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CLI Reference

General Commands

CommandDescription
bgng statusSummarize current effective state
bgng status --explainShow provenance for cards, skills, MCP servers, targets, and write records
bgng status --why <category>:<name>Explain why one skill, server, extension, target, or card is active
bgng doctorDiagnose problems without mutating
bgng scanScan the current environment
bgng initStart or bootstrap project config
bgng writeWrite effective config to target tools
bgng write --forceOverwrite drift in bgng-managed regions

Card Commands

CommandDescription
bgng apply <refs...>Alias for bgng card apply
bgng updateAlias for bgng card update
bgng card new <name>Create an editable card source under ~/.agents/bgng/sources
bgng card publish <name>Publish a card source into the immutable local store
bgng card show <ref>Show one resolved card version
bgng card listList published cards in the local store
bgng card diff <before> <after>Compare two published card versions
bgng card deprecate <ref>Mark a published version as deprecated
bgng card apply <refs...>Replace the current project’s card set and write card.lock
bgng card add <ref>Add one card to the current project
bgng card pin <ref>Pin or replace one card ref
bgng card remove <name>Remove one card from the project
bgng card detachRemove all cards from the project
bgng card updateRefresh card.lock from configured card refs
bgng card outdatedReport cards with newer local versions available
bgng card statusShow configured refs, lock entries, and outdated cards

Store Commands

CommandDescription
bgng store statusShow cards-era store status
bgng store migrateMigrate the pre-cards layout to ~/.agents/bgng

Add Commands

CommandDescription
bgng add skill [name-or-query]Add a skill to the current project
bgng add mcp [name-or-query]Add an MCP server to the current project

Search Commands

CommandDescription
bgng search skill <query>Search for skills in the library and online catalogs
bgng search mcp <query>Search for MCP servers

Library Commands

CommandDescription
bgng library list [skills|mcp|tools]List library contents
bgng library show <id>Show details for a library item
bgng library add skill <packageSpec>Add a package-backed skill bundle
bgng library add mcp <jsonFile> --as <serverId>Register a user MCP server
bgng library defaults listList machine-wide defaults
bgng library defaults add skill <skillName>Add a skill to defaults
bgng library defaults remove skill <skillName>Remove a skill from defaults
bgng library defaults add mcp <serverName>Add an MCP server to defaults
bgng library defaults remove mcp <serverName>Remove an MCP server from defaults

Extension Commands

CommandDescription
bgng extensions listList available extensions
bgng extensions add <name>Enable an extension for the current project
bgng extensions show <name>Show extension details
bgng extensions status [name]Report extension status
bgng extensions doctor [name]Diagnose extension issues
bgng extensions setup beadsRun Beads setup workflow
bgng extensions setup parallelRun Parallel setup workflow
bgng extensions setup markitdownRun MarkItDown setup workflow

MCP Commands

CommandDescription
bgng mcp listList active MCP servers
bgng mcp writeWrite MCP config to targets

Skill Commands

CommandDescription
bgng skills listList available skills
bgng skills curate <skillName>Curate a shared skill
bgng skills uncurate <skillName>Remove a skill from curation
bgng skills packages add <packageSpec>Add a package-backed skill bundle
bgng skills packages listList installed skill packages
bgng skills packages show <packageName>Show package details

Common Flags

Most inspection commands support --json for machine-readable output. Write commands support --dry-run to preview changes. Card project mutation commands support --write to run bgng write after a successful mutation.

Use --help on any command for details:

bgng --help
bgng write --help
bgng card --help
bgng store --help
bgng status --help
bgng add skill --help
bgng library list --help
bgng search skill --help
bgng extensions setup beads --help
bgng extensions setup markitdown --help
bgng skills packages add --help