The full Namecheap API, in your terminal

Cheep exposes every method listed in Namecheap’s official API catalog below cheep api. Existing purpose-built commands remain the simplest option for common domain, account, and DNS work. The complete API surface exists for advanced workflows and for methods that do not yet have a richer Cheep model.

Discover methods

cheep api methods
cheep api methods --json
cheep api describe domains/create
cheep api describe namecheap.ssl.activate --json

api methods is generated from the same catalog that builds the command tree. Each entry includes the CLI path, exact Namecheap command name, documentation link, mutation status, and charge status. The catalog covers these official families:

• domains
• domains dns
• domains ns
• domains transfer
• ssl
• users
• users address
• domainprivacy, sent to Namecheap using its legacy whoisguard command names

Pass parameters

Namecheap’s method documentation defines the required parameter names. Pass non-sensitive values with repeatable --param flags:

cheep api domains get-contacts --param DomainName=example.com
cheep api domains check --param DomainList=example.com,example.net --json

Use a JSON object when a method needs many fields:

cheep api domains create --params-file registration.json --dry-run

JSON strings, numbers, booleans, and null values become Namecheap string parameters. Use - to read the object from stdin. Files containing contact or payment data should have mode 0600 and should never be committed.

Never place a password, transfer code, CSR, or payment credential directly in --param. Read it from an environment variable without putting the value in shell history:

export CHEEP_TRANSFER_CODE='replace-me'
cheep api domains transfer create \
  --param DomainName=example.com \
  --secret-param EPPCode=CHEEP_TRANSFER_CODE \
  --dry-run

Cheep rejects attempts to override ApiUser, ApiKey, UserName, ClientIp, or Command. The selected profile always owns those fields.

Apply mutations

Start with sandbox and a dry run:

cheep --environment sandbox --dry-run \
  api domains create --params-file registration.json

A dry run makes no API request and redacts recognized secret parameters. Apply a non-charge-bearing mutation with --yes. Add --accept-charge for a method that can spend account funds:

cheep --environment sandbox \
  api domains create --params-file registration.json \
  --yes --accept-charge

Production mutations need one additional gate:

cheep --environment production \
  api domains renew --param DomainName=example.com --param Years=1 \
  --yes --production --accept-charge

Before --accept-charge, query live account pricing with cheep account pricing or cheep api users get-pricing. Some products and premium domains require extra price parameters defined by Namecheap. The generic API surface sends the exact parameters you provide and does not invent or silently change them.

--readonly refuses every method classified as a mutation, including when all confirmation flags are present.

Generic response format

Namecheap returns a different XML structure for each method. Cheep preserves that structure as a stable JSON element tree instead of guessing field types:

{
  "method": "namecheap.domains.getContacts",
  "status": "OK",
  "response": {
    "name": "CommandResponse",
    "attributes": {
      "Type": "namecheap.domains.getContacts"
    },
    "children": []
  }
}

Each element has a name and may have attributes, text, or ordered children. Cheep converts API errors into its normal stable error envelope. If a mutation loses its response after transmission, Cheep returns api_outcome_unknown and does not retry the request.

Direct method lookup

Every catalog method has a named command, and api call accepts either its exact Namecheap name or slash-separated CLI path:

cheep api call namecheap.domains.getInfo --param DomainName=example.com
cheep api call domains/get-info --param DomainName=example.com

api call is still catalog-bound. A misspelled or unknown method fails before any network request.

Parameter validation and dry-run scope

Parameter files must contain one JSON object, at most 1 MiB and 256 parameters. Duplicate names, including names that differ only by case, are rejected rather than silently overwritten.

--dry-run suppresses mutations. Read-only API methods still execute and report dry_run: false and executed: true; their response is shown normally. Explicit --secret-param values are redacted from provider errors even when the parameter name is not a recognized secret name.