> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.korve.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# CLI overview

> The korve binary: install, authenticate, configure — and everything the API does.

```bash theme={null}
curl -fsSL https://korve.dev/install.sh | sh
```

See [Install the CLI](/install-cli) for platform notes (`darwin-arm64`
today, more coming) and authentication.

## The parity promise

**Everything the API does, the CLI does.** Every public API operation that
accepts an API key maps to exactly one `korve` command — this is enforced
by a parity test in the CLI's own test suite, so a new platform capability
cannot ship without its command. The layout is `korve <noun> <verb>`
(`korve domains add`, `korve database rotate`) plus a few top-level verbs
(`korve deploy`, `korve logs`, `korve login`).

The only exceptions are session-only operations (key management, billing
mutations, org membership) — the CLI ships those commands anyway so the
failure mode is a helpful pointer to the dashboard rather than a mystery.

## Global flags

| Flag        | Effect                                                  |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--json`    | Print the raw JSON API response instead of human output |
| `--api-url` | Override the API base URL (also `$KORVE_API_URL`)       |

`--json` is the agent/scripting mode: stdout is the API payload, status
chatter goes to stderr. Shown-once secrets print bare on stdout so they
pipe cleanly.

## Configuration precedence

Explicit beats ambient, everywhere:

1. Command-line flags (`--project`, `--api-url`, `--api-key`)
2. Environment (`KORVE_API_KEY`, `KORVE_ORG`, `KORVE_PROJECT`,
   `KORVE_API_URL`)
3. Local link file `.korve.toml` (project only — written by `korve link`)
4. `~/.config/korve/config.toml` (written by `korve login`, `0600`)
5. Built-in defaults (`https://api.korve.dev`)

Project-scoped commands resolve the project as
`--project` → `$KORVE_PROJECT` → `.korve.toml`, and accept either a slug
or a UUID.

## Exit codes

| Code | Meaning                                                         |
| ---- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `0`  | Success                                                         |
| `1`  | Generic failure (API 409/422/5xx, I/O, failed deploy)           |
| `2`  | Usage error — bad flags, malformed `KEY=VALUE`, missing project |
| `3`  | Authentication/authorization (API 401/403, not logged in)       |
| `4`  | Not found (API 404)                                             |
| `5`  | Payment required (API 402 — activate billing)                   |

API errors print as `error (CODE): message` on stderr, preserving the
[error envelope](/api-reference/overview#errors)'s machine-readable code.

## Confirmations

Destructive commands (`projects delete`, `database delete`,
`previews remove`, `manifest apply`) prompt interactively; pass `--yes` to
skip in scripts. `korve projects delete` asks you to type the slug.

## Next

* [All commands](/cli/commands) — every command, flag, and example.