Command-Line Options
🎛️ Complete reference for all CLI flags and options.
ReasonKit’s CLI is designed for power users and automation. Every option has both a short and long form.
Global Options
These options work with all commands:
| Short | Long | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
-p | --profile | balanced | Reasoning profile to use |
-o | --output | pretty | Output format (pretty, json, markdown) |
-v | --verbose | false | Enable verbose output |
-q | --quiet | false | Suppress all non-essential output |
-h | --help | - | Show help message |
-V | --version | - | Show version information |
--config | ~/.config/reasonkit/config.toml | Config file path | |
--no-color | false | Disable colored output |
Profile Selection
Quick Access
# Using --profile flag
rk-core think "question" --profile balanced
# Using shorthand flags
rk-core think "question" --quick # ~10 seconds
rk-core think "question" --balanced # ~20 seconds (default)
rk-core think "question" --deep # ~1 minute
rk-core think "question" --paranoid # ~2-3 minutes
Profile Options
| Flag | Equivalent | Time | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
--quick | --profile quick | ~10s | Low-stakes, time-sensitive |
--balanced | --profile balanced | ~20s | Most decisions |
--deep | --profile deep | ~1m | High-stakes decisions |
--paranoid | --profile paranoid | ~2-3m | Critical, irreversible |
Provider Options
Provider Selection
# Auto-detect (uses first available key)
rk-core think "question"
# Explicit provider
rk-core think "question" --provider anthropic
rk-core think "question" --provider openai
rk-core think "question" --provider openrouter
rk-core think "question" --provider ollama
Model Selection
# Use default model for provider
rk-core think "question" --provider anthropic
# Specify exact model
rk-core think "question" --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514
rk-core think "question" --model gpt-4-turbo
rk-core think "question" --model llama3.2
Provider-Specific Options
| Option | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
--provider | LLM provider to use | anthropic, openai, openrouter, ollama |
--model | Specific model ID | claude-sonnet-4-20250514 |
--api-key | API key (overrides env) | sk-... |
--base-url | Custom API endpoint | http://localhost:11434 |
Output Options
Format Selection
# Pretty output (default, human-readable)
rk-core think "question" --output pretty
# JSON output (machine-readable)
rk-core think "question" --output json
# Markdown output (documentation-ready)
rk-core think "question" --output markdown
# Short alias
rk-core think "question" -o json
Output Control
| Option | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
--output, -o | Output format | pretty, json, markdown |
--no-color | Disable ANSI colors | For piping/logging |
--quiet, -q | Minimal output | Only final result |
--verbose, -v | Detailed output | Include debug info |
Output Redirection
# Save to file
rk-core think "question" --output json > analysis.json
# Pipe to jq
rk-core think "question" -o json | jq '.synthesis'
# Suppress progress, keep result
rk-core think "question" -q > result.txt
Timing Options
Timeout Control
# Default timeout (180 seconds)
rk-core think "question"
# Custom timeout
rk-core think "question" --timeout 300
# No timeout (wait indefinitely)
rk-core think "question" --timeout 0
Streaming
# Enable streaming (see output as it generates)
rk-core think "question" --stream
# Disable streaming (wait for complete response)
rk-core think "question" --no-stream
ThinkTool Options
Tool Selection
# Use specific tools only
rk-core think "question" --tools gigathink,laserlogic
# Exclude specific tools
rk-core think "question" --exclude proofguard
# Tool aliases
rk-core think "question" --tools gt,ll,br,pg,bh
Tool-Specific Settings
# GigaThink perspectives
rk-core think "question" --gigathink-perspectives 15
# ProofGuard source count
rk-core think "question" --proofguard-sources 5
# BrutalHonesty severity
rk-core think "question" --brutalhonesty-severity high
| Option | Values | Default |
|---|---|---|
--gigathink-perspectives | 3-20 | 10 |
--laserlogic-depth | quick, standard, deep | standard |
--proofguard-sources | 1-10 | 3 |
--brutalhonesty-severity | low, medium, high | medium |
Input Options
Reading Input
# Direct question
rk-core think "Is this a good idea?"
# From stdin
echo "Should I do this?" | rk-core think -
# From file
rk-core think --file question.txt
# From clipboard (requires xclip/pbpaste)
rk-core think --clipboard
Context Addition
# Add context file
rk-core think "Should I merge this PR?" --context diff.txt
# Multiple context files
rk-core think "question" --context file1.txt --context file2.txt
# URL context (fetches and includes)
rk-core think "question" --context-url https://example.com/docs
Cache Options
# Enable caching (default)
rk-core think "question" --cache
# Disable caching
rk-core think "question" --no-cache
# Clear cache before running
rk-core think "question" --clear-cache
# Set cache TTL (seconds)
rk-core think "question" --cache-ttl 3600
Debug Options
# Show debug information
rk-core think "question" --debug
# Show API requests/responses
rk-core think "question" --debug-api
# Dry run (show what would be sent)
rk-core think "question" --dry-run
# Show timing breakdown
rk-core think "question" --timing
Combining Options
Options can be combined freely:
# Full example
rk-core think "Should I accept this job offer?" \
--profile deep \
--provider anthropic \
--model claude-sonnet-4-20250514 \
--output json \
--timeout 300 \
--proofguard-sources 5 \
--verbose
# Shorthand version
rk-core think "Should I accept this job offer?" \
--deep -o json -v --proofguard-sources 5
Option Precedence
Options are applied in this order (later overrides earlier):
- Built-in defaults
- Config file settings
- Environment variables
- Command-line flags
# Config says balanced, but CLI overrides to deep
rk-core think "question" --deep
Related
- Commands — Full command reference
- Environment Variables — Configure via environment
- Configuration — Config file reference