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

# engframe CLI: Install & Use

> Install the engframe command-line tool to add content to the Knowledge Base from your terminal

`engframe` is a small command-line tool for adding content to the Knowledge
Base without opening the dashboard. Log in once with your browser, then
ingest a Markdown file straight from your terminal or a script.

<Note>
  This is a separate, general-purpose tool from the [Knowledge Base MCP
  Server](/knowledge-base-mcp-server) — that's for connecting an AI
  assistant like Claude Code to search and read the Knowledge Base.
  `engframe` is something you (or a script) run directly, and today it only
  does one thing: ingest. More commands will be added over time.
</Note>

## Install

```bash theme={null}
npm install -g @engineeringframework/cli
```

This installs an `engframe` command on your `PATH`. Requires
[Node.js](https://nodejs.org) 20 or later. If you'd rather not install
globally, `npx @engineeringframework/cli <command>` works the same way
without installing anything permanently.

## Log in

```bash theme={null}
engframe login
```

This opens your default browser to sign in. After you log in, `engframe`
stores a token on your machine so you don't need to log in again until it
expires — if it does, the next command will tell you to run `engframe login`
again.

By default, `engframe` connects to the hosted Knowledge Base. If your
organization runs its own deployment, pass its URL explicitly, or set it
once as an environment variable:

```bash theme={null}
engframe login --server https://kbmcp.your-org.example.com
# or
export KB_MCP_SERVER_URL=https://kbmcp.your-org.example.com
engframe login
```

## Ingest a document

```bash theme={null}
engframe ingest path/to/document.md
```

On success, this prints the new Document's ID and status. New Documents
always start as **draft** — never automatically published — so it'll need
review before it shows up in search. See
[The Document Review Workflow](/knowledge-base-review).

```
Ingested Document 8f2c1e40-... (status: draft)
```

If something's wrong with the file — an unknown project, an unknown domain,
or a link to a Document you're not authorized to see — `engframe` prints
the specific problem rather than a generic failure.

### Front matter format

The file must start with a `---`-delimited block of front matter, followed
by the Markdown content:

```markdown theme={null}
---
title: "How we handle retries in the payments webhook"
type: decision
tags:
  - payments
  - reliability
domains:
  - payments
projectId: proj_abc123
---

## Context

Explain the decision here in normal Markdown...
```

| Field       | Required | Notes                                                                                                                       |
| ----------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `title`     | Yes      | Document title.                                                                                                             |
| `type`      | Yes      | e.g. `concept`, `decision`, `guide`, `pitfall`, `process`.                                                                  |
| `tags`      | No       | Free-form, filterable tags.                                                                                                 |
| `domains`   | No       | Subject areas this Document belongs to.                                                                                     |
| `projectId` | No       | Scopes the Document to a specific project you belong to.                                                                    |
| `appliesTo` | No       | Scope of applicability.                                                                                                     |
| `sources`   | No       | Source references (URLs, etc).                                                                                              |
| `edges`     | No       | `part_of` / `relates_to` lists of other Document IDs to link to. You must be authorized to view every Document you link to. |

The content after the closing `---` becomes the Document's body.

## Other commands

```bash theme={null}
engframe whoami   # shows which server you're logged in to, and whether your session is still valid
engframe logout   # signs you out and deletes the locally stored token
engframe --help
```

## Related reading

* [Agent Skill: Save to the Knowledge Base](/engframe-skill) to teach Claude
  Code (or another agent) to use this CLI on its own
* [The Knowledge Base: What It's For](/knowledge-base-overview) for how
  ingested content fits into the bigger picture
* [The Document Review Workflow](/knowledge-base-review) for what happens
  after you ingest a draft