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catbus is an open-source CLI that drives every platform with one set of commands: RedNote, Douyin, TikTok, Bilibili, X, YouTube and more. Search, read, download, publish and message, and get the same JSON back every time. Use it yourself, or hand it to an AI agent.

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Quick start

npm i -g catbus-cli         # only Node needed

catbus bilibili auth login  # scan a QR code
catbus bilibili item search cat --limit 20
catbus tui    # don't want to memorize commands? use the full-screen UI

Prefer Docker or a source install? See the quick start guide. The full-screen interface is described in Terminal UI.

One set of commands for every platform

Every command has three parts: catbus <platform> <resource> <action>. A RedNote note, a Bilibili video, a tweet and a Taobao listing are all an item, so the same command works everywhere. To switch platform, change only the platform name.

catbus xhs item search camping --limit 20             # search
catbus bilibili item get BV1xx411c7mD                 # read
catbus douyin comment list <item> --all -o jsonl      # export every comment
catbus youtube item download <item> --dir ./videos    # download
catbus x item publish --text "hello" --image cat.png  # publish
catbus bilibili live listen <room> --duration 10m     # follow live chat
catbus taobao msg send "hi" --item <url>              # message a seller
catbus 12306 ticket search beijing shanghai           # find train tickets

Every command returns the same JSON shape (trimmed here):

{
  "ok": true,
  "platform": "bilibili",
  "resource": "item",
  "action": "search",
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "BV1xx411c7mD",
      "kind": "video",
      "url": "https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1xx411c7mD",
      "title": "…",
      "author": { "id": "…", "name": "…", "url": "…" },
      "stats": { "views": 12000, "likes": 340, "comments": 56, "collects": 78, "shares": 9 }
    }
  ],
  "page": { "cursor": "…", "has_more": true },
  "error": null
}

Platforms

Tagged soon means on the way: the goal is every platform. Missing yours? Open an issue or add it yourself, a platform is one directory. See the capability matrix for what each one supports.

Why catbus

• No browser, no Python. catbus signs requests the way the web page does and speaks plain HTTP. Node is all you need, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Two exceptions: YouTube publishing needs a local Chromium, and Jimeng wraps its official CLI on macOS.
• Made for agents. JSON on stdout, logs on stderr, stable exit codes, and errors that say what to run next.
• Your logins stay yours. Stored in ~/.catbus/, per platform and account. No telemetry.

For AI agents

npx skills add cv-cat/catbus

Installs the catbus skill into Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and friends. See also llms.txt and AGENTS.md.

Then just ask:

Find this week's 20 most-liked camping notes on RedNote, and list the gear people mention most.

Docs

Quick start · Login · Output and errors · Configuration · Docker · Platform guides · Examples · FAQ

The guides are in Chinese. Command names, options and JSON fields are in English.

Contributing

New platforms, commands and fixes are welcome. Read CONTRIBUTING.md and AGENTS.md first. Security issues go to SECURITY.md.

Star history

Disclaimer

• For learning and research only. Not for commercial or unlawful use.
• Follow each platform's terms and your local laws. Do not collect or spread other people's private data, and do not overload platforms.
• Automation can trigger risk control: CAPTCHAs, rate limits, even bans. You bear all consequences.
• Not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by any platform named here. Names, logos and trademarks belong to their owners.

License

MIT © 2026 cv-cat. Platform names and logos belong to their owners (sources).