neo4j-cli-tools-skill

Q: How do I install neo4j-cli-tools-skill?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --skill neo4j-cli-tools-skill in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/neo4j-cli-tools-skill/ (personal) or .claude/skills/neo4j-cli-tools-skill/ (project).

by neo4j-contribAI & Agents

Use when working with Neo4j command-line tools — neo4j-cli (modern unified CLI — Cypher via Bolt, schema inspection, Aura management, Docker containers, credential management, agent skill catalog install; install with curl -sSfL https://neo4j.sh/install.sh bash), neo4j-admin (backup, restore, import, memory sizing), cypher-shell (ad-hoc queries, scripting, CI/CD), or neo4j-mcp (quick MCP server install). Does NOT cover Cypher query authoring — use neo4j-cypher-skill. Does NOT cover driver upgrades — use neo4j-migration-skill. Does NOT cover full MCP editor configuration — use neo4j-mcp-skill.

Installs: 535
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --skill neo4j-cli-tools-skill

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads neo4j-cli-tools-skill automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Neo4j CLI Tools skill

When to Use

Cypher queries, schema inspection, Aura, Docker, credentials, agent skills → neo4j-cli (preferred)
Admin tasks: backup, restore, import, memory sizing → neo4j-admin
Ad-hoc queries, scripting, CI/CD (Java required) → cypher-shell
MCP server install → neo4j-mcp

When NOT to Use

Writing or optimizing Cypher queries → neo4j-cypher-skill
Upgrading Neo4j drivers or migrating Cypher syntax → neo4j-migration-skill
Starting a new Neo4j project from scratch → neo4j-getting-started-skill

Available CLI Tools

1. neo4j-cli

Modern unified CLI. Bolt-native Cypher, schema inspection, Aura management, local Docker, credential storage, agent skill catalog install. Single binary — no Java required.

Install:

curl -sSfL https://neo4j.sh/install.sh | bash   # recommended
brew install neo4j-labs/tap/neo4j-cli            # Homebrew
pip install neo4j-cli / pipx install neo4j-cli   # PyPI
npm i -g @neo4j-labs/cli                         # npm

Self-update: neo4j-cli update (also refreshes installed skills automatically)

Key subcommands:

Subcommand	Purpose
`neo4j-cli query [cypher]`	Run Cypher via Bolt — auto-rewrites HTTP URIs
`neo4j-cli query :schema`	Inspect labels, rel types, indexes, constraints
`neo4j-cli query :embed [text]`	Compute embedding vector standalone
`neo4j-cli aura instance ...`	Provision and manage Aura instances
`neo4j-cli aura agent ...`	Manage Aura Agents (list/get/create/invoke)
`neo4j-cli docker create/start/stop/delete`	Manage local Neo4j Docker containers
`neo4j-cli credential aura-client ...`	Store Aura API credentials
`neo4j-cli credential dbms ...`	Store Neo4j connection profiles (URI + auth)
`neo4j-cli credential embed ...`	Store embedding provider credentials
`neo4j-cli skill install [skill-name]`	Install self-skill or any catalog skill
`neo4j-cli skill list / check / remove`	Manage installed agent skills
`neo4j-cli update`	Self-update binary + refresh installed skills

Key patterns:

# Schema-first workflow: always inspect schema before writing Cypher
neo4j-cli query :schema --format toon

# Run Cypher (bolt URIs auto-rewritten; HTTP URIs rewritten to Bolt)
neo4j-cli query "MATCH (n:Person) RETURN n.name LIMIT 5" \
  --uri neo4j+s://xxx.databases.neo4j.io --username neo4j --password $PASS

# Inline embedding parameter (text → vector; $q bound to []float32)
neo4j-cli query "MATCH (c) SEARCH c IN (VECTOR INDEX chunk_embedding FOR \$q LIMIT 5) SCORE AS score RETURN c.text, score" \
  --param q:embed="graph database performance"

# Store a connection profile, then query without flags
neo4j-cli credential dbms add --name prod \
  --uri neo4j+s://xxx.databases.neo4j.io --username neo4j --password $PASS
neo4j-cli query --credential prod "MATCH (n) RETURN count(n)"

# Local Docker: persistent or ephemeral
neo4j-cli docker create --name dev --wait --rw
neo4j-cli query --credential dev 'RETURN 1 AS n'
neo4j-cli docker create --name tmp --ephemeral --env-out-file /tmp/n.env --wait --rw
neo4j-cli query --env /tmp/n.env 'RETURN 1 AS n'

# Install skills from catalog (neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills)
neo4j-cli skill install                          # self-skill into all detected agents
neo4j-cli skill install neo4j-cypher-skill       # one catalog skill, all agents
neo4j-cli skill install --all                    # self-skill + every catalog skill
neo4j-cli skill install --agent claude-code      # scope to one agent
neo4j-cli skill check                            # detect drift after upgrades

Agent output: Always use --format toon — ~40% fewer tokens than JSON. Set as default: neo4j-cli config set format toon.

Write gate: Write operations require --rw under agent harnesses. Do NOT add it preemptively — if a command fails with "this command writes; pass --rw to allow it", surface the error and ask the user once.

Async operations: instance create/resize/destroy and docker create accept --wait to block until terminal state.

Credentials precedence: flag > OS env (NEO4J_URI, NEO4J_USERNAME, NEO4J_PASSWORD, NEO4J_DATABASE) > .env walk-up > stored credential.

Supported agents: Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Antigravity CLI, Cline, Codex, OpenCode, Junie, and more. Antigravity: skills land in ~/.gemini/antigravity/skills.

Full reference: neo4j-cli skill install keeps an always-in-sync skill in your agent.

2. neo4j-admin

Included with Neo4j. Backup, restore, dump/load, CSV import, memory sizing, password reset. Run as Neo4j system user.

Reference: neo4j-admin-reference.md

3. cypher-shell

Interactive Cypher REPL. Requires Java 21. Included with Neo4j. Use for ad-hoc queries, file-based batch scripting, CI/CD pipelines.

Reference: cypher-shell-reference.md

4. aura-cli

Legacy Aura cloud CLI. Prefer neo4j-cli aura for new work — covers all aura-cli operations plus credential storage, Docker, and agent skills.

Reference: aura-cli-reference.md

5. neo4j-mcp

MCP server for AI agent integration. For full install + editor config → use neo4j-mcp-skill (covers Claude Code, Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Kiro, stdio vs HTTP transport, troubleshooting).

pip install neo4j-mcp-server && neo4j-mcp --version

Reference: neo4j-mcp-reference.md

Backup and Recovery

Edition gate

Online backup requires Enterprise Edition. Community Edition users must use dump/load only (database must be offline).

Backup (Enterprise — database stays online)

# Full online backup — database stays online during backup
neo4j-admin database backup \
  --to-path=/backups/ \
  --database=neo4j \
  --compress

# Differential backup — only changes since last full backup (faster)
neo4j-admin database backup \
  --to-path=/backups/ \
  --database=neo4j \
  --type=DIFF \
  --compress

# Backup to cloud storage (S3, GCS, or HTTPS)
neo4j-admin database backup \
  --to-path=s3://my-bucket/neo4j-backups/ \
  --database=neo4j

Restore (Enterprise)

AGENT GATE — destructive operation: Before running restore, show the user the exact command and target database name, and wait for explicit confirmation. A restore overwrites the existing database.

# Restore from a full or differential backup
# Requires DB to be stopped, or use --force-offline for a running instance
neo4j-admin database restore \
  --from-path=/backups/neo4j-2026-01-15T10-00-00/ \
  --database=neo4j \
  --overwrite-destination=true

# Restore to a new database name (non-destructive path)
neo4j-admin database restore \
  --from-path=/backups/neo4j-2026-01-15T10-00-00/ \
  --database=neo4j-restored

Dump / Load (all editions — database must be offline)

Use for migrations, dev/test data transfers, and Community Edition backups.

# Dump — stop the database first, or pass --force-offline
neo4j-admin database dump --to-path=/exports/ neo4j

# Load — overwrites if target DB exists
neo4j-admin database load \
  --from-path=/exports/neo4j.dump \
  --database=neo4j \
  --overwrite-destination=true

AGENT GATE — destructive operation: Before running load with --overwrite-destination=true, confirm target database name and path with the user.

Key flags

Flag	Notes
`--compress`	Zstd compression on backup archives
`--type=DIFF`	Differential: only changes since last full backup
`--to-path`	Local path or `s3://`, `gs://`, `https://`
`--overwrite-destination=true`	Required if target database already exists
`--force-offline`	Allow backup/restore of a running database in some scenarios

Point-in-time restore strategy

Full backup: weekly (e.g. every Sunday)
Differential backup: daily (captures only changes since last full)
Naming convention: include timestamp in path — e.g. /backups/neo4j-2026-01-19T02-00-00/
Restore sequence: apply full backup first, then each differential in chronological order

# Example: restore Sunday full + Monday + Tuesday differentials
neo4j-admin database restore \
  --from-path=/backups/neo4j-2026-01-19T02-00-00/ \
  --database=neo4j --overwrite-destination=true

neo4j-admin database restore \
  --from-path=/backups/neo4j-2026-01-20T02-00-00/ \
  --database=neo4j --overwrite-destination=true

neo4j-admin database restore \
  --from-path=/backups/neo4j-2026-01-21T02-00-00/ \
  --database=neo4j --overwrite-destination=true

Environment Variables (neo4j-admin / cypher-shell)

NEO4J_URI / NEO4J_ADDRESS — connection URI
NEO4J_USERNAME / NEO4J_PASSWORD / NEO4J_DATABASE
NEO4J_CONF — path to neo4j.conf directory
NEO4J_HOME — Neo4j installation directory

Precedence: flags > env vars > config files. neo4j-cli uses its own credential store — see neo4j-cli credential dbms.

Resources

Checklist

Correct tool selected: neo4j-cli (preferred) / neo4j-admin / cypher-shell / neo4j-mcp
If using neo4j-cli: neo4j-cli skill install run after install or upgrade (keeps skill in sync)
Credentials via env or credential dbms; not hardcoded
Using --format toon for agent-facing neo4j-cli output
Destructive ops confirmed before execution
Post-op verify: connect + SHOW INDEXES + count
Backup taken before restore or schema change

FAQ

What does the neo4j-cli-tools-skill skill do?

How do I install neo4j-cli-tools-skill?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills --skill neo4j-cli-tools-skill in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/neo4j-cli-tools-skill/ (personal) or .claude/skills/neo4j-cli-tools-skill/ (project).

Which AI agents can use neo4j-cli-tools-skill?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is neo4j-cli-tools-skill safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains neo4j-cli-tools-skill?

It is published by neo4j-contrib in neo4j-contrib/neo4j-skills. It has 535 recorded installs.

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neo4j-cli-tools-skill

Install

Install

Describe the task

Review the result

SKILL.md

Neo4j CLI Tools skill

When to Use

When NOT to Use

Available CLI Tools

1. neo4j-cli

2. neo4j-admin

3. cypher-shell

4. aura-cli

5. neo4j-mcp

Backup and Recovery

Edition gate

Backup (Enterprise — database stays online)

Restore (Enterprise)

Dump / Load (all editions — database must be offline)

Key flags

Point-in-time restore strategy

Environment Variables (neo4j-admin / cypher-shell)

Resources

Checklist

FAQ

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