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

# Global flags

> Flags that every continuous command accepts, with their environment and config equivalents.

All flags below apply to every command. Three of them also read an environment variable or a key in `~/.config/continuous/config.yaml`; [Authentication](/cli/authentication) gives the order in which those sources win.

## Authentication

| Flag                   | Environment               | Config key              | What it does                                                               |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------- | ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--api-key-auth <key>` | `CONTINUOUS_API_KEY_AUTH` | `security.api_key_auth` | API key sent as a Bearer token. See [Authentication](/cli/authentication). |

## Output

| Flag                           | Environment                | Config key      | What it does                                                                                                       |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `-o, --output-format <format>` | `CONTINUOUS_OUTPUT_FORMAT` | `output_format` | `pretty`, `json`, `yaml`, `table`, or `toon`. See [Output](/cli/output).                                           |
| `-q, --jq <expression>`        |                            |                 | Filter the response with a jq expression. See [Filter with jq](/cli/output#filter-with-jq).                        |
| `--include-headers`            |                            |                 | Add the HTTP response headers to the output. See [Include response headers](/cli/output#include-response-headers). |
| `--color <mode>`               |                            |                 | `auto`, `always`, or `never`. See [Color](/cli/output#color).                                                      |
| `--no-interactive`             |                            |                 | Never prompt, open the explorer, or show forms. See [Turn off prompts](/cli/scripting#turn-off-prompts).           |

## Server and network

| Flag                        | Environment          | Config key | What it does                                                                                 |
| --------------------------- | -------------------- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--server-url <url>`        |                      |            | Send requests to another base URL instead of `https://api.continuouslabs.ai`.                |
| `--server <index>`          |                      |            | Pick a server from the contract's server list. The list has one entry, so only `0` is valid. |
| `-H, --header "Key: Value"` |                      |            | Add a request header. Repeat the flag for more headers.                                      |
| `--timeout <duration>`      | `CONTINUOUS_TIMEOUT` | `timeout`  | Request timeout as a Go duration, for example `30s` or `5m`.                                 |

## Diagnostics

| Flag           | What it does                                                                                                      |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--dry-run`    | Print the request to stderr and skip the network call. See [Preview a request](/cli/scripting#preview-a-request). |
| `-d, --debug`  | Log request and response details to stderr. Ignored when `--dry-run` is set.                                      |
| `--usage`      | Print the command's usage schema in KDL and exit.                                                                 |
| `--agent-mode` | Toggle agent mode. See [Known issues](/cli/scripting#known-issues) before you rely on it.                         |

`-h, --help` prints help for any command. [Scripting](/cli/scripting#agent-mode) describes agent mode and how the CLI detects it.