beads
Installation
Summary
Dolt-backed issue tracker for multi-session work with dependencies and conversation compaction survival.
- Persists task context across conversation compaction and multiple sessions using a local Dolt database, with atomic claim-and-start workflow to prevent race conditions
- Tracks task dependencies, blockers, and discovery relationships; use
bd readyto surface unblocked work andbd show <id> --longto recover full context after compaction - Essential commands:
bd create,bd ready,bd update --claim,bd close, andbd dolt pushfor team sync; append--jsonfor structured output in agent workflows - Requires bd CLI v0.60.0+, optional Git repository, and one-time
bd initsetup; includes error recovery guidance and troubleshooting for common I/O and database issues
SKILL.md
Beads - Persistent Task Memory for AI Agents
Graph-based issue tracker that survives conversation compaction. Provides persistent memory for multi-session work with complex dependencies.
bd vs TodoWrite
Decision test: "Will I need this context in 2 weeks?" YES = bd, NO = TodoWrite.
| bd (persistent) | TodoWrite (ephemeral) |
|---|---|
| Multi-session, dependencies, compaction survival | Single-session linear tasks |
| Dolt-backed team sync | Conversation-scoped |
See BOUNDARIES.md for detailed comparison.
Prerequisites
Related skills