Commands
This reference is generated by anb skill. Command descriptions come from the CLI definitions; examples run against a scratch notebook. CI checks the committed copy for drift.
Global options
Section titled “Global options”| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--json |
JSON instead of TOON, with the same fields and selected content |
--notebook <PATH> |
Use this notebook path instead of the nearest .agent-notebook. Overrides ANB_NOTEBOOK; relative paths start at the working directory |
--global |
Your private knowledge across projects, in the home directory. Holds Notes and Decisions. Cannot combine with –notebook or –personal |
--personal |
Your private knowledge for this project, outside the repository. Recall includes it automatically alongside shared project knowledge |
--session <ID> |
Local agent session; ANB_SESSION or CODEX_THREAD_ID supplies the default |
Narrowing
Section titled “Narrowing”A read answers with the records its narrowing admits. Each flag is a predicate over the same notebook, so two flags ask for the intersection, and a flag means the same on every verb that takes it; a verb’s section names its own. Without --by, --mine or --team, the notebook’s scope config key decides whose records a read answers with.
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--by <NAME> |
Only this identity’s work: the tasks it holds, the records it wrote and the records waiting on it |
--mine |
Only your own: --by with the identity the writers sign with |
--team |
Everyone’s, whatever the notebook’s scope key says |
--untaken |
Only the tasks nobody holds, the pool anyone may take, whatever the notebook’s scope key says |
--to <NAME> |
Only the records addressed to this person |
--for <ID> |
Only this subject and records created from it, following origins through every descendant. Dependencies still govern readiness |
--tag <TAG> |
Only records carrying this tag; repeated, carrying every one |
--match <TEXT> |
Only records in which every word of this text starts a word of the id, title, tags, people or body, ignoring case |
--type <TYPE> |
Select record types, comma-separated or repeated. By default, include every type and records whose type could not be parsed |
--kind <KIND> |
Only records of these kinds, comma-separated or repeated: a Decision’s rule, shape or drift; a Note’s fact, term, guide, idea, model or spec |
--archive |
The archive too; by default only the work still in play |
anb recall
Section titled “anb recall”Open a session with your work and the standing rules of every audience, or search Notes and Decisions by a phrase
Arguments: [TEXT]
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--all |
Every row and full bodies, without the token budget |
Narrowing: --by, --mine, --team.
anb add
Section titled “anb add”Create a record: add task|decision|note|question "<title>". The notebook appears on first write
Arguments: <RECORD_TYPE> <TITLE>
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--id <ID> |
Choose the id, <type>.<slug> in at most 96 bytes. Omitted, the title’s words become it, cut at a word boundary within 64 characters and suffixed when taken: pass –id when a later command in the same script names the record |
--from <FROM> |
Origin: the record this record was born from |
--task <ID> |
Bind a Decision, Note or Question to the Task it serves; it leaves for the archive with that Task |
--tag <TAG> |
A tag; repeatable |
--link <LINK> |
<kind> <target>, e.g. pr https://…; repeatable |
--body <BODY> |
Record body text; omitted, the body starts empty |
--body-file <PATH> |
Read the body from a file; - reads standard input. Cannot combine with –body |
--by <BY> |
The accountable identity; omitted, ANB_BY or the git identity fills it |
--via <VIA> |
The acting agent tool |
--taken-by <NAME> |
Assign the Task to this person. If omitted, leave it unassigned until someone starts it |
--mine |
Assign the Task to yourself, using the current identity |
--to <NAME> |
Whom the record waits on: the person a question is put to, or the one a task’s review will be handed to. Omitted, it waits on nobody in particular |
--priority <PRIORITY> |
A task’s urgency, 0 to 4, 0 the most urgent |
--kind <KIND> |
A decision’s rule, shape, or drift; a note’s fact, term, guide, idea, model, or spec |
--supersedes <SUPERSEDES> |
The Decision or Note this record replaces; marks its predecessor superseded in the same operation |
anb start
Section titled “anb start”Start or resume a Task. Records your assignment, refuses work held by someone else, and replies with the Task as show reads it
Arguments: [ID]
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--next |
Start the next ready Task: your assigned work first, then unclaimed work |
--for <ID> |
Restrict –next to this record’s scope |
--join |
Share the Task with another local session without taking its focus away |
anb submit
Section titled “anb submit”Submit active work for review, optionally naming the reviewer
Arguments: <ID>
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--to <NAME> |
The reviewer, whose Status will show this Task. If omitted, keep the existing recipient or leave the review unassigned |
anb close
Section titled “anb close”Close completed work with an outcome. Use –reason to cancel a Task or settle a Question, or –resolved-by to cite its answer
Arguments: <ID>
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--body <BODY> |
Record the completed Task’s outcome in its body |
--body-file <PATH> |
Read the outcome from a file; - reads standard input |
--via <VIA> |
The acting agent tool recording the outcome |
--reason <WHY> |
Cancel a Task or settle a Question with an explanation recorded in its header |
--resolved-by <ID> |
The Decision or Task that settled the Question |
anb reopen
Section titled “anb reopen”Reopen a closed Task, preserving its recorded outcome
Arguments: <ID>
anb hold
Section titled “anb hold”Pause a Task deliberately; the reason is mandatory
Arguments: <ID>
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--reason <REASON> |
Why the Task cannot continue |
--until <DATE> |
Calendar hold: the date to resume on |
anb unhold
Section titled “anb unhold”Resume a held Task
Arguments: <ID>
anb block
Section titled “anb block”Write a dependency edge: this Task waits on another
Arguments: <ID> <ON>
anb unblock
Section titled “anb unblock”Erase a dependency edge
Arguments: <ID> <ON>
anb comment
Section titled “anb comment”Append an attributed entry to a record in the working set, preserving its body
Arguments: <ID> [TEXT]
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--body <BODY> |
Entry text, including Markdown and line breaks |
--body-file <PATH> |
Read the entry from a file; - reads standard input |
--via <VIA> |
The acting agent tool writing the entry |
anb retire
Section titled “anb retire”Retire a Decision or Note that no longer applies and has no successor
Arguments: <ID>
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--body <BODY> |
Append the outcome before retiring the record |
--body-file <PATH> |
Read the outcome from a file; - reads standard input |
--via <VIA> |
The acting agent tool recording the outcome |
anb ready
Section titled “anb ready”List Tasks that can start now, ordered by urgency, creation date and id
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--all |
Every row; the listing is bounded by default |
Narrowing: --by, --mine, --team, --untaken, --to, --for, --tag, --match.
anb list
Section titled “anb list”List records in the working set. Filter by subject, type or person
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--all |
Every row; the listing is bounded by default |
Narrowing: --by, --mine, --team, --untaken, --to, --for, --tag, --match, --type, --kind, --archive.
anb show
Section titled “anb show”Read one record and the ids of every record it relates to, in both directions
Arguments: <ID>
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--all |
Include complete fields and body without display limits |
anb status
Section titled “anb status”Summarize active work, the ready queue, Questions and items needing attention
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--budget <BUDGET> |
Override the configured token budget for this call; 0 removes the ceiling |
Narrowing: --by, --mine, --team.
anb check
Section titled “anb check”Verify every file: each finding names where it is, why, and what repairs it
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--all |
Every row; the listing is bounded by default |
anb import
Section titled “anb import”Import record directories and their archive, preserving ids, bodies and source dates
Arguments: <DIR>
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--check |
Validate the complete result and list new files without writing them |
anb migrate
Section titled “anb migrate”Normalize record envelopes to YAML, keeping recoverable originals and all record history. YAML quotes delimit text; review older values that used surrounding quotes literally
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--check |
Validate and list envelope changes without writing files or backups |
anb debt
Section titled “anb debt”List stale work, unresolved references and other items needing attention
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--all |
Every row; the listing is bounded by default |
anb archive
Section titled “anb archive”Move a settled record into the archive; a Task takes the records bound to it along
Arguments: <ID>
anb restore
Section titled “anb restore”Move an archived record back into the working set under the same filename. A Task brings back the live records bound to it; a record restored alone comes back unbound
Arguments: <ID>
anb delete
Section titled “anb delete”Delete a record born by mistake; refuses while anything cites it
Arguments: <ID>
anb edit
Section titled “anb edit”Change a record’s wording, assignment, tags or links. Use lifecycle commands for state
Arguments: <ID>
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--title <TITLE> |
The whole title, replaced |
--kind <KIND> |
A decision’s rule, shape, or drift; a note’s fact, term, guide, idea, model, or spec |
--body <BODY> |
The whole body, replaced; empty clears it |
--body-file <PATH> |
Replace the body with a file’s text; - reads standard input. Cannot combine with –body |
--tag <TAG> |
Add a tag; repeatable |
--untag <TAG> |
Remove a tag; repeatable |
--link <LINK> |
Add a link, <kind> <target>; repeatable. Use a record id for a shared relationship or a URL for an external source |
--unlink <LINK> |
Remove a link, spelled as it stands; repeatable |
--from <FROM> |
Origin: the record this record was born from |
--task <ID> |
Bind a Decision, Note or Question to the Task it serves; it leaves for the archive with that Task |
--priority <PRIORITY> |
0 to 4, 0 the most urgent |
--review-by <DATE> |
The explicit resurfacing date |
--taken-by <NAME> |
Assign the Task to this person, allowing them to start it |
--to <NAME> |
Whom the task or question waits on |
--clear <FIELD> |
The optional field to erase: from, task, priority, review-by, taken-by, or to; repeatable |
anb graph
Section titled “anb graph”Read the relationship graph for a notebook or a selected group of records
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--focus <ID> |
Only this record and the graph around it |
--depth <N> |
How many edges out from --focus the graph reaches; 1 by default |
--full |
Each record’s envelope and body as well |
--all |
Include complete record fields and bodies. Both formats always include every graph edge |
Narrowing: --by, --mine, --team, --untaken, --to, --for, --tag, --match, --type, --kind, --archive.
anb setup
Section titled “anb setup”Install instructions, skills and supported session hooks at the project root. Re-running updates managed files and preserves project-owned instructions
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--agent <NAME> |
An agent to wire: claude-code, codex, or agents-md for any tool that reads AGENTS.md and .agents/skills; repeatable |
--remove |
Remove managed integration files for the named agents |
anb skill
Section titled “anb skill”Print, write or check the workflow skill and its generated references
Arguments: [DIR]
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--check |
Compare the directory with the rendering instead of writing it; a difference is a failing exit, for CI |