--- title: CLI description: Reference for every eve CLI command: init, info, build, start, dev, logs, trace, link, deploy, eval, channels, and extension. --- # CLI The `eve` binary (`bin: eve`) runs from your app root, and every command first loads `.env`/`.env.local` from that root. Running `eve` with no command runs `eve dev`. ## Commands | Command | Description | | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `eve init [target]` | Create a new agent, or add an agent to an existing project | | `eve info` | Print the resolved application, including discovered tools, skills, subagents, schedules, channels, routes, artifact paths, and discovery diagnostics | | `eve build` | Compile `.eve/` artifacts and build the host output; prints the output directory | | `eve start` | Serve the built `.output/` app; prints the listening URL | | `eve dev` | Start the local dev server and open the terminal UI | | `eve dev ` | Connect the UI to an existing server URL (e.g. a remote deployment) instead of booting a local server | | `eve acp [url]` | Serve the local application or an existing eve server URL as a stable ACP v1 agent over stdio | | `eve logs [logid]` | Print an `eve dev` diagnostic log (the most recent when `logid` is omitted) | | `eve logs ls` | List `eve dev` diagnostic logs, most recent first | | `eve traces ls` | List locally captured agent traces, most recent first | | `eve traces [trace]` | Show a local span tree (the most recent when omitted) | | `eve link` | Link the directory to a Vercel project and pull AI Gateway credentials | | `eve deploy` | Deploy the agent to Vercel production (links first if needed) | | `eve eval` | Run evals against the local app or a remote target | | `eve channels list` | List user-authored channels | | `eve extension init [target]` | Create a new extension package | | `eve extension build` | Build the current package as an extension | | `eve add ` | Install an item from the official or a configured shadcn registry | | `eve registry ` | Add sources and list, search, or view registry catalog items | When `eve build` fails on discovery errors, it prints the full diagnostics report (severity, message, source path) and the diagnostics artifact path. ## `eve init` ```bash eve init [target] [--channel-web-nextjs] ``` Creates a new agent app or adds an agent to an existing app. Always installs dependencies. New directories also initialize Git. | Target | What happens | | ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `eve init my-agent` | New agent project in `my-agent/` | | `eve init .` (or an existing project dir) | Adds `agent/` plus missing `eve`, `ai`, and `zod` deps. Needs a `package.json` and no `agent/` files yet | | `eve init` with no target | Same as `eve init .`, except coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, and similar) get a setup guide instead of scaffolding — they have not chosen a name yet | After scaffolding, a human terminal usually continues into `eve dev` (or a coding-agent REPL if one is on `PATH` and you pick it). Coding-agent launches print the next steps instead of opening the TUI, so the session does not get stuck. Fresh projects use the parent workspace's package manager when there is one; otherwise they use the manager that launched `eve init`. | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | ---------------------- | ---- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--channel-web-nextjs` | flag | off | Add the Web Chat app (Next.js). Not for existing projects — run `eve add channel/web` there instead. | ## `eve extension` Commands for reusable [extension](/docs/extensions) packages. An extension declares distinct authoring and distribution roots in `package.json#eve.extension` (for example `"eve": { "extension": { "source": "./extension", "dist": "./dist/extension" } }`). ### `eve extension init` ```bash eve extension init [target] ``` Creates a new extension package, installs dependencies, and initializes Git. Prints next steps instead of starting `eve dev`. | Target | What happens | | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | `eve extension init my-crm` | New extension package in `my-crm/` | | `eve extension init .` | Scaffold in the current empty directory | | No target | Same as `.` for humans; coding agents get a short setup guide | Create-only: cannot target an existing project that already has a `package.json`. See [Extensions](/docs/extensions) for authoring and mount details. ### `eve extension build` ```bash eve extension build ``` Builds the complete agent-shaped extension tree into its configured dist root, emits declarations and compatibility metadata, and fills the package `exports` map. The original TypeScript source is not required in the published package. ## Registry items Commands for installing and discovering [shadcn registry](https://ui.shadcn.com/docs/registry) items. Official registry items use a kind and slug (for example, `extension/agent-browser`); URLs and configured registry addresses are also supported. ```bash eve add extension/agent-browser eve add channel/slack --skip-install eve add https://example.com/r/my-extension.json --overwrite eve registry add @acme=https://example.com/r/{name}.json eve registry search browser eve registry search browser --registry @acme eve registry view @acme/my-extension eve add @acme/my-extension ``` `eve add` asks before running setup declared by an official item and prints the matching `eve add --skip-install` command when setup is skipped or cancelled. `--skip-install` reruns setup without reinstalling the item. `eve registry add` records configured sources in `package.json#registries`. `eve registry list` and `search` aggregate the official catalog and all configured sources by default, or browse one supplied URL or namespace. Official and other universal items with explicit file targets do not require shadcn project configuration. ## `eve info` ```bash eve info [--json] ``` | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | -------- | ---- | ------- | ------------ | | `--json` | flag | off | Emit as JSON | Run this first when something behaves unexpectedly. It confirms a file was discovered, lists the active surface, and surfaces discovery diagnostics, all faster than booting the dev server. ## `eve build` ```bash eve build [--profile ] [--skip-sandbox-prewarm] ``` Compiles and bundles in an invocation-owned directory under `.eve/builds/`, then publishes the completed host output and prints its path. Scratch workspaces are removed after success or failure. | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | ------------------------ | ------ | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--profile ` | string | off | Best-effort versioned JSON report with build-phase timings and final output-size measurements | | `--skip-sandbox-prewarm` | flag | off | Skip sandbox template prewarm for a Vercel build; the output might not be deployable | Use a profile file to establish a repeatable baseline before changing the build pipeline: ```bash eve build --profile .eve/build-profiles/baseline.json ``` The report is attempted only after a successful build. It records total elapsed time, completed phase timings, and final regular-file totals for file count, raw bytes, and the sum of each file compressed with gzip. For Vercel output it also includes a subtotal for every real `.func` directory, so app and flow bundles can be compared separately. The profile path resolves from the app root and should be outside the published output directory; profile collection does not add a file to the deployment. If collection or writing fails, eve emits a warning but keeps the completed build successful. Production builds do not write through the stable compiler, host, Nitro, or Workflow files owned by `eve dev`, so builds can run while a local dev server is active. A failed build leaves the last successful `.output/` and agent summary untouched. Concurrent completed builds serialize only the final publication window. Useful stable artifacts written by inspection and development flows under `.eve/` include: | Artifact | Description | | ---------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | `.eve/discovery/agent-discovery-manifest.json` | What eve found on disk | | `.eve/discovery/diagnostics.json` | Authored-shape errors and warnings | | `.eve/compile/compiled-agent-manifest.json` | The serialized authored surface eve loads at runtime | | `.eve/compile/compile-metadata.json` | Build-time metadata and paths | | `.eve/compile/module-map.mjs` | Compiled module entrypoints eve imports at runtime | ## `eve start` ```bash eve start [--host ] [--port ] ``` | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | --------------- | ------ | ------------------ | ---------------------- | | `--host ` | string | all interfaces | Host interface to bind | | `--port ` | number | `$PORT`, then 3000 | Port to listen on | Serves the previously built output. Prints the listening URL. ## `eve dev` ```bash eve dev [options] eve dev https://your-app.vercel.app ``` Pass a bare URL and the UI connects to that server instead of booting a local one (same as `--url`), which lets you smoke-test a preview or production deployment. The interactive UI turns off in a non-TTY terminal. | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | ----------------------------------- | ------ | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--host ` | string | all interfaces | Host interface to bind | | `--port ` | number | `$PORT`, then 2000 | Port to listen on | | `-u, --url ` | string | none | Connect to an existing server URL instead of starting one | | `-H, --header
` | string | none | Request header for a URL target, in `Name: value` form; repeat for multiple headers | | `--no-ui` | flag | UI on | Start the server without an interactive UI | | `--name ` | string | app folder name | Title shown in the terminal UI | | `--input ` | string | none | Pre-fill the prompt input; bare local `/model` starts onboarding | | `--tools ` | enum | `auto-collapsed` | Tool-call rendering: `full` \| `collapsed` \| `auto-collapsed` \| `hidden` | | `--reasoning ` | enum | `full` | Reasoning rendering: `full` \| `collapsed` \| `auto-collapsed` \| `hidden` | | `--subagents ` | enum | `auto-collapsed` | Subagent-section rendering: `full` \| `collapsed` \| `auto-collapsed` \| `hidden` | | `--connection-auth ` | enum | `full` | Connection-authorization rendering: `full` \| `collapsed` \| `auto-collapsed` \| `hidden` | | `--assistant-response-stats ` | enum | `tokensPerSecond` | Assistant header statistic: `tokens` \| `tokensPerSecond` | | `--context-size ` | number | none | Model context window size, shown as a usage percentage | | `--logs ` | enum | `stderr` | Server/agent logs to show: `all` \| `stderr` \| `sandbox` \| `none` | `eve acp` reserves stdin and stdout for newline-delimited JSON-RPC and sends diagnostics to stderr. Without a URL, it supervises an isolated local development server. With a URL, it bridges ACP to that server's existing eve HTTP API and accepts the same URL credentials and request headers as `eve dev `. Pass `--scope ` when the active Vercel scope does not own the deployment; `EVE_VERCEL_SCOPE` provides the same value for managed harnesses. See [Use eve through ACP](../guides/acp) for client configuration and capability limits. A fresh `eve init` passes `--input /model`. That bare local input starts onboarding: the TUI installs the Vercel CLI if needed, asks you to log in if needed, opens `/model`, then offers categorized registry next steps before the first prompt. Other input stays editable in the prompt. For a URL target protected by HTTP Basic auth, put the credentials in the URL. eve sends them as a Basic `Authorization` header and strips them from the server URL before connecting: ```bash eve dev https://user:pass@your-app.example.com ``` For bearer tokens or custom schemes, pass explicit headers with `-H`. ### `eve invoke` | Option | Type | Default | Description | | ----------------------- | ------ | ------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | `[prompt]` | string | none | Prompt, follow-up, or answer to a pending input | | `-u, --url ` | string | local | Invoke an existing server | | `-H, --header
` | string | none | Request header for a URL target; repeatable | | `--resume` | flag | off | Read a previous resumable result from stdin | | `--scope ` | string | current | Vercel team that owns the URL target | | `--json-schema` | flag | off | Print the result JSON Schema and exit | Use `eve invoke` to submit a turn without opening the TUI. It emits JSON after the invocation completes or reaches a blocking input or authorization event. ```bash eve invoke "Summarize station telemetry" result=$(eve invoke "Deploy the application") printf '%s' "$result" | eve invoke --resume "approve" eve invoke --json-schema ``` `--resume` reads a complete previous result from stdin. Supply text for a `ready` follow-up or pending input; the agent harness resolves input text against all pending requests. A `ready` result includes the previous turn's completed or failed `outcome`. An `authorization-required` result lists every unresolved challenge in `authorizations`; complete them, then resume without text. Pass explicit headers again for protected remote servers. If the URL belongs to another Vercel team, pass its slug with `--scope`; this does not relink the current directory. Pass the scope again when resuming. Paused invocations exit `3`; failures exit `1`. Local callback-based connection authorization requires a persistent server. Run `eve dev`, then use `eve invoke --url ` instead. If a waiting invocation receives `SIGINT` or `SIGTERM` after acceptance, it emits a final resumable `running` result before exiting. Local dev records the last ready URL per resolved app root in `.eve/dev-server-state.v1.json`. A second interactive `eve dev` reconnects only when that URL is loopback and healthy; each terminal UI creates a fresh client session while sharing the server process. A stale or malformed record is replaced when eve starts a new server. Passing `--host`, `--port`, or a `PORT` environment value skips reconnection and reports a healthy recorded server instead. Local dev keeps immutable runtime source snapshots under `.eve/dev-runtime/snapshots/` so in-flight turns hold a consistent code revision while new turns pick up rebuilds. The terminal REPL keeps its logical session across successful rebuilds, so the next turn continues the conversation on the latest generation; `/new` terminally retires that session before clearing the transcript, and the next prompt starts a fresh session with a new session-scoped sandbox on first sandbox use. After a generation is superseded, `eve dev` retains it for at least 30 minutes and also retains the five most recently superseded generations, regardless of the configured Workflow World. The active generation is never pruned. Old runtime snapshots and local sandbox templates are pruned in the background. For manual cleanup, stop `eve dev` before deleting `.eve/dev-runtime/snapshots/` or `.eve/sandbox-cache/local/templates/`. A turn that remains unfinished beyond the automatic retention window can no longer resume after its generation is pruned. When no authored `agent/instrumentation.ts` exists, local dev also records traces under `.eve/traces/`, and bounds that store by age, size, and a keep-newest floor. Configure it with `EVE_TRACES*` in `.env.local`; see [local trace retention](../guides/instrumentation#local-trace-retention) for the rules and defaults. ## `eve logs` ```bash eve logs # print the most recent diagnostic log eve logs ls # list logs, most recent first eve logs # print a specific log eve logs --dump # prepend the log's environment dump eve logs --events # interleave session events from the local workflow store ``` Each interactive `eve dev` process writes a private diagnostic log under `.eve/logs/` capturing stderr, stdout (including sandbox and rebuild lines), tool failures, workflow errors, and eve framework log records — regardless of what the transcript shows. The file is JSON Lines — every line is one JSON record with `at` and `source` fields. `eve logs` reads those files back. A log id is the file name without `.log` (for example `dev-2026-07-15T12-00-00.000Z-123`). `eve logs ` also accepts the file name, the `.eve/logs/...` path printed in the dev transcript, or any unambiguous prefix of the id with or without the `dev-` lead — so `eve logs 2026-07-15` works when a single log matches. An ambiguous prefix fails and lists the candidates. `eve logs` prints nothing but records — no path banner on either stream — so `eve logs 2>&1 | jq -c .` always parses. Discover ids and file paths with `eve logs ls`; `eve logs ls --json` emits a machine-readable array with `id`, `path`, `startedAt`, and `sizeBytes`. `eve logs --events` resolves session events (`session.started`, `turn.failed`, message deltas, …) from the local workflow store (`.eve/.workflow-data`) at query time and interleaves them into the output by timestamp as `source: "event"` records — the log file itself never stores them, so nothing is duplicated at capture time. Selection is by the log's time window (its start through the next log's start), so events from concurrently running `eve dev` processes may appear. Each log has a same-named `.dump` sibling holding environment diagnostics and session stats as one JSON document. `eve logs --dump` (with or without a log id) prepends that document to the JSONL log body; the combined output is a valid JSON value stream (`eve logs --dump | jq -c .`), one self-contained report to attach to an issue. When a log has no dump, the flag is silently a no-op. ## `eve traces` ```bash eve traces ls # list traces, most recent first eve traces ls --json # emit machine-readable trace summaries eve traces # show the most recent span tree eve traces # show one span tree ``` Reads the immutable OTLP/JSON segments under `.eve/traces/v1`, so `eve dev` need not be running. Accepts a full trace id, an `agent.session.id`, or an unambiguous prefix of either. Malformed segments are skipped without hiding valid spans from the same trace. A subagent keeps its own session id but records into the trace its parent had open at dispatch, so delegated work appears under the session that caused it, tagged with `agent.root.session.id`. Either session id resolves to that trace. A remote agent traces under its own deployment and is not recorded here. A session long enough to outgrow one trace — far longer than anything you will drive locally — continues into a new one. Each is a session window, numbered from zero on `agent.session.window`; passing a session id shows every window it produced, oldest first, and a trace id shows just that window. One parent turn can dispatch several subagents into the same window, so a child's turn spans name the dispatch: `agent.parent.session.id`, `agent.parent.turn.id`, and `agent.parent.call_id` identify the tool call that created the child, and `agent.subagent.name` the subagent it invoked. Top-level sessions carry none of these. `agent.session` and `agent.turn` outlive the worker that opened them, so they are recorded as zero-duration markers. The span tree shows their descendant extent instead; `agent.step` and the model and tool spans beneath it carry real durations. A third-party OTel backend reports zero for the markers. ## `eve link` ```bash eve link ``` Links the current directory to a Vercel project. After selecting a team, you can create a project named for the agent or link an existing project. The existing-project picker shows recent projects; type a project name and choose **Search for ''** to search the rest of that team's projects. Vercel links the resolved project, eve verifies its project ID, and then pulls the project's environment so an AI Gateway credential (`VERCEL_OIDC_TOKEN` or `AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY`) lands in `.env.local`. Running it again re-links: the pickers always run, and the new choice wins. The command is interactive only; in CI, use `vercel link --project --yes --non-interactive` instead. A running `eve dev` reloads env files automatically, so you don't need to restart after the pull. ## `eve deploy` ```bash eve deploy ``` Deploys the agent to Vercel production (`vercel deploy --prod`), installing dependencies first and pulling environment variables after. An already-linked project deploys with or without a TTY (non-interactive runs pass the non-interactive `vercel` flags). An unlinked directory walks the `eve link` pickers when a terminal is present, and exits with guidance otherwise. ## `eve eval` ```bash eve eval [evalId...] [--url ] [options] ``` Runs all discovered evals when no eval ids are given; ids match exactly or by directory prefix (`eve eval weather` runs everything under `evals/weather/`). Exits `0` when every eval passed its checks, `1` when any eval failed (a failed check, an execution error, or a `--strict` threshold miss), `2` on configuration errors. | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | ------------------------ | ------ | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--url ` | string | none | Remote agent URL (skip local host startup) | | `--tag ` | string | none | Run only evals carrying a tag | | `--exclude-tag ` | string | none | Skip evals carrying a tag | | `--strict` | flag | off | Below-threshold scores also fail the exit code | | `--list` | flag | off | Print evals selected by the tag filters, without running them | | `--timeout ` | number | none | Per-eval timeout in milliseconds | | `--max-concurrency ` | number | 8 | Max concurrent eval executions | | `--json` | flag | off | Output results as JSON | | `--junit ` | string | none | Write JUnit XML results to a file | | `--skip-report` | flag | off | Skip eval-defined reporters (e.g. Braintrust) | | `--verbose` | flag | off | Stream per-eval `t.log` lines to stdout | See [Evals](../evals/overview) for authoring evals. ## `eve channels list` ```bash eve channels list [--json] ``` Lists the user-authored channels in the current project. | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | -------- | ---- | ------- | -------------- | | `--json` | flag | off | Output as JSON | ## Recommended loop 1. Edit files under `agent/`. 2. `eve info` to confirm discovery or read diagnostics. 3. `eve dev` while iterating locally. 4. `eve build` before shipping. 5. `eve start` to smoke-test the built output locally. Related: [Project layout](./project-layout) · [instrumentation.ts](../guides/instrumentation). ## What to read next * [Project layout](./project-layout): what `eve info` discovers * [instrumentation.ts](../guides/instrumentation): tracing and the error catalog * [Deployment](../guides/deployment/overview): `eve build` and `eve start` in production --- For a semantic overview of all documentation, see [/sitemap.md](/sitemap.md) For an index of all available documentation, see [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) For agent-facing discovery, including API and MCP surfaces, see [/agents.md](/agents.md)