CLI Reference

CLI Reference

Run atlas --help and atlas <command> --help for the authoritative command contract installed on the machine.

Global Scope and Output

Common global controls:

atlas --repo /absolute/path status
atlas --db "sqlite:///absolute/path/.atlas/atlas.db" status
atlas --format json status
atlas --detail high symbol NewServer

Output formats include plain, json, compact, and ndjson where supported. Detail levels are low, medium, high, and xhigh.

Use an explicit --repo or repository ID when a shared database contains more than one repository.

Index and Health

atlas index .
atlas index . --reindex
atlas index . --enable-vectors
atlas watch .
atlas status
atlas stats
atlas doctor
atlas report --format plain

Search and Context

atlas search "authentication middleware" --mode lexical --format plain
atlas context \
  --paths internal/api/handler.go \
  --query "review correctness and regression risk" \
  --intent review

Use search for discovery. Use context when reviewing one or more changed paths and you need bounded related code.

Symbols and Relationships

atlas symbol NewServer
atlas snippet NewServer
atlas callers NewServer --limit 50
atlas refs NewServer
atlas path Handler ServeHTTP --max-depth 6

When a symbol name is overloaded, add package, receiver, or arity filters shown by the command help.

Impact and Routes

atlas impact --paths internal/api/handler.go --max-depth 3
atlas cross-repo-impact --paths internal/api/handler.go
atlas route-contracts
atlas consumers --max-staleness-days 30
atlas dependencies

Repository impact follows local code relationships. Cross-repository impact depends on linked repositories and indexed service contracts.

History and Snapshots

atlas history --limit 20
atlas snapshot-diff --from HEAD~1 --to HEAD

Snapshot availability depends on local retention and indexing history.

MCP and Assistant Setup

atlas bootstrap --dry-run
atlas bootstrap
atlas install skill --agent codex,claude,claude-desktop
atlas mcp --transport stdio
atlas serve --mcp
atlas uninstall --dry-run

See AI Assistant Setup and MCP Tools.

Local Service

atlas serve
atlas serve --watch=false
atlas serve --mcp

The default local dashboard and API address is 127.0.0.1:3099.

Maintenance

atlas migrate
atlas compact
atlas compact --full
atlas repo rm owner/repository --yes

Stop long-running Atlas processes before exclusive maintenance. Back up the complete .atlas/ directory before destructive data operations.