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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/screenpipe/screenpipe/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Screenpipe provides two CLI tools for development:
  1. screenpipe - Core server and capture engine
  2. screenpipe-dev - Development tools for building pipes and apps

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Screenpipe Server

The main screenpipe CLI runs the capture engine and API server.

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Basic Usage

screenpipe
This starts the server with default settings:
  • API server on http://localhost:3030
  • Default audio and video capture enabled
  • Data stored in ~/.screenpipe/

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Common Options

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--port
number
default:"3030"
Port for the API server
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--data-dir
string
default:"~/.screenpipe"
Directory for storing captured data and database
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--disable-audio
boolean
default:"false"
Disable audio capture
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--disable-vision
boolean
default:"false"
Disable screen capture

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Examples

screenpipe --port 3035

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Screenpipe Dev CLI

The screenpipe-dev CLI provides tools for building applications and plugins.

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Installation

npm install -g @screenpipe/dev
# or
bun add -g @screenpipe/dev

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Commands

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login

Authenticate with Screenpipe services. 
screenpipe-dev login
Supports two authentication methods:
  • Browser - OAuth flow via browser
  • API Key - Direct API key input
Example: 
$ screenpipe-dev login
? Select login type › Browser
✓ Login complete

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logout

Remove stored credentials. 
screenpipe-dev logout

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Pipe Commands

Pipes are lightweight plugins that process Screenpipe data.

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pipe create

Create a new pipe from a template. 
screenpipe-dev pipe create
Interactive prompts:
  1. Pipe name
  2. Target directory
Example: 
$ screenpipe-dev pipe create

welcome to screenpipe!

? what is your pipe name? › my-awesome-pipe
? where would you like to create your pipe? › ./my-awesome-pipe
✓ pipe created successfully!

to get started:
cd ./my-awesome-pipe
bun install
bun dev
The generated pipe includes:
  • TypeScript configuration
  • Example code with @screenpipe/js SDK
  • package.json with dependencies
  • Development server setup

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pipe register

Register a pipe with the Screenpipe store. 
screenpipe-dev pipe register
Requires:
  • Valid authentication (run screenpipe-dev login first)
  • pipe.json in current directory

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pipe publish

Publish a new version of your pipe. 
screenpipe-dev pipe publish
Requires:
  • Registered pipe
  • Valid authentication

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pipe list-versions

List all published versions of a pipe. 
screenpipe-dev pipe list-versions

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App Commands

Create full desktop applications that embed Screenpipe.

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app create

Create a new desktop app from templates. 
screenpipe-dev app create [options]
Options:
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-a, --name
string
Name of your app (optional, prompts if not provided)
​
-t, --appType
string
Type of desktop app: electron or tauri
Interactive mode: 
$ screenpipe-dev app create
? what type of desktop app would you like to create? › tauri
? what is your project name? › my-screenpipe-app
✓ project created successfully! 🎉

credits to the template authors:
tauri template by: Lorenzo @ https://github.com/LorenzoBloedow

to get started:
cd my-screenpipe-app
npm install
npm run dev
Direct mode: 
screenpipe-dev app create --name my-app --appType electron
Available Templates:
Electron Template
  • Modern Electron + React setup
  • TypeScript support
  • Screenpipe SDK pre-configured
Template by: NeoRepository: screenpipe-electron

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Components Commands

Manage UI components (uses shadcn/ui registry).

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components add

Add UI components to your project. 
screenpipe-dev components add [component-name]
Example: 
screenpipe-dev components add button
screenpipe-dev components add dialog card
This command:
  1. Detects your project configuration
  2. Downloads the component from the registry
  3. Installs required dependencies
  4. Adds the component to your project

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Testing & Development

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Running Tests

For Rust code: 
cargo test
For TypeScript/JavaScript: 
bun test

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Development Build

Build the core engine: 
cargo build --release
Build with platform-specific features: 
cargo build --release --features metal,apple-intelligence

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Running from Source

Run Screenpipe directly from source: 
./target/release/screenpipe

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Desktop App Development

Build the Tauri desktop app: 
cd apps/screenpipe-app-tauri
bun install
bun tauri dev    # Development mode
bun tauri build  # Production build

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Environment Variables

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SCREENPIPE_DATA_DIR
string
Override default data directory
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SCREENPIPE_PORT
number
Override default API port
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RUST_LOG
string
default:"info"
Set log level: error, warn, info, debug, trace
Example: 
RUST_LOG=debug screenpipe

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Debugging

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Memory Debugging

Using tokio-console: 
# Terminal 1
RUST_LOG="tokio=debug,runtime=debug" \
RUSTFLAGS="--cfg tokio_unstable" \
cargo run --bin screenpipe --features debug-console

# Terminal 2
cargo install tokio-console
tokio-console

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Address Sanitizer

RUSTFLAGS="-Z sanitizer=address" cargo run --bin screenpipe

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Leak Sanitizer

RUSTFLAGS="-Z sanitizer=leak" cargo run --bin screenpipe

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Database Migrations

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Create Migration

cargo install sqlx-cli
sqlx migrate add migration_name

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Fix Migration Issues

If you encounter missing migration errors: 
# Remove specific migration
sqlite3 ~/.screenpipe/db.sqlite "DELETE FROM _sqlx_migrations WHERE version = XXXXXXXXXX;"

# Verify migrations
sqlite3 ~/.screenpipe/db.sqlite "SELECT * FROM _sqlx_migrations;"

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Performance Monitoring

Using cargo-instruments on macOS: 
cargo install cargo-instruments

# Track leaks over 60 minutes
cargo instruments -t Leaks \
  --bin screenpipe \
  --features metal \
  --time-limit 600000 \
  --open
View results in Xcode Instruments.

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Benchmarks

Run performance benchmarks: 
cargo bench
View benchmark history: screenpipe.github.io/screenpipe/dev/bench

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Next Steps

JavaScript SDK

Build with the TypeScript SDK

Contributing

Contribute to Screenpipe

API Reference

Complete API documentation

Examples

Code examples and tutorials