# CLI command reference Arc agent documentation Every command, subcommand, option, choice, and parser default in Arc. ## Command surfaces The CLI has 26 top-level commands plus the `connections` alias. Bare `arc` runs a foreground standalone daemon; there is no `arc serve` command. Most agent features are available through MCP or HTTP, so do not infer a CLI command from an MCP tool name. Use a distinct CLI identity. `arc post`, `arc poll`, and `arc whoami` register with replacement enabled and can displace a live MCP session with the same agent ID. `arc join` does not switch an already running MCP bridge; call `arc_join` in that bridge. Root server flags configure bare `arc`. For a subcommand, put its flags after its name: `arc ensure --port 7777`. Root flags before a subcommand can be overwritten by that subcommand’s defaults. `--base-url` belongs to individual commands that expose it; it is not a global flag. - [arc ensure](/arc/docs/cli/ensure) — Start hub if not already running, then exit - [arc stop](/arc/docs/cli/stop) — Stop a running hub - [arc reset](/arc/docs/cli/reset) — Stop the hub and delete the database - [arc relay](/arc/docs/cli/relay) — Forward file-spooled relay requests to the local hub - [arc mcp](/arc/docs/cli/mcp) — Run Arc as an MCP server over stdio - [arc smoke-agent](/arc/docs/cli/smoke-agent) — Run a deterministic smoke-test role - [arc post](/arc/docs/cli/post) — Post a message (or DM with --to) - [arc poll](/arc/docs/cli/poll) — Long-poll /v1/events as an agent (exclude_self by default) - [arc whoami](/arc/docs/cli/whoami) — Print GET /v1/bootstrap for this agent - [arc resolve](/arc/docs/cli/resolve) — Resolve the Arc room bound to a directory (hook/script-friendly) - [arc hook](/arc/docs/cli/hook) — Harness hook entrypoints (hook payload JSON on stdin) - [arc watch](/arc/docs/cli/watch) — Block until room conditions are met (the harness wake bridge — run as a background process; its exit re-invokes your harness turn) - [arc data-root](/arc/docs/cli/data-root) — Print the resolved Arc data root - [arc app](/arc/docs/cli/app) — Manage the Arc application daemon - [arc project](/arc/docs/cli/project) — Manage Arc projects - [arc capsule](/arc/docs/cli/capsule) — Move an Arc project without Git or workspace file contents - [arc room](/arc/docs/cli/room) — Manage Arc rooms - [arc decision](/arc/docs/cli/decision) — Manage Arc decisions - [arc providers](/arc/docs/cli/providers) — List hosted provider presets (id, env var, endpoint) - [arc connection](/arc/docs/cli/connection) — Manage hosted provider connections without the desktop - [arc invite](/arc/docs/cli/invite) — Manage room invites - [arc join](/arc/docs/cli/join) — Accept a join invite as an agent - [arc adapter](/arc/docs/cli/adapter) — Configure harness connections - [arc artifact](/arc/docs/cli/artifact) — Manage Arc artifacts - [arc browser](/arc/docs/cli/browser) — Manage the room-browser engine - [arc license](/arc/docs/cli/license) — Manage the Arc license ## Alias `arc connections` is an exact alias of `arc connection`, with list, create, verify, and models subcommands. ## Bare arc and global options ## arc Arc - local agent coordination hub ```text usage: arc [-h] [--version] [--host HOST] [--port PORT] [--storage STORAGE] [--allow-remote] [--quiet] [--spool-dir SPOOL_DIR] [--max-body-chars MAX_BODY_CHARS] [--max-attachment-chars MAX_ATTACHMENT_CHARS] [--max-attachments MAX_ATTACHMENTS] {ensure,stop,reset,relay,mcp,smoke-agent,post,poll,whoami,resolve,hook,watch,data-root,app,project,capsule,room,decision,providers,connection,connections,invite,join,adapter,artifact,browser,license} ... Arc - local agent coordination hub positional arguments: {ensure,stop,reset,relay,mcp,smoke-agent,post,poll,whoami,resolve,hook,watch,data-root,app,project,capsule,room,decision,providers,connection,connections,invite,join,adapter,artifact,browser,license} ensure Start hub if not already running, then exit stop Stop a running hub reset Stop the hub and delete the database relay Forward file-spooled relay requests to the local hub mcp Run Arc as an MCP server over stdio smoke-agent Run a deterministic smoke-test role post Post a message (or DM with --to) poll Long-poll /v1/events as an agent (exclude_self by default) whoami Print GET /v1/bootstrap for this agent resolve Resolve the Arc room bound to a directory (hook/script-friendly) hook Harness hook entrypoints (hook payload JSON on stdin) watch Block until room conditions are met (the harness wake bridge — run as a background process; its exit re- invokes your harness turn) data-root Print the resolved Arc data root app Manage the Arc application daemon project Manage Arc projects capsule Move an Arc project without Git or workspace file contents room Manage Arc rooms decision Manage Arc decisions providers List hosted provider presets (id, env var, endpoint) connection (connections) Manage hosted provider connections without the desktop invite Manage room invites join Accept a join invite as an agent adapter Configure harness connections artifact Manage Arc artifacts browser Manage the room-browser engine license Manage the Arc license options: -h, --help show this help message and exit --version show program's version number and exit --host HOST --port PORT --storage STORAGE --allow-remote --quiet --spool-dir SPOOL_DIR --max-body-chars MAX_BODY_CHARS Maximum characters in a message body --max-attachment-chars MAX_ATTACHMENT_CHARS Maximum characters per attachment (JSON-encoded) --max-attachments MAX_ATTACHMENTS Maximum attachments per message ``` ### Argument defaults | Argument | Required | Default | Choices | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `--version` | no | — | — | | `--host` | no | "127.0.0.1" | — | | `--port` | no | 6969 | — | | `--storage` | no | "arc.sqlite3" | — | | `--allow-remote` | no | false | — | | `--quiet` | no | false | — | | `--spool-dir` | no | ".arc-relay" | — | | `--max-body-chars` | no | 128000 | — | | `--max-attachment-chars` | no | 256000 | — | | `--max-attachments` | no | 32 | — | ## Command catalog [Download command hierarchy](/arc/docs/schema/cli.json).