DoorDash Brings Ordering to the Command Line

The future of food ordering has arrived, and it's been brought to the command line. DoorDash has unveiled a limited beta of its CLI tool, which lets developers order food directly from their AI agents.

The new DoorDash CLI, dubbed dd-cli, allows developers to search for stores, find deals, and check out, all from the comfort of their terminal. This move is seen as an example of agentic commerce, where the company exposes its ordering platform to AI agents, allowing developers to add functionality to their own software and services.

But why the command line? As DoorDash co-founder and CTO Andy Fang notes, this move is all about giving developers the tools they need to build their own ordering experiences. With dd-cli, developers can create their own tools for ordering food, groceries, or finding local lunch deals, among other things.

And it's not just about the tech - the launch has a bit of humor to it, recalling that old XKCD comic about programmers automating ridiculous tasks like making a sandwich. As the attached video in Fang's X post shows, the process of ordering three salads is a bit like over-engineering a simple task.

When you think about it, this move makes sense. DoorDash has already experimented with offering its service via iMessage and has its own AI chatbot, "Ask DoorDash," which offers another example of agentic commerce in action.

So what's next? The company is asking developers to sign up for access to the new CLI tool, and the sign-up form includes a field asking what they would build if they're allowed into the beta. With the door open to developers, the possibilities are endless - and we can't wait to see what they come up with.

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