CLI (ordo)

The ordo CLI brings decision rules into your development workflow. A project is a folder of files you edit like source code, check locally (offline, sub-second), and sync to the platform. It's designed to be equally usable by a person and by an AI coding agent.

Install

# one-off, no install
npx @ordo-engine/cli --help

# or globally
npm i -g @ordo-engine/cli
ordo --help

The install downloads a prebuilt static binary for your platform. Alternatively, build from source: cargo install --git https://github.com/Ordo-Engine/Ordo ordo-cli.

Every command supports --json for machine-readable output.

A decision project on disk

ordo init scaffolds a project — a tree of files that mirrors the Studio model:

ordo.yaml              project + link config
rulesets/<name>.json   a ruleset (studio format)
facts.json             fact catalog (external inputs)
concepts.json          concept catalog (derived expressions)
tests/<name>.json      test cases for a ruleset
contracts/<name>.json  decision contract
AGENTS.md              guidance for coding agents

Put this folder in git — rules now get PRs, review, and CI like any code.

The local loop (offline)

ordo init my-rules && cd my-rules

ordo validate                 # compile every condition, structured errors
ordo test                     # run the ruleset's test cases
ordo trace loan-approval --input '{"amount":5000}'   # show the execution path
ordo fmt                      # canonically format rule files
ordo lint                     # graph + style checks
ordo new ruleset|fact|concept <name>

validate, test, and trace run entirely locally against the embedded engine — no network, no server. Concepts are materialized the same way the platform does, so a local run matches production.

ordo trace is the debugging tool: it prints the exact path an input takes through the steps, which is invaluable when a decision isn't what you expected.

$ ordo trace loan-approval --input '{"amount":5000}'
code:    APPROVED
output:  { "approved": true, "amount": 5000 }
path:    check_amount -> approve

Sync with the platform

The platform is a remote you pull from and push/publish to.

ordo login                                  # authenticate (token in ~/.ordo)
ordo link --org <org> --project <project>   # bind this folder to a project
ordo pull                                   # fetch rulesets + catalog + tests
# ...edit files...
ordo push                                   # upload drafts (facts/concepts/tests too)
ordo publish loan-approval --env staging    # deploy to an environment
ordo deployments                            # watch deployment status
ordo diff                                   # local vs the server's draft

push is a full sync: rulesets, facts, concepts, per-ruleset tests, and contracts (--rulesets-only limits it). It uses optimistic locking — if the server has newer changes you'll be told to ordo pull first.

CI

Because the local commands are offline and return proper exit codes, they drop straight into CI:

- run: npx @ordo-engine/cli validate
- run: npx @ordo-engine/cli test

Config & environment

Auth and API URL live in ~/.ordo/config.toml (chmod 600). For CI, set ORDO_TOKEN and ORDO_API_URL instead — they override the file.

Drive it from an AI agent

ordo mcp exposes these tools over the Model Context Protocol so a coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor) can author, test, and ship rules for you. See MCP.

Shell completions

ordo completions zsh > ~/.zfunc/_ordo    # bash | zsh | fish | powershell | elvish

Command summary

Group	Commands
Scaffold	init, new
Local loop	validate, test, trace, exec, eval, fmt, lint
Platform	login, whoami, link, pull, push, publish, deployments, diff
Agent	mcp
Misc	completions