Automation and exit statuses

Machine-readable mode

Use --json and --no-input for deterministic automation:

skill-sync --json --no-input status
skill-sync --json --no-input sync --check

JSON mode writes exactly one versioned object and disables prompts. Provide every required selector and choice explicitly, including IDs or --all, source targets, destructive intent, and recursion intent.

Use --no-color for human-readable logs that must not contain ANSI sequences. Use --project <path> to remove current-directory ambiguity.

Preview mutations

Commands that can write expose --dry-run:

skill-sync --json --no-input install frontend/review-ui \
  --target codex \
  --gitignore \
  --dry-run

Dry-run output includes planned destinations, state and ignore-file changes, conflicts, and backup requirements without changing the project, cache-backed canonical repository, or working tree.

Exit statuses

Status	Meaning
0	Complete success; warnings and skipped doctor checks are allowed.
1	Unexpected internal failure.
2	Invalid invocation or missing automation input.
3	Configuration, schema, or local content validation failure.
4	Repository, authentication, or network failure.
5	Conflict or unsafe overwrite refused.
6	Explicit non-atomic batch completed only partially.
130	User cancellation or interrupt.

Branch on the status as well as the JSON payload. In particular, 5 is a safe refusal rather than data loss, and 6 means some independent skills completed and project state must be inspected before retrying.

Offline automation

Read-only diagnostics can skip network access:

skill-sync --json --no-input doctor --offline
skill-sync --json --no-input status --offline

Reconciliation can use one explicit full commit already in the cache:

skill-sync --json --no-input update frontend/review-ui --offline <full-commit>

Offline results are marked stale and never represented as current with the remote.