# Concepts overview

> The Concepts section explains how UiPath CLI is organized and the four mental models you need before building automations on top of it. Read these once; everything else in the documentation assumes them.

The Concepts section explains how UiPath CLI is organized and the four mental models you need before building automations on top of it. Read these once; everything else in the documentation assumes them.

If you are looking to install or run your first command, jump to [Get started](./quickstart.md). The Concepts pages cover the model behind the CLI, not the day-to-day operating manual.

## The four pages

| Page | What it covers | Read it when |
|---|---|---|
| [How UiPath CLI is organized](./concepts-cli-architecture.md) | Host + tools, lazy loading, command-resolution flow, output envelope, exit codes. The single-page mental model. | First — every other concept builds on this. |
| [Tools (plugins)](./concepts-tools.md) | Auto-install whitelist, version pinning, lifecycle (install / update / uninstall), where tools live on disk. | When `uip` reports "unknown command" or you want strict CI reproducibility. |
| [Skills](./concepts-skills.md) | The parallel extension system that teaches AI coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, …) how to drive `uip`. Six supported agents. | When you want an agent to build automations for you. |
| [Sessions and credentials](./concepts-sessions.md) | The `.uipath/.auth` file, walk-up resolution, env-var auth, refresh behaviour. | When `uip` can't find your session, or you need per-project credentials. |

## Recommended reading order

For a developer new to the CLI:

1. **How UiPath CLI is organized** — sets the host-vs-tool split.
2. **Sessions and credentials** — explains why `uip login` matters and how the file is found.
3. **Tools (plugins)** — explains why some commands are missing and how to add them.
4. **Skills** — only if you plan to use AI coding agents; skip otherwise.

For someone migrating from `uipcli` (.NET legacy):

1. **How UiPath CLI is organized** — the new architecture is fundamentally different.
2. **Tools (plugins)** — there is no monolithic executable any more.
3. **Sessions and credentials** — auth model has changed (no implicit env-var reading; sessions persisted to disk).
4. Then jump straight to [Migration](./migration-overview.md).

## What's *not* in Concepts

- **Per-command behaviour.** That lives in [Command reference](./command-reference.md).
- **Day-to-day operations** — pack, deploy, run tests, manage assets. See [How-to guides](./howto-overview.md) and [CI/CD recipes](./recipes-azure-devops.md).
- **The auth flow walk-throughs.** Concepts page says *how* sessions work; [Authentication](./authentication.md) gives you the three flows with examples.

## See also

- [About UiPath CLI](./about-uipath-cli.md) — the one-page elevator pitch.
- [What's new](./whats-new.md) — the headline shifts vs the legacy CLI.
- [Versioning and stability](./versioning.md) — the contract you can rely on across releases.