msd-core/docs/CLI-TOOLS.md

GSD CLI Tools Reference

Reference for the gsd-tools CLI (gsd-core/bin/gsd-tools.cjs). For slash commands and user flows, see Command Reference. Return to docs index.

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Overview

gsd-tools.cjs centralizes config parsing, model resolution, phase lookup, git commits, summary verification, state management, and template operations across GSD commands, workflows, and agents.

Shipped path	gsd-core/bin/gsd-tools.cjs
Implementation	20 domain modules under gsd-core/bin/lib/ (the directory is authoritative)
Status	Primary runtime command surface for orchestration, workflows, and automation.

Usage (CJS):

node gsd-tools.cjs <command> [args] [--raw] [--cwd <path>]

Global flags (CJS):

Flag	Description
--raw	Machine-readable output (JSON or plain text, no formatting)
--cwd <path>	Override working directory (for sandboxed subagents)
--ws <name>	Workstream context for .planning/workstreams/<name> paths

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State Commands

Manage .planning/STATE.md — the project's living memory.

# Load full project config + state as JSON
node gsd-tools.cjs state load

# Output STATE.md frontmatter as JSON
node gsd-tools.cjs state json

# Update a single field
node gsd-tools.cjs state update <field> <value>

# Get STATE.md content or a specific section
node gsd-tools.cjs state get [section]

# Batch update multiple fields
node gsd-tools.cjs state patch --field1 val1 --field2 val2

# Increment plan counter
node gsd-tools.cjs state advance-plan

# Record execution metrics
node gsd-tools.cjs state record-metric --phase N --plan M --duration Xmin [--tasks N] [--files N]

# Recalculate progress bar
node gsd-tools.cjs state update-progress

# Add a decision
node gsd-tools.cjs state add-decision --summary "..." [--phase N] [--rationale "..."]
# Or from files:
node gsd-tools.cjs state add-decision --summary-file path [--rationale-file path]

# Add/resolve blockers
node gsd-tools.cjs state add-blocker --text "..."
node gsd-tools.cjs state resolve-blocker --text "..."

# Record session continuity
node gsd-tools.cjs state record-session --stopped-at "..." [--resume-file path]

# Phase start — update STATE.md Status/Last activity for a new phase
node gsd-tools.cjs state begin-phase --phase N --name SLUG --plans COUNT

# Agent-discoverable blocker signalling (used by discuss-phase / UI flows)
node gsd-tools.cjs state signal-waiting --type TYPE --question "..." --options "A|B" --phase P
node gsd-tools.cjs state signal-resume

State Snapshot

Structured parse of the full STATE.md:

node gsd-tools.cjs state-snapshot

Returns JSON with: current position, phase, plan, status, decisions, blockers, metrics, last activity.

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Phase Commands

Manage phases — directories, numbering, and roadmap sync.

# Find phase directory by number
node gsd-tools.cjs find-phase <phase>

# Calculate next decimal phase number for insertions
node gsd-tools.cjs phase next-decimal <phase>

# Append new phase to roadmap + create directory
node gsd-tools.cjs phase add <description>

# Insert decimal phase after existing
node gsd-tools.cjs phase insert <after> <description>

# Remove phase, renumber subsequent
node gsd-tools.cjs phase remove <phase> [--force]

# Mark phase complete, update state + roadmap
node gsd-tools.cjs phase complete <phase>

# Evaluate HUMAN-UAT results for a phase (markdown-aware; ignores false-positive contexts)
# Returns JSON: { passed, uat_files[], verification_files[], checks[], blockers[], policy }
node gsd-tools.cjs phase uat-passed <phase> [--require-verification]

# Index plans with waves and status
node gsd-tools.cjs phase-plan-index <phase>

# List phases with filtering
node gsd-tools.cjs phases list [--type planned|executed|all] [--phase N] [--include-archived]

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Roadmap Commands

Parse and update ROADMAP.md.

# Extract phase section from ROADMAP.md
node gsd-tools.cjs roadmap get-phase <phase>

# Full roadmap parse with disk status
node gsd-tools.cjs roadmap analyze

# Update progress table row from disk
node gsd-tools.cjs roadmap update-plan-progress <N>

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Config Commands

Read and write .planning/config.json.

# Initialize config.json with defaults
node gsd-tools.cjs config-ensure-section

# Set a config value (dot notation)
node gsd-tools.cjs config-set <key> <value>

# Get a config value
node gsd-tools.cjs config-get <key>

# Set model profile
node gsd-tools.cjs config-set-model-profile <profile>

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Model Resolution

# Get model for agent based on current profile
node gsd-tools.cjs resolve-model <agent-name>
# Raw output returns the selected model ID/tier.
# JSON output also includes profile and, when the active runtime supports it,
# reasoning_effort.

Agent names: gsd-planner, gsd-executor, gsd-phase-researcher, gsd-project-researcher, gsd-research-synthesizer, gsd-verifier, gsd-plan-checker, gsd-integration-checker, gsd-roadmapper, gsd-debugger, gsd-codebase-mapper, gsd-nyquist-auditor

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Verification Commands

Validate plans, phases, references, and commits.

# Verify SUMMARY.md file
node gsd-tools.cjs verify-summary <path> [--check-count N]

# Check PLAN.md structure + tasks
node gsd-tools.cjs verify plan-structure <file>

# Check all plans have summaries
node gsd-tools.cjs verify phase-completeness <phase>

# Check @-refs + paths resolve
node gsd-tools.cjs verify references <file>

# Batch verify commit hashes
node gsd-tools.cjs verify commits <hash1> [hash2] ...

# Check must_haves.artifacts
node gsd-tools.cjs verify artifacts <plan-file>

# Check must_haves.key_links
node gsd-tools.cjs verify key-links <plan-file>

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Validation Commands

Check project integrity.

# Check phase numbering, disk/roadmap sync
node gsd-tools.cjs validate consistency

# Check .planning/ integrity, optionally repair
node gsd-tools.cjs validate health [--repair]

# Probe context-window utilization for status-line / hook callers (v1.40.0)
node gsd-tools.cjs validate context

# Context utilization as typed JSON surface (#455)
node gsd-tools.cjs validate context --json

validate context emits a structured envelope with utilization, status (ok / warn / critical at the 60 % / 70 % thresholds), and a suggestion string. The same data backs /gsd-health --context. Pass --json to receive the typed IR directly (useful in scripts and test assertions).

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Template Commands

Template selection and filling.

# Select summary template based on granularity
node gsd-tools.cjs template select <type>

# Fill template with variables
node gsd-tools.cjs template fill <type> --phase N [--plan M] [--name "..."] [--type execute|tdd] [--wave N] [--fields '{json}']

Template types for fill: summary, plan, verification

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Frontmatter Commands

YAML frontmatter CRUD operations on any Markdown file.

# Extract frontmatter as JSON
node gsd-tools.cjs frontmatter get <file> [--field key]

# Update single field
node gsd-tools.cjs frontmatter set <file> --field key --value jsonVal

# Merge JSON into frontmatter
node gsd-tools.cjs frontmatter merge <file> --data '{json}'

# Validate required fields
node gsd-tools.cjs frontmatter validate <file> --schema plan|summary|verification

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Scaffold Commands

Create pre-structured files and directories.

# Create CONTEXT.md template
node gsd-tools.cjs scaffold context --phase N

# Create UAT.md template
node gsd-tools.cjs scaffold uat --phase N

# Create VERIFICATION.md template
node gsd-tools.cjs scaffold verification --phase N

# Create phase directory
node gsd-tools.cjs scaffold phase-dir --phase N --name "phase name"

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Init Commands (Compound Context Loading)

Load all context needed for a specific workflow in one call. Returns JSON with project info, config, state, and workflow-specific data.

node gsd-tools.cjs init execute-phase <phase>
node gsd-tools.cjs init plan-phase <phase>
node gsd-tools.cjs init new-project
node gsd-tools.cjs init new-milestone
node gsd-tools.cjs init quick <description>
node gsd-tools.cjs init resume
node gsd-tools.cjs init verify-work <phase>
node gsd-tools.cjs init phase-op <phase>
node gsd-tools.cjs init todos [area]
node gsd-tools.cjs init milestone-op
node gsd-tools.cjs init map-codebase
node gsd-tools.cjs init progress

# Workstream-scoped init (`--ws` flag)
node gsd-tools.cjs init execute-phase <phase> --ws <name>
node gsd-tools.cjs init plan-phase <phase> --ws <name>

Large payload handling: When output exceeds ~50KB, the CLI writes to a temp file and returns @file:/tmp/gsd-init-XXXXX.json. Workflows check for the @file: prefix and read from disk:

INIT=$(node gsd-tools.cjs init execute-phase "1")
if [[ "$INIT" == @file:* ]]; then INIT=$(cat "${INIT#@file:}"); fi

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Milestone Commands

# Archive milestone
node gsd-tools.cjs milestone complete <version> [--name <name>] [--archive-phases]

# Mark requirements as complete
node gsd-tools.cjs requirements mark-complete <ids>
# Accepts: REQ-01,REQ-02 or REQ-01 REQ-02 or [REQ-01, REQ-02]

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Agent Skills

Emit the skill block for a given agent type.

# Emit raw XML skill block (default — safe for shell expansion)
node gsd-tools.cjs agent-skills <agent-type>

# Emit typed JSON surface (#455) — { agent_type, block, skills_count }
node gsd-tools.cjs agent-skills <agent-type> --json

The --json flag returns a typed IR object suitable for structured consumption and test assertions, while the default (no flag) preserves the raw XML output that workflow shell expansions rely on.

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Skill Manifest

Pre-compute and cache skill discovery for faster command loading.

# Generate skill manifest (writes to .claude/skill-manifest.json)
node gsd-tools.cjs skill-manifest

# Generate with custom output path
node gsd-tools.cjs skill-manifest --output <path>

Returns JSON mapping of all available GSD skills with their metadata (name, description, file path, argument hints). Used by the installer and session-start hooks to avoid repeated filesystem scans.

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Utility Commands

# Convert text to URL-safe slug
node gsd-tools.cjs generate-slug "Some Text Here"
# → some-text-here

# Get timestamp
node gsd-tools.cjs current-timestamp [full|date|filename]

# Count and list pending todos
node gsd-tools.cjs list-todos [area]

# Check file/directory existence
node gsd-tools.cjs verify-path-exists <path>

# Aggregate all SUMMARY.md data
node gsd-tools.cjs history-digest

# Extract structured data from SUMMARY.md
node gsd-tools.cjs summary-extract <path> [--fields field1,field2]

# Project statistics
node gsd-tools.cjs stats [json|table]

# Progress rendering (human-readable)
node gsd-tools.cjs progress [json|table|bar]

# Progress as typed JSON surface (#455)
node gsd-tools.cjs progress --json

# Complete a todo
node gsd-tools.cjs todo complete <filename>

# UAT audit — scan all phases for unresolved items
node gsd-tools.cjs audit-uat

# Cross-artifact audit queue — scan `.planning/` for unresolved audit items
node gsd-tools.cjs audit-open [--json]

# Reverse-migrate a GSD-2 project into the current structure (backs `/gsd-import --from-gsd2`)
node gsd-tools.cjs from-gsd2 [--path <dir>] [--force] [--dry-run]

# Git commit with config checks
node gsd-tools.cjs commit <message> [--files f1 f2] [--amend] [--no-verify] [--respect-staged]

--no-verify: Skips pre-commit hooks. Used by parallel executor agents during wave-based execution to avoid build lock contention (e.g., cargo lock fights in Rust projects). The orchestrator runs hooks once after each wave completes. Do not use --no-verify during sequential execution — let hooks run normally. --files <paths> staging behaviour: by default, --files runs git add -- <path> for each named file before committing. This overwrites any per-hunk staging set up via git add -p. Pass --respect-staged to skip the git add step and commit only what is already in the index within the requested pathspec. If nothing is staged within that scope, the command returns { committed: false, reason: 'nothing staged' } without error. The trailing -- <paths> pathspec on the commit is applied under both modes, so files staged outside the --files scope are never included (#3061 invariant).

Web search (requires Brave API key)

node gsd-tools.cjs websearch [--limit N] [--freshness day|week|month]

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## Worktree Commands

Diagnose and configure the worktree fork base used by Claude Code's `isolation="worktree"` executor dispatch. These commands address the branch-divergence condition described in [Fix the worktree base-mismatch (exit 42) error](how-to/fix-worktree-base-mismatch.md).

```bash
# Check whether the current HEAD has diverged from the worktree fork base.
# Returns JSON: { shouldDegrade, reason, message, headSha, forkRef, forkSha }
node gsd-tools.cjs worktree base-check

# Write worktree.baseRef:"head" into .claude/settings.local.json (no-clobber).
# Returns JSON: { changed, skipped, previous, baseRef, file }
node gsd-tools.cjs worktree set-baseref

worktree base-check reads worktree.baseRef from a three-layer cascade — .claude/settings.local.json, then .claude/settings.json, then the user/global settings.json under CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR (or ~/.claude) — and compares the current HEAD SHA against origin/HEAD. Project-level settings take precedence over the user/global layer, so a machine-wide worktree.baseRef:"head" set via /config is honored when no project override exists. The shouldDegrade field is true when the execute-phase orchestrator will fall back to sequential execution. Possible reason values:

reason	shouldDegrade	Meaning
baseref-head	false	worktree.baseRef:"head" is set; no mismatch possible
head-matches-fork	false	HEAD and origin/HEAD are the same commit
head-diverged-from-fork	true	Branch is ahead of or diverged from origin/HEAD
fork-ref-unknown	true	origin/HEAD could not be resolved
no-head	false	Not in a git repo (no HEAD)

worktree set-baseref applies a no-clobber write of worktree.baseRef:"head" to .claude/settings.local.json. If the file already contains an explicit baseRef value other than "head", the existing value is preserved and skipped:"explicit-other" is returned. Malformed JSON causes an error rather than a silent overwrite. Both fresh installs and upgrades of GSD Core run this automatically when workflow.use_worktrees is enabled (the default); the command is also available for manual use — for example, to apply the setting when worktrees were toggled on after installation, or to re-apply it after a settings change.

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Graphify

Build, query, and inspect the project knowledge graph in .planning/graphs/. Requires graphify.enabled: true in config.json (see Configuration Reference).

# Build or rebuild the knowledge graph
node gsd-tools.cjs graphify build

# Search the graph for a term
node gsd-tools.cjs graphify query <term>

# Show graph freshness and statistics
node gsd-tools.cjs graphify status

# Show changes since the last build
node gsd-tools.cjs graphify diff

# Write a named snapshot of the current graph
node gsd-tools.cjs graphify snapshot [name]

User-facing entry point: /gsd-graphify (see Command Reference).

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Module Architecture

Module	File	Exports
Core	lib/core.cjs	error(), output(), parseArgs(), shared utilities, compatibility re-exports
State	lib/state.cjs	All state subcommands, state-snapshot
Phase	lib/phase.cjs	Phase CRUD, find-phase, phase-plan-index, phases list
Planning Workspace	lib/planning-workspace.cjs	Planning seam: planningDir, planningPaths, active workstream routing, .planning/.lock
Roadmap	lib/roadmap.cjs	Roadmap parsing, phase extraction, progress updates
Config	lib/config.cjs	Config read/write, section initialization
Verify	lib/verify.cjs	All verification and validation commands
Template	lib/template.cjs	Template selection and variable filling
Frontmatter	lib/frontmatter.cjs	YAML frontmatter CRUD
Init	lib/init.cjs	Compound context loading for all workflows
Milestone	lib/milestone.cjs	Milestone archival, requirements marking
Commands	lib/commands.cjs	Misc: slug, timestamp, todos, scaffold, stats, websearch
Model Profiles	lib/model-profiles.cjs	Profile resolution table
UAT	lib/uat.cjs	Cross-phase UAT/verification audit
Profile Output	lib/profile-output.cjs	Developer profile formatting
Profile Pipeline	lib/profile-pipeline.cjs	Session analysis pipeline
Graphify	lib/graphify.cjs	Knowledge graph build/query/status/diff/snapshot (backs /gsd-graphify)
Learnings	lib/learnings.cjs	Extract learnings from phases/SUMMARY artifacts (backs /gsd-extract-learnings)
Audit	lib/audit.cjs	Phase/milestone audit queue handlers; audit-open helper
GSD2 Import	lib/gsd2-import.cjs	Reverse-migration importer from GSD-2 projects (backs /gsd-import --from-gsd2)
Intel	lib/intel.cjs	Queryable codebase intelligence index (backs /gsd-map-codebase --query)
Worktree Base Ref	lib/worktree-base-ref.cjs	Worktree fork-base detection and worktree base-check / set-baseref commands (#683)

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Reviewer CLI Routing

review.models.<cli> maps a reviewer flavor to a shell command invoked by the code-review workflow. Set via /gsd-config --integrations or directly:

node gsd-tools.cjs config-set review.models.codex    "codex exec --model gpt-5"
node gsd-tools.cjs config-set review.models.gemini   "gemini -m gemini-2.5-pro"
node gsd-tools.cjs config-set review.models.opencode "opencode run --model claude-sonnet-4"
node gsd-tools.cjs config-set review.models.claude   ""   # clear — fall back to session model

Slugs are validated against [a-zA-Z0-9_-]+; empty or path-containing slugs are rejected. See docs/CONFIGURATION.md for the full field reference.

Secret Handling

API keys configured via /gsd-settings (brave_search, firecrawl, exa_search) are written plaintext to .planning/config.json but are masked (****<last-4>) in every config-set / config-get output, confirmation table, and interactive prompt. See gsd-core/bin/lib/secrets.cjs for the masking implementation. The config.json file itself is the security boundary — protect it with filesystem permissions and keep it out of git (.planning/ is gitignored by default).

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Related

• Commands
• Configuration
• Architecture
• Fix the worktree base-mismatch (exit 42) error
• docs index