diff --git a/include/openthread/cli.h b/include/openthread/cli.h
index e6b5575d1..84606c2b5 100644
--- a/include/openthread/cli.h
+++ b/include/openthread/cli.h
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * This structure represents a CLI command.
+ *
+ */
+typedef struct otCliCommand
+{
+    const char *mName;                         ///< A pointer to the command string.
+    void (*mCommand)(int argc, char *argv[]);  ///< A function pointer to process the command.
+} otCliCommand;
+
 /**
  * @addtogroup api-cli
  *
@@ -93,6 +103,37 @@ void otCliConsoleInputLine(char *aBuf, uint16_t aBufLength);
  */
 void otCliUartInit(otInstance *aInstance);
 
+/**
+ * Set a user command table.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  aUserCommands  A pointer to an array with user commands.
+ * @param[in]  aLength        @p aUserCommands length.
+ */
+void otCliUartSetUserCommands(const otCliCommand *aUserCommands, uint8_t aLength);
+
+/**
+ * Write a number of bytes to the CLI console as a hex string.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  aBytes   A pointer to data which should be printed.
+ * @param[in]  aLength  @p aBytes length.
+ */
+void otCliUartOutputBytes(const uint8_t *aBytes, uint8_t aLength);
+
+/**
+ * Write formatted string the CLI console
+ *
+ * @param[in]  aFmt   A pointer to the format string.
+ * @param[in]  ...    A matching list of arguments.
+ */
+void otCliUartOutputFormat(const char *aFmt, ...);
+
+/**
+ * Write error code the CLI console
+ *
+ * @param[in]  aError Error code value.
+ */
+void otCliUartAppendResult(otError aError);
+
 /**
  * Callback to write the OpenThread Log to the CLI console
  *
diff --git a/src/cli/cli.cpp b/src/cli/cli.cpp
index a801517cb..0135b46e2 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.cpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli.cpp
@@ -246,6 +246,8 @@ Interpreter::Interpreter(otInstance *aInstance):
 #if OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_APPLICATION_COAP
     mCoap(*this),
 #endif
+    mUserCommands(NULL),
+    mUserCommandsLength(0),
     mServer(NULL),
 #ifdef OTDLL
     mApiInstance(otApiInit()),
@@ -378,6 +380,11 @@ void Interpreter::ProcessHelp(int argc, char *argv[])
         mServer->OutputFormat("%s\r\n", sCommands[i].mName);
     }
 
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < mUserCommandsLength; i++)
+    {
+        mServer->OutputFormat("%s\r\n", mUserCommands[i].mName);
+    }
+
     OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(argc);
     OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(argv);
 }
@@ -3261,10 +3268,23 @@ void Interpreter::ProcessLine(char *aBuf, uint16_t aBufLength, Server &aServer)
         }
     }
 
-    // Error prompt for unsupported commands
+    // Check user defined commands if built-in command
+    // has not been found
     if (i == sizeof(sCommands) / sizeof(sCommands[0]))
     {
-        AppendResult(OT_ERROR_PARSE);
+        for (i = 0; i < mUserCommandsLength; i++)
+        {
+            if (strcmp(cmd, mUserCommands[i].mName) == 0)
+            {
+                mUserCommands[i].mCommand(argc, argv);
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (i == mUserCommandsLength)
+        {
+            AppendResult(OT_ERROR_PARSE);
+        }
     }
 
 exit:
@@ -3378,6 +3398,12 @@ void Interpreter::HandleDiagnosticGetResponse(Message &aMessage, const Ip6::Mess
 }
 #endif
 
+void Interpreter::SetUserCommands(const otCliCommand *aCommands, uint8_t aLength)
+{
+    mUserCommands = aCommands;
+    mUserCommandsLength = aLength;
+}
+
 Interpreter &Interpreter::GetOwner(const Context &aContext)
 {
 #if OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_MULTIPLE_INSTANCES
diff --git a/src/cli/cli.hpp b/src/cli/cli.hpp
index 9ffbb4506..7ccb884cc 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.hpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli.hpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include <openthread/openthread.h>
 #include <openthread/ip6.h>
 #include <openthread/udp.h>
+#include <openthread/cli.h>
 
 #include "cli/cli_server.hpp"
 #include "cli/cli_udp_example.hpp"
@@ -150,6 +151,29 @@ public:
      */
     static int Hex2Bin(const char *aHex, uint8_t *aBin, uint16_t aBinLength);
 
+    /**
+     * Write error code the CLI console
+     *
+     * @param[in]  aError Error code value.
+     */
+    void AppendResult(otError error) const;
+
+    /**
+     * Write a number of bytes to the CLI console as a hex string.
+     *
+     * @param[in]  aBytes   A pointer to data which should be printed.
+     * @param[in]  aLength  @p aBytes length.
+     */
+    void OutputBytes(const uint8_t *aBytes, uint8_t aLength) const;
+
+    /**
+     * Set a user command table.
+     *
+     * @param[in]  aUserCommands  A pointer to an array with user commands.
+     * @param[in]  aLength        @p aUserCommands length.
+     */
+    void SetUserCommands(const otCliCommand *aCommands, uint8_t aLength);
+
 private:
     enum
     {
@@ -158,8 +182,6 @@ private:
         kDefaultJoinerTimeout = 120,    ///< Default timeout for Joiners, in seconds.
     };
 
-    void AppendResult(otError error) const;
-    void OutputBytes(const uint8_t *aBytes, uint8_t aLength) const;
 
     void ProcessHelp(int argc, char *argv[]);
     void ProcessAutoStart(int argc, char *argv[]);
@@ -354,6 +376,8 @@ private:
 #endif // OPENTHREAD_ENABLE_APPLICATION_COAP
 
     static const struct Command sCommands[];
+    const otCliCommand *mUserCommands;
+    uint8_t mUserCommandsLength;
 
     Server *mServer;
 
diff --git a/src/cli/cli_uart.cpp b/src/cli/cli_uart.cpp
index b7e20dfb0..8023373a5 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli_uart.cpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli_uart.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@
 #include <openthread/cli.h>
 #include <openthread/platform/logging.h>
 #include <openthread/platform/uart.h>
-
 #include "cli/cli.hpp"
 #include "common/code_utils.hpp"
 #include "common/encoding.hpp"
@@ -70,6 +69,29 @@ extern "C" void otCliUartInit(otInstance *aInstance)
     Uart::sUartServer = new(&sCliUartRaw) Uart(aInstance);
 }
 
+extern "C" void otCliUartSetUserCommands(const otCliCommand *aUserCommands, uint8_t aLength)
+{
+    Uart::sUartServer->GetInterpreter().SetUserCommands(aUserCommands, aLength);
+}
+
+extern "C" void otCliUartOutputBytes(const uint8_t *aBytes, uint8_t aLength)
+{
+    Uart::sUartServer->GetInterpreter().OutputBytes(aBytes, aLength);
+}
+
+extern "C" void otCliUartOutputFormat(const char *aFmt, ...)
+{
+    va_list aAp;
+    va_start(aAp, aFmt);
+    Uart::sUartServer->OutputFormatV(aFmt, aAp);
+    va_end(aAp);
+}
+
+extern "C" void otCliUartAppendResult(otError aError)
+{
+    Uart::sUartServer->GetInterpreter().AppendResult(aError);
+}
+
 Uart::Uart(otInstance *aInstance):
     mInterpreter(aInstance)
 {