>": {
      "config": {
        "platform": "web" | "server",  // Platform (required)
        "settings": {},                 // Platform-specific settings (optional)
        "bundle": {
          "packages": {},               // NPM packages pacote will install
          "overrides": {},              // Transitive dep version pins (npm-style)
          "traceInclude": []            // Optional: nft escape hatch (paths/globs)
        }
      },
      "sources": {},                    // Event sources
      "destinations": {},               // Event destinations
      "transformers": {},               // Transformer chain (optional)
      "mappings": {},                   // Event transformation rules
      "collector": {}                   // Collector configuration
    }
  }
}

You do NOT need npm install for step packages. flow.json's config.bundle.packages is the single source of truth. Pacote installs them transparently when you run walkeros bundle. Only @walkeros/cli belongs in your project's package.json (as a devDependency).

config.bundle.overrides pins transitive dependency versions. Use it when a vendor SDK's declared peer/dep range conflicts with another required version in the same tree. Example: {"@amplitude/analytics-types": "2.11.1"} forces that exact version everywhere in the install graph. Direct packages specs always win over overrides; overrides only substitute transitive resolution.

Schema version stays at 4. Build-time fields live under flow.<name>.config.bundle.{packages, overrides, traceInclude}. The flow.<name>.config.bundle.external sub-field is no longer supported in @walkeros/cli@4.x.

For detailed configuration options, see flow-configuration.md.

Testing with Step Examples

Simulate with --step

Target a specific step and provide input as SourceInput ({ content, trigger? }):

# Simulate a source step with trigger metadata
walkeros push flow.json --simulate source.browser --event '{"content":"<html>...","trigger":{"type":"click"}}'

# Simulate a destination step with an event
walkeros push flow.json --simulate destination.gtag -e '{"entity":"order","action":"complete","data":{"total":149.97}}'

Example output:

Step: destinations.gtag
  in:  { name: "order complete", data: { id: "ORD-123", total: 149.97 } }
  out: ["event", "purchase", { transaction_id: "ORD-123", value: 149.97 }]
  Status: PASS

Same flow via MCP (flow_simulate)

From an AI assistant the equivalent tool is flow_simulate. A few specifics:

• step is required. Pass the target as "type.name", e.g. "source.browser", "collector.default", "destination.gtag", or "transformer.router". There is no all-steps mode.
• Four step types: source, collector, transformer, destination. Source-step event shape is { content, trigger? }, where content is the walkerOS event { name, data } and trigger is optional { type?, options? }. There is no env field. Destination and transformer steps take a plain walkerOS event { name, data, consent? }.
• collector is the enrichment step. It takes a post-next partial event plus an optional state snapshot { consent?, user?, globals?, timing? }, applies the collector's createEvent, and returns the fully enriched event.
• transformer steps accept an optional ingest (a raw ingest without _meta). Supply it to test a request decoder standalone, for example a GA4 decoder reading ctx.ingest.url: pass ingest: { url: "..." } with the event.
• Sources are simulatable as a step, including the @walkeros/source-demo demo source.
• configPath accepts a cloud flow id (flow_... / cfg_...), resolved the same way flow_load does, so you can simulate a saved flow without a file round-trip. Repeated simulations of the same configuration reuse a prebuilt bundle for faster runs; local file paths always rebuild. flow_bundle accepts a cloud flow id the same way.

flow_load loads a flow from a local path, URL, inline JSON, or a cloud flow/config ID (flow_... / cfg_...). Configs returned by flow_load and flow_manage are round-trip safe: structural values (package names, platform, IDs) come back literally, so a returned config can be edited and sent back to flow_manage({ action: "update" }) unchanged.

When an MCP request fails, the diagnostics tool (read-only, no parameters, works logged out) reports the MCP and CLI versions, the resolved app URL, app /api/health reachability, the bundled OpenAPI contract version, and which source served the last package lookup.

Validate flow config

Validate schema, references, and cross-step example compatibility:

walkeros validate flow.json

All checks run automatically — schema validation, reference checking, and cross-step example compatibility. No flags needed for full validation.

For full details on writing and testing with step examples, see using-step-examples.

$code: Prefix (Inline JavaScript)

Embed JavaScript functions in JSON configs:

{
  "fn": "$code:(event) => event.data.price * 100",
  "condition": "$code:(event) => event.data?.value > 100"
}

Important: The CLI bundler converts $code: strings to actual JavaScript functions during build. This is essential for mappings in JSON configs.

For mapping patterns, see understanding-mapping.

Quick Reference

Bundle Command

walkeros bundle <config> [options]

Options:
  --flow <name>     Bundle specific flow (default: "default")
  --all             Bundle all flows
  --stats           Show bundle statistics
  --json            JSON output
  --no-cache        Skip build cache
  -v, --verbose     Verbose output
  -s, --silent      Silent mode

Output:

• Web: dist/walker.js (single self-contained IIFE)
• Server: dist/{flow.mjs, package.json, node_modules/} (always a directory; nft-traced)
• Server archive: flow.tar.gz / flow.tgz (the server bundle directory packed into a single gzip file)

Use -o ./dist/walker.js for web, -o ./dist/ for a server directory, or -o ./flow.tar.gz for a server archive. Web single-file bundles do not support archive output.

Push Command

walkeros push <config|bundle> [options]

Options:
  -e, --event <json|file|url>   Event to process (required)
  --flow <name>                  Flow to use
  -p, --platform <web|server>   Platform override
  --simulate <step>              Simulate a step (repeatable for destination.*). Format: source.NAME | destination.NAME | transformer.NAME
  --mock <step=value>            Mock a step with a specific return value (repeatable)
  --snapshot <source>            JS file to eval before execution (sets global state)

Validate Command

walkeros validate <input> [options]

Options:
  --type <type>     Validation type (default: flow). Also: event, mapping, contract
  --path <path>     Validate entry against package schema (e.g. destinations.snowplow)
  --flow <name>     Flow name for multi-flow configs
  --strict          Treat warnings as errors
  --json            JSON output

Exit codes:
  0 = Valid
  1 = Errors found
  2 = Warnings (with --strict)
  3 = Input error

Run Command

# HTTP event collection server
walkeros run <config|bundle|archive> [options]

Options:
  -p, --port <number>   Port (default: 8080)
  -h, --host <string>   Host (default: 0.0.0.0)

run accepts a flow config, a pre-built bundle, or a .tar.gz/.tgz flow archive (URL or local file). For an archive, the CLI fetches or reads the gzip, extracts the bundle and its sibling node_modules/, and runs the entry. This lets server flows whose step packages are external resolve those packages at runtime from the extracted node_modules/.

# Run a packed server bundle from a local archive
walkeros run flow.tar.gz --port 8080

# Run a packed server bundle from a URL
walkeros run https://example.com/flow.tar.gz

Bundler Gotchas

• Circular copies: Never include the output directory itself (e.g., include: ["./dist"] when output is dist/). The CLI detects this and errors.
• Runtime paths: The runner sets CWD to the bundle directory. File paths in settings resolve relative to the bundle, not the project root.
• Component names: Source, transformer, destination, and store names must be valid JavaScript identifiers (camelCase). Hyphens like gtag-wrapper cause syntax errors — use gtagWrapper instead.
• Range conflicts: When two transitive consumers declare incompatible ranges for the same dep (e.g., arrify@^3.0.0 vs arrify@^2.0.0), the bundler resolves the chosen range to a concrete version and nests non-satisfying specs under their consumer. If a post-install warning surfaces declared-vs-installed mismatches, pin the dep in config.bundle.overrides. Set BUNDLER_STRICT_RANGES=0 to bypass strict range validation when the npm registry is unreachable.

Server bundles use nft tracing

Server flows are bundled with @vercel/nft. The CLI:

1. Pacote installs every package declared in flow.<name>.config.bundle.packages into a per-build install root. Users do not run npm install for step packages; only @walkeros/cli lives in their package.json.
2. esbuild stage 1 externalizes all step packages.
3. esbuild stage 2 emits a small ESM flow.mjs that imports from those externalized packages.
4. nft traces flow.mjs, finds every file actually reachable at runtime (including __dirname-loaded .proto files and other assets), and copies only those files into dist/node_modules/.

There is no walkerOS.bundle.external annotation. nft figures it out.

Bundle directory (the server flow's unpacked artifact):

dist/
├── flow.mjs        # ESM entry, expects to be at /app/flow/flow.mjs in prod
├── package.json     # informational sidecar (not used by the runner)
└── node_modules/    # only the files nft traced

The same directory can be packed into a .tar.gz/.tgz archive (see the Bundle Command section), and walkeros run accepts either form. Web flows are unchanged: a single dist/walker.js.

Canonical Dockerfile

FROM node:22-alpine AS builder
WORKDIR /build
RUN npm init -y && npm install --save-dev @walkeros/cli
COPY flow.json ./
RUN npx walkeros bundle flow.json -o dist/

FROM walkeros/flow:4
WORKDIR /app/flow
COPY --from=builder /build/dist/ ./
ENV PORT=8080
EXPOSE 8080

Notes:

• The build stage only needs @walkeros/cli. flow.json drives every step package install; pacote handles it.
• COPY --from=builder /build/dist/ ./ copies the whole directory (flow.mjs + package.json + node_modules/) into /app/flow/.
• The runner image's defaults match /app/flow/flow.mjs. No BUNDLE env var needed.

Escape hatch: traceInclude

If nft cannot statically reach a runtime asset (rare: require() of a path constructed from a runtime variable), declare it explicitly under flow.<name>.config.bundle.traceInclude. Paths and globs both work; both resolve against the install root, not the project directory:

"flows": {
  "default": {
    "config": {
      "platform": "server",
      "bundle": {
        "packages": { "@walkeros/server-destination-gcp": {} },
        "traceInclude": [
          "node_modules/some-pkg/data/*.json",
          "node_modules/another-pkg/lib/runtime-loaded.js"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Cache (CI)

The bundler caches pacote downloads under process.env.NPM_CACHE_DIR (default <tmpDir>/cache/npm). On CI, persist that path with actions/cache:

- uses: actions/cache@v4
  with:
    path: .walkeros-cache/npm
    key: walkeros-${{ hashFiles('**/flow.json') }}
- run: WALKEROS_TMP_DIR=.walkeros-cache npx walkeros bundle flow.json -o dist/

CI smoke check: cd dist && node -e "import('./flow.mjs').then(()=>console.log('ok'))" plus du -sh node_modules (typical: 30-50MB for GCP destination, 10k+ files; use .dockerignore).

Troubleshooting

Bundle Fails

1. Check JSON syntax: walkeros validate flow.json --flow
2. Check package names: Ensure packages exist on npm
3. Clear cache: walkeros cache clear

Events Not Processing

1. Validate event: walkeros validate event.json
2. Check mapping: Event must match entity/action in mapping
3. Use simulate first: walkeros push flow.json -e event.json --simulate destination.demo -v

Destination Not Found in Simulation

If --simulate destination.NAME errors with "not found in collector", the destination likely has require: ["consent"] in its config. This delays initialization until a walker consent event fires — which doesn't happen during simulation.

Fix: Remove or comment out the require field for simulation testing:

{
  "destinations": {
    "gtag": {
      "package": "@walkeros/web-destination-gtag",
      "config": {
        "settings": { "measurementId": "G-XXXXXX" }
      }
    }
  }
}

Destination Silent (0 Events Received)

If the destination is found but receives 0 events:

1. Check consent: If destination has consent: { marketing: true }, the event must include matching consent. Add to event JSON: { "name": "page view", "data": {...}, "consent": { "marketing": true } }
2. Check mapping: The event name must match a mapping rule (entity/action keys). Unmapped events pass through unmodified.
3. Check policy: Policy runs BEFORE mapping — verify policy isn't redacting fields needed by mapping rules.

Web Simulation Transport

Web simulations run in JSDOM. fetch and navigator.sendBeacon are polyfilled as tracked no-ops -- no real HTTP requests are made. Captured network calls are included in PushResult.networkCalls when present.

Local Packages Not Found

Use absolute or relative paths in flow.<name>.config.bundle.packages:

{
  "config": {
    "platform": "web",
    "bundle": {
      "packages": {
        "my-destination": {
          "path": "./local/my-destination"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

CLI Prints "Upgrade Required" and Exits With Code 2

The walkerOS app requires a newer @walkeros/cli version for the endpoint you just called. Upgrade and retry:

npm install -g @walkeros/cli@latest

See Upgrading for the full version-negotiation rules.

Where CLI Lives

Networking

Outbound requests to a configured WALKEROS_APP_URL carry an X-Walkeros-Client: walkeros-cli/{version} header so the host can attribute usage. No PII; the header is the only client identifier.

Telemetry

The CLI supports anonymous usage telemetry (installation id, command name, outcome, duration, environment) to help improve the tool. Telemetry is off by default and requires explicit opt-in. No persistent identifier is written before consent.

• Opt in: walkeros telemetry enable.
• Opt out: walkeros telemetry disable.
• Current state: walkeros telemetry status.
• Forced off (override): set DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or WALKEROS_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1.
• Debug: set WALKEROS_TELEMETRY_DEBUG=1 to print the payload to stderr (requires opt-in; no network traffic).
• Docs: see apps/telemetry for the full event list, privacy details, and legal basis.
• Contract (source of truth): packages/cli/src/telemetry/flow.json.

Related Skills

• understanding-mapping - Mapping configuration
• understanding-flow - Data flow architecture
• create-destination - Creating destinations
• create-source - Creating sources
• debugging - Troubleshooting event flow

Detailed References:

• commands-reference.md - All commands with full options
• flow-configuration.md - Complete Flow.Json reference
• server-deployment.md - Server flow deployment guide