opencode/packages/www/content/docs/build/client.mdx

---
title: "Client"
description: "Connect an application to the OpenCode HTTP API."
---

`@opencode-ai/client` is the generated TypeScript client for the OpenCode HTTP
API. Use it when your application connects to an OpenCode server over the
network. Its types and methods are generated from the same contract as the
[API reference](/api).

<Callout type="warning">
  The V2 API and client are beta. Method names, inputs, and outputs may change before the stable release.
</Callout>

## Install

```sh
bun add @opencode-ai/client@next
```

## Create a client

Create a client with the server URL, then call methods grouped by API resource:

```ts
import { OpenCode } from "@opencode-ai/client"

const client = OpenCode.make({
  baseUrl: "http://localhost:4096",
})

const session = await client.session.create({
  location: { directory: "/workspace" },
})

await client.session.prompt({
  sessionID: session.id,
  text: "Review the current changes",
})
```

## Headers and requests

Pass default authentication or application headers to `OpenCode.make` with
`headers`. You can also supply a custom `fetch` implementation. Each operation
accepts request options as its final argument for an `AbortSignal` or
per-request headers.

```ts
const client = OpenCode.make({
  baseUrl: "https://opencode.example.com",
  headers: {
    authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.OPENCODE_TOKEN}`,
  },
})

await client.session.list(undefined, {
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(10_000),
})
```

## Stream events

Streaming endpoints return async iterables:

```ts
for await (const event of client.event.subscribe()) {
  console.log(event.type)
}
```

## Local background service

The main client entrypoints are browser-compatible and do not include local
process management. In a Node application, import the native Promise service
API from `@opencode-ai/client/service`.

- `Service.discover()` returns a healthy registered endpoint without starting
  a process.
- `Service.ensure()` returns a compatible service, starting one when needed.
- `Service.stop()` stops the exact registered service instance.
- `Service.headers(endpoint)` creates the authentication headers for a client.

```ts
import { OpenCode } from "@opencode-ai/client"
import { Service } from "@opencode-ai/client/service"

const endpoint = await Service.ensure()
const client = OpenCode.make({
  baseUrl: endpoint.url,
  headers: Service.headers(endpoint),
})

const health = await client.health.get()
```

`Service.ensure()` accepts an optional registration file, required version,
service command, and `onStart` callback:

```ts
const endpoint = await Service.ensure({
  file: "/var/run/opencode/service.json",
  version: "2.0.0",
  command: ["opencode", "serve", "--service"],
  onStart(reason, previousVersion) {
    console.log(reason, previousVersion)
  },
})
```

Omit these options to use the standard registration path and
`opencode serve --service` command.

## Effect

OpenCode provides a first-class Effect client through the
`@opencode-ai/client/effect` entrypoint. It returns typed Effects and Streams
and decodes responses into OpenCode schema values.

```sh
bun add @opencode-ai/client@next effect
```

### Create a client

```ts
import { AbsolutePath, Location, OpenCode } from "@opencode-ai/client/effect"
import { Effect } from "effect"
import { FetchHttpClient } from "effect/unstable/http"

const program = Effect.gen(function* () {
  const client = yield* OpenCode.make({ baseUrl: "http://localhost:4096" })
  const session = yield* client.session.create({
    location: Location.Ref.make({
      directory: AbsolutePath.make("/workspace"),
    }),
  })

  return yield* client.session.get({ sessionID: session.id })
})

const session = await Effect.runPromise(program.pipe(Effect.provide(FetchHttpClient.layer)))
```

Streaming operations, including `client.event.subscribe()` and
`client.session.log(...)`, return Effect `Stream` values.

### Local background service

The Node-only `@opencode-ai/client/effect/service` entrypoint exposes the same
operations as Effect values. Add `@effect/platform-node` and provide its
filesystem layer when running them.

```sh
bun add @effect/platform-node
```

```ts
import { NodeFileSystem } from "@effect/platform-node"
import { OpenCode } from "@opencode-ai/client/effect"
import { Service } from "@opencode-ai/client/effect/service"
import { Effect } from "effect"
import { FetchHttpClient } from "effect/unstable/http"

const program = Effect.gen(function* () {
  const endpoint = yield* Service.ensure()
  const client = yield* OpenCode.make({
    baseUrl: endpoint.url,
    headers: Service.headers(endpoint),
  })
  return yield* client.health.get()
})

const health = await Effect.runPromise(
  program.pipe(Effect.provide(FetchHttpClient.layer), Effect.provide(NodeFileSystem.layer)),
)
```