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Nordvpn

Control NordVPN on Linux via the `nordvpn` CLI.

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Downloads: 8,979 downloads
Version: 1.0.0

Overview

Control NordVPN on Linux via the `nordvpn` CLI.

Complete Documentation

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name: nordvpn description: Control NordVPN on Linux via the nordvpn CLI (connect/disconnect, choose country/city/group, read status, tweak settings, manage allowlist). Use for automation that needs region routing or temporary VPN tunneling. homepage: https://nordvpn.com/

NordVPN CLI Skill (Linux)

A ClawBot skill for controlling the NordVPN Linux CLI (nordvpn) to connect/disconnect, select locations, verify status, and adjust settings from automations and workflows.

Assumptions / Compatibility

Works with the official nordvpn CLI (example shown: 4.3.1 [snap]).

Requires the NordVPN daemon running (usually nordvpnd) and sufficient permissions.

Some commands may require elevated privileges depending on distro + install method (snap vs deb).

Installation

Option A: Snap (common on Ubuntu)

bash
sudo snap install nordvpn
nordvpn --version



Option B: Distro package / repo (varies)

If you installed via Nord’s repo or a package manager, just verify:

bash
which nordvpn
nordvpn --version



Verify daemon is running

bash
systemd installs usually
systemctl status nordvpnd --no-pager || true

snap installs may not expose systemd unit the same way
nordvpn status || true

or may require the full patch to be specified like so
/snap/bin/nordvpn status || true



Authentication / Login

NordVPN CLI typically requires logging in once per machine/user session.

bash
nordvpn login



If the environment is headless, the CLI will guide you through the login flow (often via a browser link / code). After login, confirm:

bash
nordvpn account
nordvpn status



ClawBot guidance: treat login as a manual prerequisite unless you explicitly automate the browser-based login flow.

Quick Reference

Status

bash
nordvpn status



Connect (best available)

bash
nordvpn connect
alias:
nordvpn c



Connect to a country / city / group

bash
country
nordvpn connect Sweden

`city (must exist in` nordvpn cities `)`


nordvpn connect "Stockholm"

`group (must exist in` nordvpn groups`)`


nordvpn connect P2P



Disconnect

bash
nordvpn disconnect
alias:
nordvpn d



List locations

bash
nordvpn countries
nordvpn cities Sweden
nordvpn groups



Settings (read + change)

bash
nordvpn settings

examples (options differ by version)
nordvpn set autoconnect on
nordvpn set killswitch on
nordvpn set threatprotectionlite on  # if supported
nordvpn set protocol nordlynx        # if supported



Allowlist (bypass VPN for certain traffic)

bash
view help
nordvpn allowlist --help

examples (subcommands differ by version)
nordvpn allowlist add port 22
nordvpn allowlist add subnet 192.168.0.0/16
nordvpn allowlist remove port 22



Skill Design

What this skill should do well
Idempotent connection actions
If already connected to the requested target, do nothing (or return “already connected”).
If connected elsewhere, optionally disconnect then connect to target.
Reliable verification

After connect/disconnect, always run nordvpn status and parse the result.


Safe fallbacks
If a requested city/country/group is invalid, provide closest alternatives by listing:

nordvpn countries

nordvpn cities

nordvpn groups


Human-in-the-loop login

If nordvpn reports not logged in, return a structured response instructing to run nordvpn login.



Recommended “actions” (API surface)

Implement these as the skill’s callable intents/tools:

status() → returns parsed connection status

connect_best() → connects to best available

connect_country(country)

connect_city(city) (optionally with country for disambiguation)

connect_group(group)

disconnect()

list_countries()

list_cities(country)

list_groups()

get_settings()

set_setting(key, value)

allowlist_add(type, value)

allowlist_remove(type, value)



Suggested Implementation Pattern (CLI orchestration)

1) Always start with status

bash
nordvpn status



Parse fields commonly returned by the CLI, such as:
Connection state (Connected/Disconnected)
Current server / country / city
IP, protocol, technology

2) Connect flow

Goal: connect to a target (country/city/group) with verification.

Pseudo-logic:

Run nordvpn status


If disconnected → connect directly

If connected to different target → nordvpn disconnect then connect

Run nordvpn status again and confirm connected



Commands:

bash
nordvpn connect ""
nordvpn status



3) Disconnect flow

bash
nordvpn disconnect
nordvpn status



4) Resolve targets safely

If user asks for a city:

Prefer nordvpn cities when country is known


Otherwise attempt connect; if it fails, list countries and search-like suggestions.

bash
nordvpn countries
nordvpn cities ""
nordvpn groups



Common Errors & Handling

Not logged in

Symptoms:
CLI complains about authentication/account/login.

Handling:

Return: “Login required. Run nordvpn login and repeat.”

Optionally: run nordvpn account to confirm.



Daemon not running / permission denied

Symptoms:
Can’t connect, service errors, permission errors.

Handling:

Check systemctl status nordvpnd (systemd installs)


Confirm snap service health (snap installs vary)

Ensure user belongs to the right group (some installs use a nordvpn group):

bash
  groups
  getent group nordvpn || true



Invalid location/group

Symptoms:
“Unknown country/city/group” or connect fails immediately.

Handling:
Provide available options:

bash
  nordvpn countries
  nordvpn groups
  nordvpn cities ""



Practical Automation Recipes

Ensure VPN is connected (any server)

bash
nordvpn status | sed -n '1,10p'
nordvpn connect
nordvpn status | sed -n '1,15p'



Reconnect to a specific country

bash
nordvpn disconnect
nordvpn connect Sweden
nordvpn status



Toggle killswitch (example)

bash
nordvpn set killswitch on
nordvpn settings



Notes
Command options and setting keys can differ by NordVPN CLI version. Always rely on:

bash
  nordvpn help
  nordvpn set --help
  nordvpn allowlist --help

If you need stable machine-readable output, the NordVPN CLI does not consistently provide JSON; plan to parse human-readable status text defensively (line-based key/value extraction, tolerate missing fields).