The Anchors CLI

The Anchors CLI (anchors) is a fast, standalone binary written in Go that enforces continuous governance for AI-assisted software development.

Rather than trying to embed AI inside the tool, Anchors is designed from the ground up as the tool that AI agents operate:

• The AI does not need to memorize the entire framework; it queries the binary (anchors guide), learns what needs to be done, and executes commands.
• It is completely client-agnostic: it works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, Gemini CLI, or human terminal developers.
• It operates strictly on text and filesystem contracts — no hidden runtime servers or heavy dependencies.

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🚀 Quick Navigation

• Installation Guide — Install via Homebrew, shell installer, Go toolchain, Windows, Docker, and CI/CD.
• Commands Reference — Complete searchable index of all 55 CLI commands.
• The Workflow — How to operate the daily cycle from spec to merge.
• The anchors.yaml — Configuration schema and layer definitions.

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🛠️ Essential Commands at a Glance

# 1. Initialize a new project or configure an existing one
anchors init

# 2. Check project health and structural maturity
anchors doctor

# 3. Build and query the dependency graph
anchors map build
anchors impact src/services/auth/login.spec.md

# 4. Run automated quality gates against staged files or whole project
anchors check
anchors check --all

# 5. Start background AI task coordination
anchors watch

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🧭 Deep Dive Command Guides

• anchors check & verify — Pipeline evaluation, strict modes, and gate filtering.
• anchors doctor & audit — Ecosystem health, orphaned artifacts, and single-file audits.
• anchors map & impact — Dependency DAG analysis, blast radius calculation, and code renaming.
• anchors init & new — Project setup wizard, layer discovery, and artifact scaffolding.
• anchors flow & queue — Background watcher, task claiming, and autonomous stage deliveries.
• anchors freeze & thaw — Release baseline locking and security freezes.