bd - Beads
Distributed graph issue tracker for AI agents, powered by Dolt.
Platforms: macOS, Linux, Windows, FreeBSD
Docs: https://gastownhall.github.io/beads/
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/gastownhall/beads/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
# Initialize in YOUR project
cd your-project
bd init
# Optional: install richer instructions for your agent
bd setup codex # Codex CLI - creates/updates AGENTS.md
bd setup claude # Claude Code - installs hooks/settings
bd setup factory # Factory.ai Droid - creates/updates 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.
bd init creates or updates AGENTS.md by default so agents can discover the beads workflow. It skips agent files only when you pass --skip-agents or --stealth, or when you configure a custom agent file. Use bd setup --list to see supported integrations, including bd setup codex, bd setup factory, bd setup claude, bd setup mux, bd setup cursor, and more. See Agent and IDE setup.
Manual copy-paste is only for unsupported agents, existing projects where you cannot rerun bd init/bd setup, or custom instruction files. In those cases, run bd onboard and paste the printed snippet into the file your agent reads.
If your agent is not covered by bd setup, add this minimal AGENTS.md section:
This project uses bd (beads) for issue tracking.
- Run `bd prime` for workflow context and command guidance.
- Use `bd ready`, `bd show <id>`, `bd update <id> --claim`, and `bd close <id>`.
- Use `bd remember "insight"` for persistent project memory; do not create MEMORY.md files.
- Do not use markdown TODO lists for task tracking.
🛠 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, and replies_to for 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. |
bd prime | Print agent workflow context and persistent memories. |
bd remember "insight" | Store project memory that bd prime injects later. |
🔗 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. See Git-Free Usage below.
Contributor vs Maintainer: When working on open-source projects:
- Contributors (forked repos): Run
bd init --contributor to 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 maintainer if using GitHub HTTPS without credentials but you have write access.
📦 Installation
brew install beads # macOS / Linux (recommended)
npm install -g @beads/bd # Node.js users
