# CLI reference > The cross-review command, its everyday commands, the verbs the skills use, the low-level runner commands, and the exit codes. The installer puts a `cross-review` command in `~/.local/bin` (not on Windows). It runs the installed runner, `~/.claude/skills/cross-review/scripts/review-runner.js`; without the command, run `node` on that file with the same arguments. Run `cross-review` with no command to print the usage of the low-level commands. > **Caution:** > > The npm package runs only one of these commands itself: `npx @tlelabs/cross-review dashboard`. Any other argument to `npx @tlelabs/cross-review` runs the installer. ```sh cross-review version cross-review dashboard [--root DIR] [--port N] [--no-open] [--idle-exit SECONDS] cross-review plans --working-dir DIR [--finished FILE] # Used by the skills (CLI fallback when the MCP server is not available) cross-review begin --skill SKILL [--mode MODE] --input FILE|- [--working-dir DIR] [--model NAME] [--effort LEVEL] [--timeout SECONDS] [--reviewer NAME] [--skills-dir DIR] cross-review wait SESSION_DIR [--max-wait SECONDS] cross-review reply SESSION_DIR --input FILE|- [--model NAME] [--effort LEVEL] cross-review end SESSION_DIR [--outcome consensus|stalemate] ``` > **Note:** > > The skills run `begin`, `wait`, `reply` and `end` for you. You run the everyday commands yourself. The low-level commands are listed at the end for debugging. ## Everyday commands | Command | What it does | | -------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `cross-review version` | Prints the runner version as plain text (`15`). | | `cross-review dashboard` | Serves the dashboard on `127.0.0.1` and prints its link. See [the dashboard guide](https://cross-review.tlelabs.com/docs/guides/dashboard/). | | `cross-review plans --working-dir DIR` | Creates `.cross-review/plans/` in `DIR`, keeps its `.gitignore` in step with the settings, and prints the plans as JSON. | ### dashboard options | Option | Default | Description | | --------------------- | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--root DIR` | The current directory | Folder to scan. The scan goes three levels down. It must exist. | | `--port N` | A random port from 20000 to 30000 | Port to listen on. Must be a port number. | | `--no-open` | Off | Prints the link and does not open the browser. | | `--idle-exit SECONDS` | Off | Stops the dashboard after this many seconds with no open browser page. Must be a number above zero. | Errors go to stderr, and the command exits with `1`. ### plans options | Option | Description | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `--working-dir DIR` | Required. The workspace whose plans are listed. | | `--finished FILE` | A plan file that just finished. With `open_plans` on, the command opens its Plan tab in the dashboard. | The output is one JSON object with `dir`, `track_plans`, `gitignore`, `git`, `plans`, and, when there is something to report, `warning`, `dashboard_url` or `dashboard_error`. ## Verbs the skills use These four verbs wrap a review round. The skills call the MCP tools when they are available and fall back to these commands otherwise. See [MCP tools](https://cross-review.tlelabs.com/docs/reference/mcp-tools/) for the same operations as tools. | Command | Input | Output | | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `begin` | `--skill`, `--input` (required), plus the optional flags below | JSON with `session_dir`, `round`, `status`, and `analysis_prompt` for peer skills. | | `wait SESSION_DIR` | `--max-wait` (seconds, default `110`) | JSON poll result with `next` and `next_reason`. | | `reply SESSION_DIR` | `--input` (required) | JSON with `status`, `session_dir`, `round`, `thread_id`. | | `end SESSION_DIR` | `--outcome` (optional) | JSON with `status`, `session_dir`, `finalized`, and `verdict` or `error` when present. | ### begin options | Option | Description | | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--skill` | One of `review-plan`, `review-impl`, `review-think`, `review-pr`. | | `--mode` | Required by `review-impl`: `working-tree` or `branch`. Not needed by the other skills. | | `--input` | A file with the placeholder values in markdown, or `-` for stdin. | | `--working-dir` | The repository under review. Defaults to the current directory. | | `--model`, `--effort` | Reviewer model and reasoning effort. When omitted, the [settings](https://cross-review.tlelabs.com/docs/reference/configuration/) decide. | | `--timeout` | Deadline for the reviewer in seconds. Default `18000` (5 hours). | | `--reviewer` | Reviewer CLI. Only `codex` today. | | `--skills-dir` | Folder with the skill’s `references/` templates. Defaults to the installed skills. | ### wait, reply and end options - `wait --max-wait` sets how long one call waits for the reviewer. The call returns earlier when the round ends. - `reply --input` takes the next round’s placeholder values. `--model` and `--effort` change the stored settings for later rounds. - `end --outcome` takes `consensus` or `stalemate`. Peer skills (`review-think`, `review-pr`) need it when their exit rule is met. Plan and implementation reviews take their verdict from the last round and do not need it. ## Low-level runner commands Use these only when you debug a session by hand. They change session state without the checks the verbs make. | Command | Purpose | | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `init --skill-name NAME --working-dir DIR [--reviewer NAME]` | Creates a session directory and prints `SESSION:` followed by its path. | | `start SESSION_DIR` | Starts round 1 from a prompt on stdin. Flags: `--model`, `--effort`, `--timeout`, `--sandbox`, `--stall-threshold`. | | `resume SESSION_DIR` | Starts the next round on the same reviewer thread from a prompt on stdin. Flags: `--model`, `--effort`, `--timeout`, `--stall-threshold`, `--recovery`. | | `poll SESSION_DIR` | Prints the round status. Flag: `--min-interval` (seconds, default `120`). | | `stop SESSION_DIR` | Stops the reviewer. | | `finalize SESSION_DIR` | Writes `meta.json`. Reads an override JSON on stdin, for example `{"verdict":"APPROVE"}`. | | `status SESSION_DIR` | Prints the session state. | | `render --skill NAME --template NAME --skills-dir DIR` | Prints a rendered prompt. The placeholder values come as JSON on stdin. | `start` uses the reviewer’s read-only sandbox unless `--sandbox` names another one. `begin` starts the reviewer with the full-access sandbox, and `reply` resumes it with the sandbox stored in the session. See [session files](https://cross-review.tlelabs.com/docs/reference/session-files/) for what each command writes. ## Exit codes The process exit code is `0` for success and `1` for an error. The verbs also exit with `5` when the reviewer CLI is missing. | Code | Meaning | Where it appears | | ---- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | `0` | Success. | Any command. | | `1` | Any other error. | Any command. | | `5` | The reviewer CLI was not found in `PATH` (`REVIEWER_NOT_FOUND`). | `begin`, `start`, `resume`, `reply`. | Commands that print JSON report an error as JSON on stdout, with `status` set to `error`, a `code` and a message. `dashboard` prints its errors as text on stderr. ### Round results These are not process exit codes. The poll result of a round carries an `exit_code` field: `2` for a runner deadline timeout, `3` for a failed turn, and `4` for a stalled reviewer (12 checks in a row with no new output; at the skills’ two-minute interval, about 24 minutes). `poll` exits with `0` whatever the result. `wait` exits with `1` when the round result has an `error` (a failed, stalled or timed-out round), and its output still carries `status`, `next` and `next_reason`.