How an Open-Source Tool Built at ClerksWell became Part of Umbraco's AI Future

At ClerksWell, we pride ourselves on contributing meaningfully to the digital ecosystems we work within. Much of this happens quietly through code commits, community support and thought leadership that shapes the experience of developers across the world. Occasionally, work done at ClerksWell goes beyond its original purpose and has a wider impact across the community.

This is exactly what has happened with PackageScriptWriter.Cli, an open-source tool created and maintained by Tech Lead and Umbraco MVP, Paul Seal, which has been officially integrated into Umbraco’s own AI toolkit.

What began as a helpful utility for simplifying development workflows has become a key component of Umbraco’s push into AI-assisted development. And today, with a new update published, we’re proud to share the story behind how this tool evolved, why Umbraco is investing in it and what it means for the wider community.

The Origins of a Tool Made to Make Life Easier

PackageScriptWriter started as a simple idea: installing Umbraco shouldn’t require memorising a sequence of commands or repeatedly configuring the same options. When Paul first created the tool, it was designed as a website where users could select their Umbraco version, choose a starter kit, include packages and generate a scripted installation tailored to their needs.

The earliest version existed to solve a very practical problem: Paul was serving on the judging panel for the Umbraco Package Awards at Codegarden, evaluating packages required setting up fresh Umbraco instances repeatedly. The time lost to reproducing installation steps was significant. A tool that could generate the entire setup in a single, reusable command eliminated that friction immediately.

This initial web version helped streamline the process for developers and judges alike and before long it became a well-known community resource. But its next chapter would prove far more impactful.

A Natural Progression: Moving from Website to CLI

As developer workflows continued shifting towards command-line interfaces, it became clear that PackageScriptWriter could evolve into a CLI tool that offered not only convenience but a more integrated experience for developers who prefer working directly within their terminal environment.

The resulting CLI version PackageScriptWriter.Cli provides an interactive, guided experience. Users can instantly generate a default installation script, search for packages from both the Umbraco Marketplace and NuGet.org, modify project details, build reusable templates and install complete Umbraco environments without ever leaving their terminal.

It became especially appealing because it eliminated the need for developers to memorise complex command patterns. Instead, they could rely on a clean, interactive interface that offered the same level of clarity and control as the original website, but in a more developer-centric format.

This alone made the tool valuable but its structured, command-driven design unexpectedly opened the door to an entirely new use case.

When Umbraco Took Notice

Around this time, Paul had been learning about and experimenting with AI agents, exploring how they could support developer workflows. Importantly, he wasn’t thinking about AI agents using the CLI itself, that idea came entirely from elsewhere. The real surprise came when Phil Whittaker mentioned that an official Umbraco Skill for Claude Code, built around Paul’s PackageScriptWriter.Cli tool, would be announced at the Umbraco Winter Keynote.

Paul hadn’t seen it coming. The integration wasn’t something he had been anticipating or pushing for.

Umbraco’s AI team saw that PackageScriptWriter.Cli offered exactly the kind of structured and reliable command interface required for AI‑driven installation workflows. As a result, the tool was adopted and incorporated into Umbraco’s AI toolkit as an official Umbraco CMS Backoffice Skill.

A Collaboration That Strengthens the Tool and the Community

Umbraco’s involvement went beyond adoption. The Umbraco team now contributes directly to the PackageScriptWriter.Cli repository, refining and extending its capabilities so it works just as effectively for AI agents as it does for human developers. This work focuses on making the tool more predictable and understandable for AI-driven usage, with clearer command semantics, improved output structures and additional safeguards to prevent unsafe operations.

This collaboration is a testament to the value of open-source development. Tools that begin as individual initiatives can become foundational components of broader ecosystems when the community rallies behind them. And in this case Umbraco’s decision to invest in the tool reflects their confidence in its long‑term utility.

For ClerksWell, this reflects the depth of expertise within the team and the value of contributing back to the Umbraco community. It is rare for a CMS vendor to adopt a tool built by an agency, but in this case the collaboration grew naturally from shared goals, aligned innovation and an open‑source mindset.

Redefining What Developer Experience Can Look Like

With the rise of AI-assisted development, PackageScriptWriter.Cli today sits at the intersection of two worlds: traditional developer workflows and conversational, AI-driven tooling. Developers can ask an AI agent to install and configure an Umbraco environment and behind the scenes, Paul’s CLI handles the heavy lifting with clarity and safety. It’s a shift that reflects where the entire industry is heading towards faster setup, fewer repetitive tasks and a more intuitive relationship between developers and their tools.

ClerksWell and the Work Behind the Work

This matters to us not just because of what the tool does but because it reflects how we work. It shows the depth of expertise in the ClerksWell team and our commitment to contributing back to the Umbraco community in practical ways. The collaboration with Umbraco builds on trust earned through real work and demonstrates how our role extends beyond client delivery into the tools and platforms developers rely on.