CLI reference¶

The anchor command exposes the user-facing local application surface.

Set up environments and projects¶

Command	Purpose
`anchor init [name]`	Initialize a project in the current folder. Writes an `anchor.toml` marker and a hidden `.anchor_data/`, binds the folder to an environment, and registers the project by name. The name defaults to the folder's. `--env <name>` binds it (default: the default env). If that environment does not exist, init prompts for a provider on a terminal, or accepts `--provider` / `--base-url` / `--vision-model` / `--embed-model` to provision it inline, or errors (pointing at `anchor env create`) when run unattended. `--description`, `--force`, `--yes` round out the flags.
`anchor env create <name>`	The provider / data-zone picker. Creates an environment (the trust boundary) and its `default` project, writing `env.toml`. Options: `--provider local\\|ollama\\|openai\\|azure\\|custom`, `--embed-model`, `--base-url`, `--vision-model`, `--docling-device`, `--description`, `--yes`, `--force`. Self-corrects an Azure endpoint missing `/openai/v1/` and offers to save the key to a gitignored `.env`.
`anchor env list / show / default / set-description`	Manage environments. `list` shows them (`*` marks the default); `show <name>` prints the profile and its projects; `default <name>` sets the default; `set-description <name> <desc>` updates the description.
`anchor project create / list / set-description / move / remove / rename`	Manage projects inside an environment. `create <name> --env <env>` makes a managed project under `envs/<env>/projects/<name>/`. `move <name> --to <env> --env <src>` relocates a project across environments, confirming the zone change. `remove <name> [--delete-data] [--force]` deregisters a project (and with `--delete-data` deletes its `.anchor_data/` + `anchor.toml`); it refuses a project that still has documents/canvases unless `--force`. `rename <old> <new>` renames a project across the registry + its `anchor.toml`.
`anchor use <env> [project]`	Set a session default so later commands can omit `--env` / `--project`.
`anchor migrate`	Fold a pre-existing `~/anchor-data` into `envs/local/projects/default/.anchor_data/`.
`anchor check --env <name>`	Verify the resolved data zone: provider / endpoint / project dir / models / key, repair a malformed endpoint (`--fix`), and with `--probe` confirm the deployment + key. Exits non-zero when something would break.
`anchor serve`	Serve the web UI and HTTP/SSE API for the selected project.

anchor env create <name> is the recommended first step on a new machine, then anchor init in a working folder, then anchor check. Inside a project folder Anchor walks up to the nearest anchor.toml and needs no flags. Otherwise select the environment and project with --env / --project, anchor use, or ANCHOR_ENV / ANCHOR_PROJECT. Every flag of anchor env create is scriptable (--yes --provider … --base-url … --vision-model …), so an agent can scaffold an environment the way it runs npm init. See Environments and projects and the Azure OpenAI test-drive for the full Azure flow.

Core document commands¶

Command	Purpose
`anchor ingest PDF_PATH`	Run a PDF through the bronze, silver and optional gold pipeline. Add `--full-page-ocr` to OCR whole pages instead of only bitmap regions; use it for PDFs with no or partial text layer (vector-outline or scanned pages) that would otherwise drop paragraphs from silver. Ingest also warns when a page yields little or no extractable text and points at this flag. The same option is available on the MCP `ingest_pdf` tool as `full_page_ocr`.
`anchor list`	List ingested documents.
`anchor index SLUG`	Print a document silver index.
`anchor regions SLUG`	Print gold-extracted regions.
`anchor embed SLUG`	Embed gold regions for semantic search.
`anchor search QUERY`	Search embedded gold regions.
`anchor synopsis SLUG --entity ENTITY`	Compose an entity-scoped synopsis.
`anchor extract SLUG --shape shape.json [-o out.json]`	Pointed extraction: fill a caller shape from selected regions/entities (`--region`, `--page`, `--entity`) with per-leaf provenance.

Commands resolve storage from the selected environment and project, in order: --env / --project > ANCHOR_ENV / ANCHOR_PROJECT > the anchor use selection > the default environment and its default project. An explicit --data-dir DIR overrides for a single command.

Canvas commands¶

anchor canvas --help

Command	Purpose
`canvas list`	List workspaces and reference relationships.
`canvas create SLUG`	Create a workspace.
`canvas state SLUG`	Print current nodes, edges and metadata.
`canvas placeholders SLUG`	List nodes waiting for an agent-populated value.
`canvas add-node`, `update-node`, `remove-node`	Mutate canvas nodes. `add-node` auto-places when `--x`/`--y` are omitted; `update-node --data` deep-merges.
`canvas node-types [TYPE]`	Print which `data` fields each node type renders (and its body field).
`canvas add-edge`, `update-edge`, `remove-edge`	Mutate edges.
`canvas organize`, `align`, `distribute`	Apply layout helpers.
`canvas snapshot SLUG`	Render a workspace using a running server and Chromium.

Extension commands¶

Command group	Purpose
`anchor sysml`	Render or export SysML text.
`anchor fmu`	Inspect and simulate FMUs when the optional runtime is installed.
`anchor cad`	Inspect supported CAD models and alter parameters.
`anchor extensions`	List and inspect OIP producer manifests.
`anchor install <harness>`	Register ANCHOR's MCP server (+ skill) with an AI harness.

Run anchor <group> --help for option-level detail.

anchor install claude-code (and cursor, claude-desktop) register an MCP entry pointing at an environment (--env <name>, default the default environment). claude-desktop supports a named entry per environment (--name), so you can register more than one; see the command's --help.

For current Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Cursor, and generic stdio setup instructions, see Agent configuration.