# AGENTS.md: Catalyst by Zoho documentation

This site, docs.catalyst.zoho.com, is the documentation for Catalyst by Zoho, a cloud platform to build, test, host and deploy applications and microservices. This file tells AI agents how to read the docs, and where to go to build on Catalyst.

## What agents can do on this site

- Read any page. The site is static documentation, with no sign-in and no API on this host.
- Crawling follows the site's robots.txt: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/robots.txt
- Prefer the Markdown copies listed below to the HTML pages. They hold the same content without menus and scripts.

## Entry points

- Index of the whole site: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/llms.txt
- English: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/llms.txt (index) and https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/llms-full.txt (full text)
- Japanese: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/ja/llms.txt and https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/ja/llms-full.txt
- Spanish: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/es/llms.txt and https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/es/llms-full.txt
- One page as Markdown: add `.md` to the page's address, or `index.md` after its trailing slash. Example: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/catalyst-projects.md
- One section as Markdown: add `llms-full.md` after the section's address. Example: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/llms-full.md
- Sitemaps: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/sitemap.xml lists one sitemap per language.

Markdown files are served as `text/plain`. The site doesn't return Markdown for an `Accept: text/markdown` request, so use the `.md` addresses.

Where to start reading:

- Quick start: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/quick-start-guide/
- CLI commands: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/cli-command-reference/
- REST API: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/api/introduction/overview-and-prerequisites/
- AI toolkit (MCP server, AI plugin, docs as context): https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/ai-toolkit/context-serve/

## Build and test a Catalyst app

These are the steps in the quick start guide. The Catalyst CLI needs Node.js and npm.

```sh
npm install -g zcatalyst-cli   # install the Catalyst CLI
catalyst --version             # check the install
catalyst login                 # sign in to a Zoho account in the browser
catalyst init                  # in the project folder: set up functions, the client or AppSail
catalyst serve                 # run the project locally and test it
catalyst functions:shell       # test functions in a shell (not Advanced I/O functions)
catalyst deploy                # deploy to the project's Development environment
```

A user's first Catalyst project has to be created in the Catalyst console; later projects can be created from the CLI. Deploying to Production needs Catalyst payments set up.

## Work with Catalyst from an agent

- **Catalyst MCP server.** Connect an MCP client to `https://catalyst.zohomcp.com/mcp/message` and authorize it with the user's Zoho account. It gives the agent the Catalyst MCP tools, found as needed by dynamic discovery, to work in the Catalyst console. Details: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/ai-toolkit/catalyst-mcp-server/overview/
- **Catalyst AI plugin.** The MCP server plus a set of skill files, for Claude Code, Codex and VS Code Copilot. Install steps: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/ai-toolkit/catalyst-plugin/install-catalyst-ai-plugin/ · Skill files: https://github.com/catalystbyzoho/agent-skills
- **REST API.** Requests need an OAuth 2.0 access token, and the base address depends on the user's data center. Authentication: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/api/oauth2/overview-and-terminology/ · Data centers: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/api/introduction/multi-dc-support/

The MCP server, the plugin, the CLI and the API act on the user's own Catalyst account, so each one needs the user to sign in and authorize it.

## Contact

Questions about Catalyst or these docs: support@zohocatalyst.com