Syntax CLI

The Syntax CLI is the agent that ships as part of Syntax. It's a full coding assistant in its own right and is always available without a separate install or syntax connect step. The CLI uses the Bridge, of course — like every other harness — but it also has a few Syntax-native capabilities that aren't available through external harnesses.

Why use the Syntax CLI

You'd pick the Syntax CLI when you want:

• A coding agent that ships and updates with Syntax itself.
• The full Plan Mode workflow as a first-class CLI experience.
• The runtime-mode cycle (Ctrl+M) and explicit cancellation (Esc) with Syntax-native semantics.
• Native session persistence and fork/rollback behavior.
• Direct access to Syntax-specific tooling (background agents, cron scheduling within a session, team coordination, etc.).

How it relates to the desktop app

The desktop app and the Syntax CLI share the same agent core. A session started in the CLI can be resumed in the desktop app and vice versa. Both talk to the Bridge for inference, both inherit your active model policy, both observe the same approvals.

Headless / scripted use

The Syntax CLI also has a headless mode for CI/CD, background tasks, and scripted automation. In headless mode, the CLI runs without a TUI, prompts are surfaced through structured I/O instead of interactive input, and tool approval is handled by your configured policy rather than per-call confirmation.

Where to start

• Run syntax-cli --help for the full harness command list.
• CLI → Syntax Coding Harness for the interactive TUI and the headless syntax-cli exec flow.
• CLI Reference for the user-visible commands and flags.
• Concepts → Plan Mode and Runtime Modes for the agent semantics.