Investigate Axiom datasets, unusual patterns and distributed traces from Claude Code with guided query workflows.
The Axiom CLI plugin gives Claude Code guidance for investigating observability data with Axiom Processing Language (APL). It helps Claude discover actual dataset fields before writing queries and work through dataset exploration, anomaly analysis and OpenTelemetry trace investigations.
Claude can select the investigation skills when relevant, or you can invoke them yourself. The APL reference skill is available only to Claude. A hook automatically reminds Claude about the skills after matching Axiom CLI commands run.
Querying your data requires a separately installed, authenticated Axiom CLI. The plugin provides investigation guidance; continuous alerting belongs in Axiom Monitors.
Ask Claude to explore a dataset before building queries against it. The workflow inspects its schema, samples events and examines volume and field distributions to suggest useful queries. Exploration can include expensive searches, so reuse the findings for later investigations.
Provide an OpenTelemetry trace ID, or ask Claude to find traces by errors, latency or service. The workflow examines spans and their relationships; when a matching service repository is available, it also guides Claude to correlate trace details with source code.
Compare recent dataset activity with historical patterns to investigate volume changes, new error values or latency degradation. The statistical workflow calls for at least 24 hours of history, consistent ingestion and at least 30 samples per bucket for its z-score and standard-deviation methods; inadequate data can make results misleading. Use this for an investigation, with Axiom Monitors handling continuous alerting.
Account or credentials needed
Agent-only APL reference for writing, debugging and optimizing queries.
Investigate unusual volume, values and latency against historical patterns.
Discover dataset fields, sample events and identify useful query patterns.
Investigate OpenTelemetry traces by ID, errors, latency or service.
After Claude Code runs a Bash command containing an Axiom query or dataset command, adds a skill reminder once per session.
Enabling the plugin loads this hook from its bundled configuration; no separate hook setup is needed. The script uses Bash and jq. It runs after the command and adds context for Claude.
In Claude Code’s hooks browser, look for a PostToolUse hook from axiom-cli with a Bash matcher. The browser shows whether the hook is registered; debug logging can confirm execution.
To turn it off, disable axiom-cli in the plugin manager’s Installed tab. This also disables the plugin’s skills. Apply any pending plugin changes with the documented plugin reload.
Install axiom-cli to get its skills and reminder hook together. To query your data afterward, separately install the Axiom CLI and authenticate it with a personal access token. The reminder hook also needs Bash and jq.
Add the Axiom CLI marketplace inside a local Claude Code terminal session.
/plugin marketplace add axiomhq/cliOpen the plugin’s installation panel with this command in the same session. Choose user scope for your projects, project scope for a shared repository installation, or local scope for this repository only on your machine, then install the plugin.
/plugin install axiom-cli@axiom-cliCheck the installation summary. If it says the plugin is active, continue to the availability check. If it asks for a reload, close the panel to let Claude Code apply it. If the plugin remains pending, start a new session or reload it in the current session:
/reload-pluginsConfirm the plugin is available. Type “/” in Claude Code and look for skills under axiom-cli, such as axiom-cli:explore-dataset. You can also open the plugin manager and check axiom-cli in the Installed tab:
/plugin