We love building features which are demanded by our users. Akto tests in CLI is one such feature.

There's an old saying, "Give the user what they want." We love building features which are demanded by our users. Today, we're proud to unveil a feature that has been on many wish lists: Running Akto tests directly from the Command-Line Interface (CLI).

Problem

While our dashboard is a powerful tool for managing and monitoring Akto tests, we've consistently received feedback about integrating Akto closer to the day-to-day workflows of developers. Developers want to run Akto tests as seamlessly as writing and executing code, especially when working locally or with custom domains.

Solution

Akto CLI is our first answer to this call for flexibility. Akto tests in CLI brings the functionality of Akto into your development workflow. To that end, we will be developing a lot more integrations in development workflows.

Benefits of the Akto CLI Integration

• Flexibility & Local Development: Run Akto tests right from your terminal, be it locally or on a custom domain. No need to jump between screens or platforms.

• Customizable Testing Environment: Want to override the application host URL to a localhost or different staging URL? No problem. You have total control over the testing environment.

Getting Started with Akto CLI

Setting up and running Akto tests via CLI is a breeze. Here's a quick guide:

1. Environment Preparation:

   • AKTO_API_KEY: Navigate to My accounts > Settings > Integrations > Akto API. Generate and copy your token.

     

     
     

   • AKTO_DASHBOARD_URL: This is the URL where you access your dashboard. Here is an example, use your URL while you test.

     

     
     

   • TEST_IDS: List down the test IDs, separated by spaces, that you wish to execute. (Example: JWT_NONE_ALGO REMOVE_TOKENS). Navigate to test editor > Test name> ID ( in YAML template). Grab the ID from YAML templates.

     

     
     

   • API_COLLECTION_ID: Mention the specific API collection ID for the tests. (Example: 270263191)

     

     
     

   • [Optional] TEST_APIS: If you wish to test specific APIs, list them here. By default, all APIs in the collection will be tested.

   • [Optional] OVERRIDE_APP_URL Specify if you want to change the application host. You can just give the URL of the target application.

     
     

2. Run Your Test: Example CLI

bashCopy code 
docker run -v ./:/out \\
-e AKTO_DASHBOARD_URL=https://flash.staging.akto.io \\
-e TEST_IDS=JWT_NONE_ALGO \\
-e API_COLLECTION_ID=1689063104 \\
-e AKTO_API_KEY

3. Results: A short summary (API, Vulnerability, Severity) is printed on command line itself.