Reference

CLI reference

Commands and controls for interactive sessions, one-shot prompts, shell pipelines, and automation.

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Usage

Command forms

bwat                         Start an interactive session
bwat -p "<prompt>"            Run once and exit
echo "<context>" | bwat -p "<prompt>"
bwat <command>

Account commands

Command	Description
`bwat login`	Sign in through your browser
`bwat logout`	Remove the local sign-in
`bwat whoami`	Show the signed-in account
`bwat --version`	Print the installed CLI version
`bwat --help`	Print command-line help

Startup options

Option	Description
`-p, --prompt <text>`	Send one prompt, print the result, and exit
`-c, --continue`	Continue the most recent session for the current project
`-r, --resume [id]`	Resume a session by ID, or choose one when the ID is omitted
`-m, --mode <mode>`	Start in `ask`, `acceptEdits`, or `auto` mode
`-e, --effort <level>`	Start with `low`, `medium`, `high`, `xhigh`, or `max` effort
`--output-format <format>`	Use `text`, `json`, or `stream-json` output for one-shot runs
`--no-thinking`	Hide Bwat's live working notes
`--trust-folder`	Trust the current folder without the interactive prompt

Use --trust-folder only in folders you already trust. It skips the check designed to stop an unfamiliar repository from being treated as safe by accident.

Permission modes from the shell

CLI value	Interface label	Behavior
`ask`	Manual	Ask before edits and other actions that can change something
`acceptEdits`	Edit automatically	Apply file edits; continue asking for commands and web fetches
`auto`	Auto	Run without action-by-action approval

Use /mode inside an interactive session to access the full mode picker, including Plan mode.

One-shot examples

Terminal

# Ask a read-only question
bwat -p "Map the request path for user sign-in"

# Apply file edits but keep command approvals
bwat -p "Add tests for empty input" --mode acceptEdits

# Produce machine-readable output
bwat -p "Summarize this repository" --output-format json

# Continue the last project session
bwat --continue

Interactive commands

Command	Description
`/clear`	Start a new conversation
`/compact`	Condense the conversation and continue
`/history`	Browse and resume earlier sessions; `/resume` is an alias
`/model`	Choose the model
`/mode`	Choose the permission mode
`/effort`	Choose how deeply Bwat should work through requests
`/thinking`	Show or hide live working notes
`/theme`	Choose the terminal color theme
`/usage`	Show account usage
`/mcp`	Inspect connected MCP servers
`/skills`	List available skills
`/init`	Analyze the repository and propose `BWAT.md`
`/feedback`	Send product feedback
`/help`	Open the Bwat documentation in your browser
`/logout`	Sign out
`/exit`	Close Bwat

Keyboard controls

Keys	Action
`Enter`	Send the message or confirm a selected action
`Shift+Enter` or `Alt+Enter`	Insert a new line
`\` then `Enter`	Insert a new line in terminals that do not pass modified Enter keys
`Up` / `Down`	Move through history, completion results, or a multi-line message
`Tab`	Complete a slash command or file mention
`Escape`	Cancel the current run or close an open picker
`Ctrl+C`	Cancel the run; press again when idle to exit

Environment

Variable	Purpose
`VISUAL`	Preferred editor for reviewing a proposed edit from the CLI
`EDITOR`	Fallback editor when `VISUAL` is not set
`BWAT_TOOL_SEARCH=off`	Load every connected MCP tool definition up front
`BWAT_SKIP_HOOKS=1`	Disable local Bwat hooks for the process