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Multiline messages are common in AI workflows.
A user may need to send code, logs, JSON, stack traces, install output, or a detailed task description. For that kind of content, forcing everything into one command-line argument is fragile. Quoting rules differ by shell. Special characters can be interpreted. Long messages can be cut off or mangled.
AxiOwl supports standard input so message content can be passed safely.
The pattern is simple:
“`text
<message content> | axiowl send_message –to "target name" –stdin
“`
The exact shell syntax can vary, but the idea is stable. The body comes through stdin instead of being crammed into a single `–body` string.
This matters because AI work often depends on exact text. A missing quote in a code block, a truncated log line, or a malformed JSON snippet can change the answer. Stdin helps preserve the content as the user intended it.
Stdin also makes automation cleaner. Scripts can generate a message body, write it to standard output, and pipe it directly into AxiOwl. That avoids temporary files for many cases and reduces shell escaping mistakes.
The provider still receives a final visible body built by AxiOwl. That body can include the original message plus reply instructions, sender identity, run id, receipt id, and license status warning when applicable.
The important principle is that message transport should not damage the message.
For short plain text, `–body` is convenient. For anything multiline, exact, or shell-sensitive, stdin is the safer path.