beads
SkillBeads is a distributed, git-backed graph issue tracker designed to provide a persistent and structured memory for AI coding agents. It replaces traditional markdown plans with a dependency-aware graph, enabling agents to manage long-horizon tasks without losing context. This CLI tool enhances agent capabilities by offering version-controlled SQL, JSON output, and features like semantic memory decay and conflict-free task tracking.
bd - Beads
Distributed, git-backed graph issue tracker for AI agents.
Platforms: macOS, Linux, Windows, FreeBSD
Beads provides a persistent, structured memory for coding agents. It replaces messy markdown plans with a dependency-aware graph, allowing agents to handle long-horizon tasks without losing context.
⚡ Quick Start
# Install beads CLI (system-wide - don't clone this repo into your project)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/steveyegge/beads/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
# Initialize in YOUR project
cd your-project
bd init
# Tell your agent
echo "Use 'bd' for task tracking" >> AGENTS.md
Note: Beads is a CLI tool you install once and use everywhere. You don't need to clone this repository into your project.
🛠 Features
- Dolt-Powered: Version-controlled SQL database with cell-level merge, native branching, and built-in sync via Dolt remotes.
- Agent-Optimized: JSON output, dependency tracking, and auto-ready task detection.
- Zero Conflict: Hash-based IDs (
bd-a1b2) prevent merge collisions in multi-agent/multi-branch workflows. - Compaction: Semantic "memory decay" summarizes old closed tasks to save context window.
- Messaging: Message issue type with threading (
--thread), ephemeral lifecycle, and mail delegation. - Graph Links:
relates_to,duplicates,supersedes, andreplies_tofor knowledge graphs.
📖 Essential Commands
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
bd ready | List tasks with no open blockers. |
bd create "Title" -p 0 | Create a P0 task. |
bd update <id> --claim | Atomically claim a task (sets assignee + in_progress). |
bd dep add <child> <parent> | Link tasks (blocks, related, parent-child). |
bd show <id> | View task details and audit trail. |
🔗 Hierarchy & Workflow
Beads supports hierarchical IDs for epics:
bd-a3f8(Epic)bd-a3f8.1(Task)bd-a3f8.1.1(Sub-task)
Stealth Mode: Run bd init --stealth to use Beads locally without committing files to the main repo. Perfect for personal use on shared projects.
Contributor vs Maintainer: When working on open-source projects:
- Contributors (forked repos): Run
bd init --contributorto route planning issues to a separate repo (e.g.,~/.beads-planning). Keeps experimental work out of PRs. - Maintainers (write access): Beads auto-detects maintainer role via SSH URLs or HTTPS with credentials. Only need
git config beads.role maintainerif using GitHub HTTPS without credentials but you have write access.
📦 Installation
- npm:
npm install -g @beads/bd - Homebrew:
brew install beads - Go:
go install github.com/steveyegge/beads/cmd/bd@latest
Requirements: Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, or Windows.
🌐 Community Tools
See docs/COMMUNITY_TOOLS.md for a curated list of community-built UIs, extensions, and integrations—including terminal interfaces, web UIs, editor extensions, and native apps.
