CLI For Agents

Build CLIs as one engine with two renderers:

• human mode: readable text or TUI
• agent mode: deterministic JSON or NDJSON

Do not maintain separate doctrine for the two audiences. Keep one command model and one source of truth, then render it differently.

Use When

• designing a new CLI
• reviewing an existing CLI for agent compatibility
• adding commands, flags, or help text
• building watch/status/list commands that must work for both humans and agents
• tightening tests or guardrails around CLI output shape

Core Model

Dual-audience design