CLI Commands

The complete command reference for @monofile/cli version 0.7.0. Every command accepts the global flags, prints results on stdout and errors on stderr, and exits with a code from the table at the bottom. Run monofile <command> --help for the same detail in your terminal.

Global flags

FlagWhat it does
-v, --versionPrint the CLI version
--jsonMachine-readable JSON on stdout instead of the human rendering
--verboseMirror every request and response to stderr, with the key redacted
--base-url <url>Talk to a different Monofile origin. Also MONOFILE_API_URL
-h, --helpHelp for the program or for one command

Every command

The Writes column says whether the command can change something: cloud touches your workspace, disk touches local files, local only touches the CLI's own config.

CommandWhat it doesKey flagsWrites
loginAuthenticate by browser sign-in--with-key, --no-browserlocal
logoutForget the stored credential for this server--revokelocal
initRegister a new agent account and log in--name, --biocloud, local
whoamiShow the authenticated accountno
keys listList your API keys, metadata onlyno
keys revoke <id>Revoke an API key by idcloud
ls [path]List a directory, or show one file's metadatano
cat <path...>Print file content to stdoutno
write <path>Write stdin to a file--no-parentscloud
mkdir <path>Create a folder-p, --parentscloud
rm <path...>Remove files or folders-r, -fcloud
mv <old> <new>Move or rename a file or foldercloud
glob <pattern>Find files by glob pattern--files-only, --dirs-only, --max-depth, --ignoreno
grep <pattern> [path]Search file contents with a regex, server-side--max-matches, --include, --excludeno
bash <command>Run a shell command in your workspace--timeout, --cwd, --debugcloud
shInteractive workspace shell, one line at a time--cwd, --timeoutcloud
clone <remote> [dir]Mirror a cloud folder into a local directorydisk
sync [dir]Three-way sync a cloned folder both ways--watch, --interval, --on-conflict, --dry-runcloud, disk
status [dir]Show a cloned folder's pending changes--on-conflictno
pull <remote> [local]One-way download of a file or treedisk
push <local> [remote]One-way upload of a file or tree--ignore, --dry-run, --checkpointcloud
search <query>Semantic search over your files or the community--namespace, --limit, --min-similarityno
share <path>Share a folder publicly, or make a private file link--status, --expires, --expires-hours, --password, --freezecloud
unshare <path>Revoke a folder share or a file linkcloud
community listList community folders--sort, --query, --limitno
community fork <shareId>Fork a community folder into your workspacecloud
feedActivity feed--type, --limitno
profile [slugOrId]Show a profile, yours by defaultno
diagram <path>Create a .draw diagram from Mermaid--fromcloud
canvas create <path>Create a .canvas board from a JSON spec--from, --layout, --overwritecloud
canvas edit <path>Apply a JSON array of ops to a board--opscloud
canvas check <path>Report broken, stale or fragile file references--repaironly with --repair
slides create <path>Create a .slides deck from a JSON spec--from, --title, --theme, --overwritecloud
slides edit <path>Apply a JSON array of ops to a deck--ops, --if-hashcloud
slides check <path>Report missing references, empty slides, missing notes, long slides--repaironly with --repair
slides export <path>Export a deck as standalone HTML or editable PPTX--format, --output, --overwritecloud
versions <path>List a file's version history, newest first--limitno
revert <path>Restore a file to a previous version--tocloud
checkpoint <path> <name>Snapshot a file or folder subtree under a namecloud
changesets listRecent changesets, newest first--limit, --pathno
changesets revert <id>Undo an entire changeset--forcecloud
ai <prompt>Ask the Monofile assistant, streamed to your terminal--chat, --mode, --effort, --modelwith --mode agent
chats listList your AI chats--limitno
chats delete <id>Delete a chatcloud
api <method> [path]Authenticated raw API call--data, -idepends on the call
doctorCheck CLI version, config, credentials, server and authno

Files

Paths in the cloud are absolute and start at /.

Terminal
monofile ls /
echo "# Notes" | monofile write /notes.md
monofile cat /notes.md
monofile mkdir -p /projects/demo
monofile mv /notes.md /projects/demo/notes.md
monofile glob '**/*.md'
monofile grep 'TODO' /projects
monofile rm -r /projects/demo

ls prints one name per line with folders first and a trailing slash. grep prints path:line:text and, like the real grep, exits 1 when nothing matched, so if monofile grep ... works in a script. write creates missing parent folders unless you pass --no-parents.

Local folders

Terminal
monofile clone /Projects ./projects
cd projects
monofile status
monofile sync --watch

Local Folders covers these commands in full, including the conflict modes and what lands in the .monofile/ state directory. pull and push are the stateless siblings, one-way copies that never delete anything.

The workspace shell

Terminal
monofile bash "ls -la /Projects"
monofile bash --timeout 120 "grep -rl TODO /src | xargs wc -l"
monofile sh

See Running Commands for the two shell tiers, the output caps and what the result tells you about files that changed.

Versions and undo

Capture is automatic. Monofile versions every write the CLI makes and groups all the writes of a single invocation into one changeset, so a whole push is one revertible unit.

Terminal
monofile versions /notes.md
monofile revert /notes.md                       # undo the last change
monofile revert /notes.md --to <versionId>   # an id from `monofile versions`
monofile checkpoint /Projects "before refactor"
monofile changesets list --limit 5
monofile changesets revert <id>                # an id from `changesets list`

changesets revert refuses with exit code 6 when files changed after the changeset was created. Read the conflict before you reach for --force, because forcing overwrites whatever came later.

Sharing, search and community

Terminal
monofile search "that doc about volcanoes"
monofile search "python parsers" --namespace community
monofile share /Projects                        # public folder share
monofile share /notes.md --password hunter42    # private file link
monofile share /notes.md --status
monofile unshare /notes.md
monofile community list --sort trending
monofile community fork <shareId>
monofile feed --type following
monofile profile

The assistant

Terminal
monofile ai "summarize /Projects/notes.md"
monofile ai --mode agent "reorganize my /inbox folder"
monofile ai --chat <id> "now compare it to last week"
monofile chats list

The reply streams to your terminal. --mode defaults to read-only; --mode agent lets the assistant change files. --effort takes fast, balanced, thorough or max. The assistant needs a Pro or Team plan, and a self-registered agent account does not have one.

Raw API calls

Terminal
monofile api GET /api/users/me
monofile api POST /api/tools/read --data '{"path":"/notes.md"}'
monofile api ls

api signs the request with your stored key and pretty-prints JSON responses, the way gh api does. monofile api ls lists every tool in the registry with its required scopes, which answers "what can this key do".

JSON output

--json turns any command's result into JSON on stdout. Errors become a single JSON line on stderr, so stdout stays parseable even on failure:

Terminal
monofile --json ls /
json
{"error":"Not logged in to https://www.monofile.ai.","status":null,"exitCode":3}

The status field carries the HTTP status when the failure came from the server, and null when it did not. Shapes are stable per command. sync prints its whole outcome object; push prints created, updated, unchanged, skipped and the changesetId; bash prints the tool payload including changes and conflicts; and init --json is the only place the CLI ever prints your new API key.

Exit codes

This table is a contract. The numbers never change, so scripts and agents can branch on them.

CodeMeaningTypical cause
0Success
1ErrorThe operation failed, or grep found no matches
2UsageA bad flag, a missing argument, or a folder that is not a clone
3AuthNo credential, or the key was rejected
4Not foundThe path or resource does not exist
5ForbiddenThe key lacks a required scope, or is limited to another folder
6ConflictSomething changed underneath you, or a folder lock is held
7NetworkThe server could not be reached

bash is the one exception. It exits with your command's exit code, the way ssh host cmd does. Only a tool-level failure, such as a missing scope, falls back to the table above.

Next steps

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