--- title: CLI description: Reference for every eve CLI command: init, info, build, start, dev, link, deploy, eval, and channels. --- # 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]` | Scaffold a new agent, or add one to an existing project directory | | `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 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 add [kind]` | Scaffold a channel interactively, or by kind (`slack` \| `web`) | | `eve channels list` | List user-authored channels | 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] ``` The optional `target` decides the mode: * A name (`eve init my-agent`) scaffolds a fresh project in a new `my-agent/` directory. * An existing directory, including `.` for the current one (`eve init .`), adds an agent to that project. The project needs a `package.json`, the `agent/` files must not exist yet, and the missing `eve`, `ai`, and `zod` dependencies are added without touching anything else. * Omitting the target scaffolds or updates the current directory, the same as `eve init .`. Either mode installs dependencies, initializes Git, and runs `eve dev` through the project's package manager. | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | ---------------------- | ---- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--channel-web-nextjs` | flag | off | Add the Web Chat application (a Next.js app). Rejected when adding to an existing project; run `eve channels add web` there afterward. | ## `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 ``` No flags. Compiles to `.eve/` and builds the host output, then prints the built output path. Useful artifacts written under `.eve/` (preserved even on partial failure): | 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 | `$PORT`, then 3000 | Port to listen on | Serves the previously built output. Prints the listening URL. ## `eve dev` ```bash eve dev [options] eve dev https://your-app.vercel.app ``` Pass a bare URL as the only argument and the UI connects to that server instead of booting a local one (same as `--url`), which lets you smoke-test a preview or production deployment. The interactive UI turns off in a non-TTY terminal. | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | ----------------------------------- | ------ | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--host ` | string | all interfaces | Host interface to bind | | `--port ` | number | `$PORT`, then 3000 | Port to listen on | | `-u, --url ` | string | none | Connect to an existing server URL instead of starting one | | `--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 after launching the UI (editable, not auto-submitted) | | `--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` | Local dev writes the active server process ID to `.eve/dev-process.pid`. If another `eve dev` starts for the same agent while that process is still running, Eve exits with a message that includes the command to stop the existing server. Local dev keeps immutable runtime source snapshots under `.eve/dev-runtime/snapshots/` so in-flight sessions hold a consistent code revision while new prompts pick up rebuilds. On startup, `eve dev` prunes stale runtime snapshots and old local sandbox templates in the background. For manual cleanup, stop `eve dev` and delete `.eve/dev-runtime/snapshots/` or `.eve/sandbox-cache/local/templates/`. ## `eve link` ```bash eve link ``` Links the current directory to an existing Vercel project. You select a team and then a project, and Eve pulls the project's environment so an AI Gateway credential (`VERCEL_OIDC_TOKEN` or `AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY`) lands in `.env.local`, then verifies one actually did. 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` 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 | | `--strict` | flag | off | Below-threshold scores also fail the exit code | | `--list` | flag | off | Print discovered evals 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 add` ```bash eve channels add [kind] [-f] [-y] ``` Scaffolds a channel into `agent/channels/`. With no `kind` it prompts interactively; pass a `kind` (`slack` | `web`) to scaffold one directly. | Flag | Type | Default | Description | | ------------- | ---- | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | `-f, --force` | flag | off | Overwrite existing channel files | | `-y, --yes` | flag | off | Assume yes for confirmations; requires an explicit `kind` | ## `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) ยท [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): `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)