# bd - Beads

**Distributed, git-backed graph issue tracker for AI agents.**

[![License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/steveyegge/beads)](LICENSE)
[![Go Report Card](https://goreportcard.com/badge/github.com/steveyegge/beads)](https://goreportcard.com/report/github.com/steveyegge/beads)
[![Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/steveyegge/beads)](https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/releases)
[![npm version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@beads/bd)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@beads/bd)
[![PyPI](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/beads-mcp)](https://pypi.org/project/beads-mcp/)

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

```bash
# Install (macOS/Linux)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/steveyegge/beads/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

# Initialize (Humans run this once)
bd init

# Tell your agent
echo "Use 'bd' for task tracking" >> AGENTS.md

```

## 🛠 Features

* **Git as Database:** Issues stored as JSONL in `.beads/`. Versioned, branched, and merged like code.
* **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.
* **Invisible Infrastructure:** SQLite local cache for speed; background daemon for auto-sync.
* **Compaction:** Semantic "memory decay" summarizes old closed tasks to save context window.

## 📖 Essential Commands

| Command | Action |
| --- | --- |
| `bd ready` | List tasks with no open blockers. |
| `bd create "Title" -p 0` | Create a P0 task. |
| `bd dep add <child> <parent>` | Link tasks (blocks, related, parent-child). |
| `bd show <id>` | View task details and audit trail. |
| `bd quickstart` | Interactive guide for AI agents. |

## 🔗 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.

## 📦 Installation

* **npm:** `npm install -g @beads/bd`
* **Homebrew:** `brew install steveyegge/beads/bd`
* **Go:** `go install github.com/steveyegge/beads/cmd/bd@latest`

**Requirements:** Linux (glibc 2.32+), macOS, or Windows.

## 🌐 Community Tools

- **[beads_viewer](https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/beads_viewer)** - Keyboard-driven terminal UI with kanban board, insights panel, and graph view. Built by [@Dicklesworthstone](https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone).
- **[beads.el](https://codeberg.org/ctietze/beads.el)** - Emacs UI to browse, edit, and manage beads. Built by [@ctietze](https://codeberg.org/ctietze).
- **[beads-ui](https://github.com/mantoni/beads-ui)** - Local web interface with live updates and kanban board. `npx beads-ui start`. Built by [@mantoni](https://github.com/mantoni).
- **[bdui](https://github.com/assimelha/bdui)** - Real-time terminal UI with tree view, dependency graph, and vim-style navigation. Built by [@assimelha](https://github.com/assimelha).
- **[perles](https://github.com/zjrosen/perles)** - Terminal UI with BQL (Beads Query Language) and multi-view kanban. Built by [@zjrosen](https://github.com/zjrosen).
- **[vscode-beads](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=planet57.vscode-beads)** - VS Code extension with issues panel and daemon management. Built by [@jdillon](https://github.com/jdillon).

## 📝 Documentation

* [Installing](docs/INSTALLING.md) | [Agent Workflow](AGENT_INSTRUCTIONS.md) | [Sync Branch Mode](docs/PROTECTED_BRANCHES.md) | [Troubleshooting](docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md) | [FAQ](docs/FAQ.md)
* [![Ask DeepWiki](https://deepwiki.com/badge.svg)](https://deepwiki.com/steveyegge/beads)