Spotlight CLI

The Spotlight CLI (spotlight) integrates Spotlight into your terminal workflow. Wrap your app to automatically capture telemetry, or stream events directly to your terminal.

Why Use the CLI?

• Automatic instrumentation: spotlight run sets up environment variables and captures output automatically
• Real-time streaming: View errors, logs, and traces directly in your terminal
• Multiple output formats: Human-readable, JSON, logfmt, or Markdown
• Docker Compose support: Auto-injects configuration into containerized services
• Scriptable: Perfect for CI/CD pipelines and automation

Installation

npx

No installation needed:

npx @spotlightjs/spotlight run

npm global

npm install -g @spotlightjs/spotlight

Binary

Download standalone binary to ~/.local/bin/spotlight:

curl -sL https://spotlightjs.com/install.sh | sh

Docker

docker run -p 8969:8969 ghcr.io/getsentry/spotlight:latest

Commands

spotlight run Wrap your app to automatically capture telemetry and stream events.

spotlight tail Stream and filter events in real-time. Connect to an existing sidecar or start a new one.

spotlight server Start the sidecar server with web UI at localhost:8969.

spotlight mcp Start MCP server for AI coding assistants like Cursor and Claude.

CLI vs Desktop App

	CLI	Desktop App
Best for	Terminal workflows, automation	Visual debugging, dedicated window
Platform	All (via Node.js or binary)	macOS (Win/Linux coming soon)
Output	Terminal + browser UI	Built-in UI
Features	Wrap apps, stream to files, CI/CD	Auto-updates, native experience

Learn more about Desktop App →

Reference

Complete CLI Reference All commands, options, and environment variables