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crewAI/docs/en/guides/tools/platform-tools-cli.mdx
Iris Clawd 71c7293197 docs: remove --public flag references (public tools no longer supported)
Remove all references to --public visibility flag since public tools
have been removed from the platform (crewai-plus#2380, ENG-1453).
Tools are now organization-scoped (private) by default.

Co-authored-by: Diego Nogues <diego@crewai.com>
2026-05-14 09:52:10 -03:00

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---
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