> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://gump.top/sdlc-harness-docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Command reference

> Entry points for every SDLC Harness CLI command and its arguments.

Run every command from the target repository root. This page omits the repeated `npx @caesarlo/sdlc-harness` prefix. Add it when the CLI is not installed.

```bash theme={null}
npx @caesarlo/sdlc-harness --help
```

Every subcommand also accepts `-h`/`--help` — anywhere among its arguments, not just first — and prints that command's own usage instead of running it.

```bash theme={null}
npx @caesarlo/sdlc-harness feature --help
npx @caesarlo/sdlc-harness milestone archive -h
```

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Repository and governance" icon="folder-check" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-repository" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Install Harness, audit the repository, and read status and traceability matrices.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Planning" icon="list-check" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-planning" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Create milestones interactively; create features interactively or import them from JSON; archive completed milestones.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Feature lifecycle" icon="diagram-project" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-feature" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Start, complete, block, and reopen features.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Verification and evidence" icon="fingerprint" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-evidence" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Execute verification and record reviews, manual evidence, and CI evidence.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Claims and leases" icon="user-lock" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-claim" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Claim, renew, take over, push, and release features.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workspace" icon="code-branch" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-workspace" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Create and clean up isolated Git worktree directories.
  </Card>

  <Card title="GitHub" icon="github" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-github" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Check repository protection configuration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Environment and sessions" icon="laptop-code" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-environment" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Check the project environment and summarize end-of-session status.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Feedback" icon="comment-dots" href="/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-feedback" cta="View arguments" arrow>
    Write structured feedback logs.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Repository and governance

| Command | Purpose | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `init [--force]` | Generate the complete protocol. By default, stop and list conflicts when files already exist. | [View `init` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-repository#init) |
| `adopt` | Insert only missing files. Generate a sidecar when `AGENTS.md` already exists. | [View `adopt` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-repository#adopt) |
| `validate` | Run every governance audit and exit nonzero on failure. | [View `validate` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-repository#validate) |
| `status` | Output a JSON summary of features, approvals, traceability, and next steps. | [View `status` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-repository#status) |
| `traceability` | Output the complete traceability matrix and exit nonzero when actual gaps exist. | [View `traceability` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-repository#traceability) |

## Planning

| Command | Purpose | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `new-feature [--input <path>]` | Create a feature interactively or import it from a JSON file in the repository. | [View `new-feature` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-planning#new-feature) |
| `new-milestone` | Create a milestone interactively. | [View `new-milestone` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-planning#new-milestone) |
| `milestone archive <milestone-id>` | Move a fully-passing milestone and its features to `.harness/archive/<milestone-id>.json`. | [View `milestone archive` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-planning#milestone-archive) |
| `milestone list-archived` | List archived milestones as JSON. | [View `milestone list-archived` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-planning#milestone-list-archived) |

## Feature lifecycle

| Command | Status transition | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `feature start <feature-id>` | Check readiness, dependencies, and WIP, then claim the feature and move it to `in_progress`. | [View `start` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-feature#start) |
| `feature complete <feature-id>` | Check evidence and independent review, then move the feature to `passing`. | [View `complete` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-feature#complete) |
| `feature block <feature-id>` | Record a blocker, release the claim, and move the feature to `blocked`. | [View `block` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-feature#block) |
| `feature reopen <feature-id>` | Clear the blocker and move the feature from `blocked` to `not_started`. | [View `reopen` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-feature#reopen) |

## Verification, review, and evidence

| Command | Purpose | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `verify <feature-id>` | Execute automated verification and record test evidence. | [View `verify` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-evidence#verify) |
| `evidence manual <feature-id>` | Record manual evidence for a manual verification item. | [View `evidence manual` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-evidence#manual) |
| `review record <feature-id>` | Record a review conclusion for the current commit. | [View `review record` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-evidence#review-record) |
| `evidence approval <artifact>` | Record project-level approval bound to the file content hash. | [View `evidence approval` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-evidence#approval) |
| `evidence import <feature-id>` | Validate and import a successful GitHub Actions run. | [View `evidence import` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-evidence#import) |

## Claims and leases

| Command | Purpose | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `claim <feature-id>` | Claim a specific feature. | [View `claim` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-claim#claim) |
| `claim --next` | Select a ready feature by dependency status, priority, and list order. | [View `--next` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-claim#next) |
| `claim renew <feature-id>` | Renew an existing claim from the current time. | [View `renew` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-claim#renew) |
| `claim <feature-id> --takeover-expired` | Take over an expired claim. | [View takeover arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-claim#takeover-expired) |
| `claim <feature-id> --push` | Claim, commit, and push. Try the next feature after a remote conflict. | [View `--push` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-claim#push) |
| `release <feature-id>` | Release the claim and return `in_progress` to `not_started`. | [View `release` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-claim#release) |

<Note>
  Solo mode usually does not require manual claims. `verify` temporarily claims the feature for `defaultOwner` when needed and releases it afterward. Team mode requires an active claim in advance.
</Note>

## Workspace

| Command | Purpose | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `workspace create <feature-id>` | Create `.worktrees/<id>` and a `feature/<id>` branch. | [View `create` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-workspace#create) |
| `workspace status` | Output all registered workspaces. | [View `status` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-workspace#status) |
| `workspace remove <feature-id>` | Safely remove one workspace. | [View `remove` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-workspace#remove) |
| `workspace prune` | Clean up workspaces whose claims were released or expired. | [View `prune` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-workspace#prune) |

## GitHub provider

| Command | Purpose | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `provider github check` | Check branch protection, review, and status-check configuration. | [View GitHub arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-github#check) |

## Environment and sessions

| Command | Purpose | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `env` | List configured environment commands. | [View `env` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-environment#env) |
| `env check` | Run `bootstrap`, `verify`, `e2e`, and `health` in sequence. | [View `env check` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-environment#env-check) |
| `session close` | Summarize governance, environment, Git, and feature status. | [View `session close` details →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-environment#session-close) |

## Feedback

| Command | Purpose | Argument reference |
| - | - | - |
| `feedback log` | Write a structured entry at the top of the feedback log. | [View `feedback log` arguments →](/sdlc-harness-docs/reference/command-feedback#log) |

## Common defaults

| Argument | Default |
| - | - |
| Claim and lifecycle `--owner` | `harness.config.json.defaultOwner` |
| GitHub repository `--owner` for `provider github check` and `evidence import` | Inferred from `origin`; required when it cannot be inferred |
| `--ttl` | 120 minutes |
| `--remote` | `origin` |
| `--branch` | `main` |
| `--base` | `main` |

The default for `--actor` varies by command. See the corresponding argument page.

<Warning>
  `init --force` and `workspace ... --force` can overwrite files or discard uncommitted or unpushed work. Read the corresponding argument page and command output before using them.
</Warning>


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