---
title: "CLI overview"
description: "cadence is a read-only CLI built primarily for coding agents to use as evidence, not just for humans."
url: "https://teamcadence.ai/docs/cli/overview/"
---
## Who it's for

The `cadence` CLI is designed first for **coding agents**, not humans typing commands by hand. Claude Code, Codex, or any other agent working in your repo can shell out to `cadence` mid-task to look up your own past sessions, code reviews, and blame history as evidence before making a decision - that's also the foundation [Cadence Cue](/docs/cue/overview/) is built on.

It's entirely **read-only** and **developer-scoped**: it never uploads sessions (the desktop daemon does that - see [Overview & tray](/docs/desktop/overview/)), and it only exposes your own data, not org- or team-wide insight. The one exception is `cadence cue build`, which writes a local memory artifact to your machine, and the redaction-hook commands, which install local config.

## Installing it

The CLI ships as a sidecar binary bundled inside the desktop app rather than a separate download. Install it from the app's overflow menu → **Install CLI** (see [Installation & onboarding](/docs/installation/)). It shares your existing sign-in via `~/.cadence/cli/config.toml` - no separate login step.

```bash
cadence auth status
```

## `--json` everywhere

Every command that returns data accepts a `--json` flag. Human output can be colorized, paged, or truncated for readability; `--json` output is stable, uncolored, and complete - that's the contract scripts and agents should rely on.

```bash
cadence session list --repo your-org/your-repo --json
```

## Giving an agent the CLI as a skill

Rather than explaining the CLI to your coding agent in a prompt each time, install a ready-made instruction file that teaches it how to use `cadence` as evidence:

```bash
cadence skill install --agent claude
cadence skill install --agent codex --project
```

`cadence skill print` prints the same content to stdout if you'd rather wire it in yourself.

## Full command reference

See the [command reference](/docs/cli/commands/) for every subcommand, its flags, and what it returns.