---
title: Platform Tools CLI
description: Create, publish, and install custom tools on the CrewAI platform using the CLI.
icon: terminal
mode: "wide"
---

## Overview

The CrewAI CLI provides commands to manage custom tools on the **CrewAI platform** — a hosted tool registry that lets you share tools within your organization without publishing to PyPI.

| Command | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| `crewai tool create <handle>` | Scaffold a new tool project |
| `crewai tool publish` | Publish the tool to the CrewAI platform |
| `crewai tool install <handle>` | Install a platform tool into your crew project |

<Note type="info" title="Platform vs PyPI">
  These commands manage tools on the **CrewAI platform registry**. If you want to publish a standalone Python package to PyPI instead, see the [Publish Custom Tools to PyPI](/en/guides/tools/publish-custom-tools) guide.
</Note>

## Prerequisites

- **CrewAI CLI** installed (`pip install crewai`)
- **Authenticated** with the platform — run `crewai login` first

---

## Step 1: Create a Tool Project

Scaffold a new tool project:

```bash
crewai tool create my_custom_tool
```

This generates a project structure with the boilerplate you need to start building your tool.

<Tip>
  The `handle` is the unique identifier for your tool on the platform. Choose something descriptive and specific to what the tool does.
</Tip>

### Implement Your Tool

Edit the generated tool file to add your logic. The tool follows the standard CrewAI tools contract — you can subclass `BaseTool` or use the `@tool` decorator:

```python
from crewai.tools import BaseTool

class MyCustomTool(BaseTool):
    name: str = "My Custom Tool"
    description: str = "Description of what this tool does — be specific so agents know when to use it."

    def _run(self, argument: str) -> str:
        # Your tool logic here
        return "result"
```

For the full tools API reference (input schemas, caching, async support, error handling), see the [Create Custom Tools](/en/learn/create-custom-tools) guide.

---

## Step 2: Publish to the Platform

From your tool project directory, publish it to the CrewAI platform:

```bash
crewai tool publish
```

### Options

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--force` | Bypass Git remote validations |

Tools are published privately to your organization by default.

---

## Step 3: Install a Platform Tool

To install a tool that's been published to the platform:

```bash
crewai tool install my_custom_tool
```

Once installed, you can use the tool in your crew like any other tool — assign it to an agent via the `tools` parameter.

---

## Full Lifecycle Example

```bash
# 1. Authenticate with the platform
crewai login

# 2. Scaffold a new tool
crewai tool create weather_lookup

# 3. Implement your logic in the generated project
cd weather_lookup
# ... edit the tool file ...

# 4. Publish to the platform
crewai tool publish

# 5. In another project, install and use it
crewai tool install weather_lookup
```

---

## Platform Tools vs PyPI Packages

| | Platform Tools | PyPI Packages |
|---|---|---|
| **Publish** | `crewai tool publish` | `uv build` + `uv publish` |
| **Registry** | CrewAI platform | PyPI |
| **Install** | `crewai tool install <handle>` | `pip install <package>` |
| **Auth** | `crewai login` | PyPI account + token |
| **Visibility** | Organization-scoped (private) | Always public |
| **Guide** | This page | [Publish Custom Tools](/en/guides/tools/publish-custom-tools) |

---

## Related

- [Create Custom Tools](/en/learn/create-custom-tools) — Python API reference for building tools (BaseTool, @tool decorator)
- [Publish Custom Tools to PyPI](/en/guides/tools/publish-custom-tools) — package and distribute tools as standalone Python libraries