From basecamp-skills
Interact with Basecamp via CLI for full API coverage: projects, todos, cards, messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks, subscriptions, chat, gauges, assignments, notifications, accounts.
npx claudepluginhub basecamp/skills --plugin basecamp-skillsThis skill uses the workspace's default tool permissions.
Full CLI coverage: 155 endpoints across todos, cards, messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks, subscriptions, lineup, chat, gauges, assignments, notifications, and accounts.
Interact with Basecamp via CLI: manage projects, todos, cards, messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks, chat, gauges, assignments, notifications, and accounts.
Automates Basecamp projects, to-dos, messages, people, and lists via Rube MCP (Composio toolkit). Requires active OAuth connection; always search tools first.
Automates Basecamp project management, to-dos, messages, people, and to-do lists via Rube MCP (Composio) tools. Use for scripting workflows with dynamic schemas from BASECAMP_* tools.
Share bugs, ideas, or general feedback.
Full CLI coverage: 155 endpoints across todos, cards, messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks, subscriptions, lineup, chat, gauges, assignments, notifications, and accounts.
MUST follow these rules:
--jq when you need to filter/extract data; --json for full JSON; --md when presenting results to a human (see Output Modes below). Never pipe to external jq — use --jq instead.basecamp url parse "<url>" to extract IDs.basecamp/config.json before assuming project[@Name](mention:SGID) — zero API calls, embeds SGID directly (preferred for agents)[@Name](person:ID) — one API call, resolves person ID to SGID via pingable set@sgid:VALUE — inline SGID embed for pipeline composability@Name / @First.Last — fuzzy name resolution (may be ambiguous)
For todos, documents, and cards, content is sent as-is — use plain text or HTML directly.--in <project> or .basecamp/config.json. Cross-project exceptions: basecamp reports assigned for assigned work, basecamp assignments for structured assignment views, basecamp reports overdue for overdue todos, basecamp reports schedule for upcoming schedule across all projects, basecamp recordings <type> for browsing by type, basecamp notifications for notifications, basecamp gauges list for account-wide gauges.Choosing a mode:
| Goal | Flag | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Filter/extract JSON data | --jq '<expr>' | Built-in jq filter (no external jq needed). Implies --json; filter runs on the envelope. |
| Filter in agent mode | --agent --jq '<expr>' | Filter runs on data-only payload (no envelope), matching --agent contract. |
| Full JSON output | --json | JSON envelope: {ok, data, summary, breadcrumbs, meta} |
| Show results to a user | --md / -m | GFM tables, task lists, structured Markdown |
| Automation / scripting | --agent | Success: raw JSON data (no envelope); errors: {ok:false,...} object; no interactive prompts |
Always pass --json or --md explicitly — auto-detection depends on config and may not produce the format you expect. Use --md when composing reports, summarizing data, or displaying results inline. --agent is for headless integration scripts.
Other modes: --quiet (success: raw JSON, no envelope; errors: {ok:false,...}), --ids-only, --count, --stats (session statistics), --styled (force ANSI), -v / -vv (verbose/trace), --jq '<expr>' (built-in jq filter — see below).
Navigate unfamiliar commands with --agent --help — returns structured JSON describing any command:
basecamp todos --agent --help
{"command":"todos","path":"basecamp todos","short":"...","long":"...","usage":"...","notes":["..."],
"subcommands":[{"name":"sweep","short":"...","path":"basecamp todos sweep"}],
"flags":[{"name":"assignee","type":"string","default":"","usage":"..."}],
"inherited_flags":[{"name":"json","shorthand":"j","type":"bool","default":"false","usage":"..."}]}
Walk the tree: start at basecamp --agent --help for top-level commands, then drill into any subcommand. Commands include notes with domain-specific agent hints (e.g., "Cards do NOT support --assignee filtering").
basecamp <cmd> --limit 50 # Cap results (default varies by resource)
basecamp <cmd> --all # Fetch all (may be slow for large datasets)
basecamp <cmd> --page 1 # First page only, no auto-pagination
--all and --limit are mutually exclusive. --page cannot combine with either.
--assignee me resolves to current user--due tomorrow / --due +3 / --due "next week" - natural date parsing.basecamp/config.json if --in not specifiedNote: Most queries require project scope (via
--in <project>or.basecamp/config.json). Cross-project exceptions:basecamp reports assigned,basecamp assignments,basecamp reports overdue,basecamp reports schedule,basecamp recordings <type>,basecamp notifications,basecamp gauges list.
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| List projects | basecamp projects list --json |
| My todos (in project) | basecamp todos list --assignee me --in <project> --json |
| My todos (cross-project) | basecamp reports assigned --json (defaults to "me") |
| My schedule (cross-project) | basecamp reports schedule --json (upcoming events across all projects) |
| All todos (cross-project) | basecamp recordings todos --json (no assignee data — cannot filter by person) |
| Overdue todos (in project) | basecamp todos list --overdue --in <project> --json |
| Overdue todos (cross-project) | basecamp reports overdue --json |
| Assign todo | basecamp assign <id> [id...] --to <person> --in <project> --json |
| Assign card | basecamp assign <id> [id...] --card --to <person> --in <project> --json |
| Assign card step | basecamp assign <id> [id...] --step --to <person> --in <project> --json |
| Create todo | basecamp todo "Task" --in <project> --list <list> --json |
| Create todolist | basecamp todolists create "Name" --in <project> --json |
| Complete todo | basecamp done <id> --json |
| List cards | basecamp cards list --in <project> --json |
| Create card | basecamp card "Title" --in <project> --json |
| Move card | basecamp cards move <id> --to <column> [--position N] --in <project> --json |
| Move card to on-hold | basecamp cards move <id> --on-hold --in <project> --json |
| Post message | basecamp message "Title" "Body" --in <project> --json |
| Post with @mention | basecamp message "Title" "Hey @First.Last, ..." --in <project> --json |
| Post silently | basecamp message "Title" "Body" --no-subscribe --in <project> --json |
| Post to chat | basecamp chat post "Message" --in <project> --json |
| Add comment | basecamp comment <recording_id> "Text" --in <project> --json |
| List attachments | basecamp attachments list <id|url> --json |
| Download attachments | basecamp attachments download <id> --out /tmp/ |
| Show + download | basecamp todos show <id> --download-attachments --json |
| Stream attachment to stdout | basecamp attachments download <id> --file <name> --out - |
| Search | basecamp search "query" --json |
| Parse URL | basecamp url parse "<url>" --json |
| Upload file | basecamp files uploads create <file> [--vault <folder_id>] --in <project> --json |
| Download file | basecamp files download <id> --in <project> |
| Stream file to stdout | basecamp files download <id> --out - --in <project> |
| Download storage URL | basecamp files download "https://storage.3.basecamp.com/.../download/report.pdf" |
| My assignments | basecamp assignments --json (priorities + non-priorities) |
| Overdue assignments | basecamp assignments due overdue --json |
| Completed assignments | basecamp assignments completed --json |
| Notifications | basecamp notifications --json |
| Mark notification read | basecamp notifications read <id> --json |
| Gauges (account-wide) | basecamp gauges list --json |
| Gauge needles | basecamp gauges needles --in <project> --json |
| Create needle | basecamp gauges create --position 75 --color green --in <project> --json |
| Account details | basecamp accounts show --json |
| Watch timeline | basecamp timeline --watch |
Always parse URLs before acting on them:
basecamp url parse "https://3.basecamp.com/2914079/buckets/41746046/messages/9478142982#__recording_9488783598" --json
Returns: account_id, project_id, type, recording_id, comment_id (from fragment).
URL patterns:
/buckets/27/messages/123 - Message 123 in project 27/buckets/27/messages/123#__recording_456 - Comment 456 on message 123/buckets/27/card_tables/cards/789 - Card 789/buckets/27/card_tables/columns/456 - Column 456 (for creating cards)/buckets/27/todos/101 - Todo 101/buckets/27/uploads/202 - Upload/file 202/buckets/27/documents/303 - Document 303/buckets/27/schedule_entries/404 - Schedule entry 404Replying to comments:
# Comments are flat - reply to the parent recording_id, not the comment_id
basecamp url parse "https://...messages/123#__recording_456" --json
# Returns recording_id: 123 (parent), comment_id: 456 (fragment) - comment on 123, not 456
basecamp comment 123 "Reply" --in <project>
Need to find something?
├── Know the type + project? → basecamp <type> list --in <project> --json
│ (some groups have default list behavior; use --agent --help if unsure)
├── My assigned work? → basecamp assignments --json (priorities + non-priorities)
│ Or: basecamp reports assigned --json (traditional view, defaults to "me")
├── My overdue assignments? → basecamp assignments due overdue --json
├── My notifications? → basecamp notifications --json
├── Upcoming schedule? → basecamp reports schedule --json (cross-project)
├── Overdue across projects? → basecamp reports overdue --json
├── Browse by type cross-project? → basecamp recordings <type> --json
│ (types: todos, messages, documents, comments, cards, uploads)
│ Note: Defaults to active status; use --status archived for archived items
│ ⚠ No assignee data — cannot filter by person; use reports assigned instead
├── Full-text search? → basecamp search "query" --json
└── Have a URL? → basecamp url parse "<url>" --json
Want to change something?
├── Have URL? → basecamp url parse "<url>" → use extracted IDs
├── Have ID? → basecamp <resource> update <id> --field value
├── Change status? → basecamp recordings trash|archive|restore <id>
└── Complete todo? → basecamp done <id>
# Get commit info and comment on todo (use printf %q for safe quoting)
COMMIT=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
MSG=$(git log -1 --format=%s)
basecamp comment <todo_id> "Commit $COMMIT: $(printf '%s' "$MSG")" --in <project>
# Complete when done
basecamp done <todo_id>
# Create todo for PR work
basecamp todo "Review PR #42" --in <project> --assignee me --due tomorrow
# When merged
basecamp done <todo_id>
basecamp chat post "Merged PR #42" --in <project>
# Preview overdue todos
basecamp todos sweep --overdue --dry-run --in <project>
# Complete all with comment
basecamp todos sweep --overdue --complete --comment "Cleaning up" --in <project>
# 1. Look up the person
basecamp people pingable --jq '.data[] | select(.name == "Jane Smith")'
# => {"id": 42000, "attachable_sgid": "BAh7CEkiCG...", "name": "Jane Smith"}
# 2. Use SGID in Markdown mention syntax (zero API calls during post)
basecamp comment 123 "Hey [@Jane Smith](mention:BAh7CEkiCG...), check this" --in <project>
# Or use person ID (one lookup during post)
basecamp comment 123 "Hey [@Jane Smith](person:42000), check this" --in <project>
# Fuzzy matching: use @First.Last to reduce ambiguity
basecamp comment <id> "@Jane.Smith, please review this" --in <project>
basecamp message "Update" "cc @Jane, @Alex" --in <project>
basecamp chat post "@Jane, done!" --in <project>
# Ambiguous names return an error with suggestions
# Use @First.Last for disambiguation
# List columns to get IDs
basecamp cards columns --in <project> --json
# Move card to column
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to <column_id> --in <project>
# Move card to specific position in column (1-indexed)
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to <column_id> --position 1 --in <project>
# Move card to on-hold section of its current column
basecamp cards move <card_id> --on-hold --in <project>
# Move card to on-hold section of a specific column (numeric ID)
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to <column_id> --on-hold --in <project>
# Move card to on-hold section of a named column (requires --card-table)
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to "Column Name" --on-hold --card-table <table_id> --in <project>
basecamp files download <upload_id> --in <project> --out ./downloads
# Download attachment from a storage URL (no --in needed)
basecamp files download "https://storage.3.basecamp.com/123/blobs/abc/download/report.pdf"
# Stream to stdout (for piping)
basecamp files download <upload_id> --out - --in <project>
Messages, todos, cards, and documents may contain images and file attachments
(mockups, screenshots, annotated designs). Show commands surface these as
field-scoped collections — content_attachments and/or description_attachments
— keyed by which rich-text attribute contained them. The notice field hints at
the download command.
Step 1: Fetch the recording and check for attachments
basecamp todos show <id> --json
# Response includes description_attachments when attachments are present
# Messages/documents use content_attachments; cards may have both
# The notice field hints: "3 attachment(s) — download: basecamp attachments download <id>"
Step 2 (one-shot): Download attachments with the show command
# --download-attachments fetches + downloads in one shot
basecamp todos show <id> --download-attachments --json
# content_attachments/description_attachments entries now include "path" pointing to local files
# Downloads to OS temp dir by default, or specify: --download-attachments /tmp/att
Step 2 (two-step alternative): Download separately
# Download all at once (shows progress on stderr)
basecamp attachments download <id> --out /tmp/attachments
Step 3: View images with your native file-read tool
For multimodal LLMs (Claude, Gemini), use your file-read tool on the path
from the response to view downloaded images directly — no browser needed.
This surfaces visual context (mockups, screenshots, annotated designs) that
is often the most important part of a Basecamp todo or message.
# Stream a single image to stdout for piping
basecamp attachments download <id> --file mockup.png --out -
# Select by index when names collide
basecamp attachments download <id> --index 2 --out -
Key pattern: When a show command response contains content_attachments
or description_attachments, always download and view them — visual context is
often more important than the text content. Use --download-attachments for
one-shot fetch+download, or follow the breadcrumb hint for two-step control.
basecamp projects list --json # List all
basecamp projects show <id> --json # Show details
basecamp projects create "Name" --json # Create
basecamp projects update <id> --name "New" # Update
basecamp todos list --in <project> --json # List in project
basecamp todos list --assignee me --in <project> # My todos
basecamp todos list --overdue --in <project> # Overdue only
basecamp todos list --status completed --in <project> # Completed
basecamp todos list --list <todolist_id> --in <project> # In specific list
basecamp todo "Task" --in <project> --list <list> --assignee me --due tomorrow
basecamp done <id> [id...] # Complete (multiple OK)
basecamp reopen <id> # Uncomplete
basecamp assign <id> [id...] --to <person> --in <project> # Assign to-do (multiple OK)
basecamp unassign <id> [id...] --from <person> --in <project> # Remove to-do assignee (multiple OK)
basecamp assign <id> [id...] --card --to <person> --in <project> # Assign card
basecamp unassign <id> [id...] --card --from <person> --in <project> # Remove card assignee
basecamp assign <id> [id...] --step --to <person> --in <project> # Assign card step
basecamp unassign <id> [id...] --step --from <person> --in <project> # Remove step assignee
basecamp todos position <id> --to 1 # Move to top
basecamp todos position <id> --to 1 --list <id|name|url> # Move to different list
basecamp todos sweep --overdue --complete --comment "Done" --in <project>
Flags: --assignee (todos only - not available on cards/messages), --status (completed/incomplete), --overdue, --list, --due, --limit, --all
Todolists are containers for todos. Create a todolist before adding todos.
basecamp todolists list --in <project> --json # List todolists
basecamp todolists show <id> --in <project> # Show details
basecamp todolists create "Name" --in <project> --json # Create
basecamp todolists create "Name" --description "Desc" --in <project>
basecamp todolists update <id> --name "New" --in <project> # Update
Note: Cards do NOT support --assignee filtering like todos. Fetch all cards and filter client-side if needed. If a project has multiple card tables, you must specify --card-table <id>. When you get an "Ambiguous card table" error, the hint shows available table IDs and names.
basecamp cards list --in <project> --json # All cards
basecamp cards list --card-table <id> --in <project> # Specific table (required if multiple)
basecamp cards list --column <id> --in <project> # Cards in column
basecamp cards columns --in <project> --json # List columns (needs --card-table if multiple)
basecamp cards show <id> --in <project> # Card details
basecamp card "Title" "<p>Body</p>" --in <project> --column <id>
basecamp cards update <id> --title "New" --due tomorrow --assignee me
basecamp cards move <id> --to <column_id> # Move to column (numeric ID)
basecamp cards move <id> --to "Done" --card-table <table_id> # Move by name (needs table)
basecamp cards move <id> --to "Done" --position 1 --card-table <table_id> # Move to position
basecamp cards move <id> --on-hold # Move to on-hold of current column
basecamp cards move <id> --to <column_id> --on-hold # Move to on-hold of target column
Archived/trashed cards: cards list only returns active cards. For archived or trashed cards, use basecamp recordings cards --status archived --in <project> or --status trashed.
Identifying completed cards: Cards in Done columns have parent.type: "Kanban::DoneColumn" and completed: true. Use this to identify completed cards that haven't been archived.
Limitation: Basecamp does not track when cards are moved between columns. The updated_at field updates on any modification and cannot reliably indicate when a card was completed.
Card Steps (checklists):
basecamp cards steps <card_id> --in <project> # List steps
basecamp cards step create "Step" --card <id> --in <project>
basecamp cards step complete <step_id> --in <project>
basecamp cards step uncomplete <step_id>
Column management:
basecamp cards column show <id> --in <project>
basecamp cards column create "Name" --in <project>
basecamp cards column update <id> --title "New"
basecamp cards column move <id> --position 2
basecamp cards column color <id> --color blue
basecamp cards column on-hold <id> # Enable on-hold section
basecamp cards column watch <id> # Subscribe to column
basecamp messages list --in <project> --json # List messages
basecamp messages show <id> --in <project> # Show message
basecamp message "Title" "Body" --in <project>
basecamp message "Draft" "WIP" --draft --in <project> # Create draft
basecamp messages publish <id> # Publish a draft
basecamp messages update <id> --title "New" --body "Updated"
basecamp messages pin <id> --in <project> # Pin to top
basecamp messages unpin <id> # Unpin
Archived/trashed messages: messages list only returns active messages. For archived or trashed messages, use basecamp recordings messages --status archived --in <project> or --status trashed.
Flags: --draft (create as draft), --no-subscribe (silent, no notifications), --subscribe "people" (comma-separated names, emails, IDs, or "me"; mutually exclusive with --no-subscribe), --message-board <id> (if multiple boards)
basecamp message "Bot update" "Done" --no-subscribe --in <project>
basecamp message "FYI" "Note" --subscribe "Alice,bob@x.com" --in <project>
basecamp comments list <recording_id> --in <project> --json
basecamp comment <recording_id> "Text" --in <project>
basecamp comment <recording_id> "@Jane.Smith, looks good!" --in <project> # With @mention
basecamp comments update <id> "Updated" --in <project>
basecamp files list --in <project> --json # List all (folders, files, docs)
basecamp files list --vault <folder_id> --in <project> # List folder contents
basecamp files show <id> --in <project> # Show item (auto-detects type)
basecamp files download <id> --in <project> # Download file
basecamp files download <id> --out ./dir # Download to specific dir
basecamp files download "https://storage.../download/f" # Download from storage URL
basecamp files uploads create <file> --in <project> # Upload file to root
basecamp files uploads create <file> --vault <folder_id> --in <project> # Upload to folder
basecamp files folder create "Folder" --in <project>
basecamp files doc create "Doc" "Body" --in <project>
basecamp files doc create "Draft" --draft --in <project>
basecamp files doc create "Notes" "..." --no-subscribe --in <project>
basecamp files update <id> --title "New" --content "Updated"
Subcommands: folders, uploads, documents (each with pagination flags)
For upcoming events across all projects, use basecamp reports schedule --json.
basecamp schedule info --in <project> --json # Schedule info
basecamp schedule entries --in <project> --json # List entries
basecamp schedule show <id> --in <project> # Entry details
basecamp schedule show <id> --date 20240315 # Specific occurrence (recurring)
basecamp schedule create "Event" --starts-at "2024-03-15T09:00:00Z" --ends-at "2024-03-15T10:00:00Z" --in <project>
basecamp schedule create "Meeting" --all-day --notify --participants 1,2,3 --in <project>
basecamp schedule create "Sync" --starts-at "..." --ends-at "..." --no-subscribe --in <project>
basecamp schedule update <id> --summary "New title" --starts-at "..."
basecamp schedule settings --include-due --in <project> # Include todos/cards due dates
Flags: --all-day, --notify, --participants <ids>, --no-subscribe, --subscribe "people" (mutually exclusive), --status (active/archived/trashed)
basecamp checkins --in <project> --json # Questionnaire info
basecamp checkins questions --in <project> # List questions
basecamp checkins question <id> --in <project> # Question details
basecamp checkins answers <question_id> --in <project> # List answers
basecamp checkins answer <id> --in <project> # Answer details
basecamp checkins question create "What did you work on?" --in <project>
basecamp checkins question update <id> "New question" --frequency every_week
basecamp checkins answer create <question-id> "My answer" --in <project> # Defaults to today
basecamp checkins answer update <id> "Updated" --in <project>
Schedule options: --frequency (every_day, every_week, every_other_week, every_month, on_certain_days), --days 1,2,3,4,5 (0=Sun), --time "5:00pm"
basecamp timeline --json # Account-wide activity
basecamp timeline --in <project> --json # Project activity
basecamp timeline me --json # Your activity
basecamp timeline --person <id> --json # Person's activity
basecamp timeline --watch # Live monitoring (TUI)
basecamp timeline --watch --interval 60 # Poll every 60 seconds
Use --limit N to cap results or --all to fetch everything (default: 100 events). --all and --page cannot be combined with --watch.
Use basecamp recordings <type> for cross-project type browsing. For assigned todos, prefer basecamp reports assigned — recordings do not include assignee data and cannot be filtered by person.
basecamp recordings todos --json # All todos across projects
basecamp recordings todos --all --json # All todos (paginate through all)
basecamp recordings messages --in <project> # Messages in project
basecamp recordings documents --status archived # Archived docs
basecamp recordings cards --sort created_at --direction asc
basecamp recordings cards --status archived --all --json # Include archived cards
Types: todos, messages, documents, comments, cards, uploads
Status filtering: By default, only active recordings are returned. Use --status archived or --status trashed to query other statuses. You may need separate queries to get complete data (e.g., active + archived).
Status management:
basecamp recordings trash <id> --in <project> # Move to trash
basecamp recordings archive <id> --in <project> # Archive
basecamp recordings restore <id> --in <project> # Restore to active
basecamp recordings visibility <id> --visible --in <project> # Show to clients
basecamp recordings visibility <id> --hidden # Hide from clients
basecamp templates --json # List templates
basecamp templates show <id> --json # Template details
basecamp templates create "Template Name" # Create empty template
basecamp templates update <id> --name "New Name"
basecamp templates delete <id> # Trash template
basecamp templates construct <id> --name "New Project" # Create project (async)
basecamp templates construction <template_id> <construction_id> # Check status
Construct returns construction_id - poll until status="completed" to get project.
basecamp webhooks list --in <project> --json # List webhooks
basecamp webhooks show <id> --in <project> # Webhook details
basecamp webhooks create "https://..." --in <project>
basecamp webhooks create "https://..." --types "Todo,Comment" --in <project>
basecamp webhooks update <id> --active --in <project>
basecamp webhooks update <id> --inactive # Disable
basecamp webhooks delete <id> --in <project>
Event types: Todo, Todolist, Message, Comment, Document, Upload, Vault, Schedule::Entry, Kanban::Card, Question, Question::Answer
basecamp subscriptions <recording_id> # Who's subscribed
basecamp subscriptions subscribe <id> # Subscribe yourself
basecamp subscriptions unsubscribe <id> # Unsubscribe
basecamp subscriptions add <id> --people 1,2,3 # Add people
basecamp subscriptions remove <id> --people 1,2,3 # Remove people
basecamp lineup list # List all markers
basecamp lineup create "Milestone" "2024-03-15" # Create marker
basecamp lineup create "Launch" tomorrow # Natural date parsing
basecamp lineup update <id> "New Name" "+7"
basecamp lineup delete <id>
Note: Lineup markers are account-wide, not project-scoped.
Gauges track project progress with colored needles on a 0-100 scale.
basecamp gauges list --json # All gauges (account-wide)
basecamp gauges needles --in <project> --json # Needles for a project
basecamp gauges needle <id> --json # Needle details
basecamp gauges create --position 75 --color green --in <project>
basecamp gauges create --position 50 --color yellow --description "Halfway" --in <project>
basecamp gauges create --position 25 --notify custom --subscriptions 1,2 --in <project>
basecamp gauges update <id> --description "Updated"
basecamp gauges delete <id>
basecamp gauges enable --in <project> # Enable gauge on project
basecamp gauges disable --in <project> # Disable gauge
Colors: green, yellow, red. Notify: everyone, working_on, custom (with --subscriptions).
View your assignments across all projects. Separate from reports assigned — provides structured priority grouping and due-date scoping.
basecamp assignments --json # All (priorities + non-priorities)
basecamp assignments list --json # Same as bare
basecamp assignments completed --json # Completed assignments
basecamp assignments due overdue --json # Overdue
basecamp assignments due due_today --json # Due today
basecamp assignments due due_tomorrow --json # Due tomorrow
basecamp assignments due due_later_this_week --json # Due later this week
Scopes: overdue, due_today, due_tomorrow, due_later_this_week, due_next_week, due_later.
basecamp notifications --json # List (page 1)
basecamp notifications list --page 2 --json # Page 2
basecamp notifications read <id> --json # Mark as read
basecamp notifications read <id> <id> --page 2 --json # Mark from page 2
Note: read resolves notification IDs from the specified page. Use --page to match the page you listed.
basecamp accounts list --json # List authorized accounts
basecamp accounts use <id> # Set default account
basecamp accounts show --json # Account details, limits, subscription
basecamp accounts update --name "New Name" --json # Rename account
basecamp accounts logo upload <file> --json # Upload logo (PNG/JPEG/GIF/WebP/AVIF/HEIC, 5MB max)
basecamp accounts logo remove --json # Remove logo
basecamp chat --in <project> --json # List chats
basecamp chat messages --in <project> --json # List messages
basecamp chat post "Hello!" --in <project>
basecamp chat post "@Jane.Smith, check this" --in <project> # With @mention (auto text/html)
basecamp chat line <line_id> --in <project> # Show line
basecamp chat delete <line_id> --in <project> --force # Delete line (permanent, not trashable)
basecamp people list --json # All people in account
basecamp people list --project <project> --json # People on project
basecamp me --json # Current user
basecamp people show <id> --json # Person details
basecamp people add <id> --project <project> # Add to project
basecamp people remove <id> --project <project> # Remove from project
basecamp search "query" --json # Full-text search
basecamp search "query" --sort updated_at --limit 20
basecamp search metadata --json # Available search scopes
basecamp show <type> <id> --in <project> --json # Show any recording type
# Types: todo, todolist, message, comment, card, card-table, document (or omit <type> for generic lookup)
The CLI uses two directory namespaces: basecamp for your Basecamp identity and project relationships, basecamp for tool-specific operational data.
~/.config/basecamp/ # Basecamp identity (DO NOT read credentials)
├── credentials.json # OAuth tokens — NEVER read or log
├── client.json # DCR client registration
└── config.json # Global preferences (account_id, base_url, format)
~/.cache/basecamp/ # Tool cache (ephemeral, auto-managed)
├── completion.json # Tab completion cache
└── resilience/ # Circuit breaker state
.basecamp/ # Per-repo config (committed to git)
└── config.json # Project defaults (project_id, account_id, todolist_id)
Per-repo config: .basecamp/config.json
{
"project_id": "12345",
"todolist_id": "67890"
}
Initialize:
basecamp config init
basecamp config set project_id <id>
basecamp config set todolist_id <id>
Config Trust:
Authority keys (base_url, default_profile, profiles) in local/repo configs are blocked until explicitly trusted. This prevents a cloned repo's config from redirecting OAuth tokens.
basecamp config trust # Trust nearest .basecamp/config.json
basecamp config trust /path/to/.basecamp/config.json # Trust specific config file
basecamp config trust --list # Show all trusted configs
basecamp config untrust # Revoke trust for nearest config
basecamp config untrust /path/to/.basecamp/config.json # Revoke trust for specific path
Check context:
cat .basecamp/config.json 2>/dev/null || echo "No project configured"
Global config: ~/.config/basecamp/config.json (account_id, base_url, format preferences)
General diagnostics:
basecamp doctor --json # Check CLI health, auth, connectivity
Rate limiting (429): The CLI handles backoff automatically. If you see 429 errors, reduce request frequency.
Authentication errors:
basecamp auth status # Check auth
basecamp auth login # Re-authenticate
basecamp auth login --scope full # Full access (BC3 OAuth only)
basecamp auth login --device-code # Headless: display URL, paste callback
Network errors / localhost URLs:
# Check for dev config
cat ~/.config/basecamp/config.json
# Should only contain: {"account_id": "<id>"}
# Remove base_url/api_url if pointing to localhost
Not found errors:
basecamp auth status # Verify auth working
cat ~/.config/basecamp/accounts.json # Check available accounts
Required arguments are positional (not flags):
basecamp todo "Buy milk" (not --content)basecamp card "New feature" (not --title)basecamp message "Subject" "Body" (not --subject)basecamp chat post "Hello" (not --content)basecamp comment <id> "Text" (not a flag)basecamp webhooks create "https://..." --in <project> (not --url)basecamp checkins answer create <question-id> "content" (not --question)--date YYYY-MM-DD is optional for checkins answer create; if omitted, it defaults to todayMissing argument errors (code: "usage"): When a required positional argument is missing, the CLI returns a structured error naming the specific argument. Use this for elicitation:
$ basecamp todo --json
{"ok": false, "error": "<content> required", "code": "usage",
"hint": "Usage: basecamp todo <content>"}
$ basecamp comments create 123 --json
{"ok": false, "error": "<content> required", "code": "usage", ...}
The error field names the missing <arg> — use it to prompt the user for the specific value.
URL malformed (curl exit 3): Special characters in content. Use plain text or properly escaped HTML.
The CLI has a built-in --jq flag powered by gojq — no external jq binary required. Always prefer --jq over piping to external jq.
# Extract fields from data array
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '.data[] | select(.completed == false) | .title'
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '.data | length'
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '[.data[] | {id, title, status}]'
# Access envelope metadata
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '.breadcrumbs[0].cmd'
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '.meta.stats.requests'
# Filter and transform
basecamp cards list --in <project> --jq '[.data[] | select(.completed == true) | .title]'
basecamp people list --jq '[.data[] | {name: .name, email: .email_address}]'
--jq implies --json — no need to pass both. String results print as plain text; objects and arrays print as formatted JSON.
| Exit | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | OK | — |
| 1 | Usage error | Check basecamp <cmd> --help |
| 2 | Not found | Verify ID/URL exists |
| 3 | Auth error | basecamp auth login |
| 4 | Forbidden | Check account/project permissions |
| 5 | Rate limit | Wait and retry (resilience layer handles Retry-After automatically) |
| 6 | Network error | Check connectivity, basecamp doctor |
| 7 | API error | Retry; if persistent, check basecamp doctor |
| 8 | Ambiguous | Be more specific (use ID instead of name) |