> ## 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.

# Scripts and agents

> Run the CLI without prompts, preview requests, and read errors from scripts and coding agents.

## Turn off prompts

When stdin and stdout are a terminal, the CLI prompts for missing required flags and opens an explorer when you run `continuous` with no command. Pass `--no-interactive` in scripts so the CLI never prompts, even from a terminal:

```bash theme={null}
continuous simulations list --no-interactive --output-format json
```

Without a terminal the CLI never prompts. `continuous explore` then exits with an error, and `continuous` with no command prints help.

## Read values in a script

`jq` is optional. Use it when a script needs raw values from a JSON response. For example, print one Simulator ID per line:

```bash theme={null}
continuous simulators list -o json | jq -r '.simulators[].id'
```

For curl scripts, `-fsS` hides the progress meter and reports failed HTTP requests. These flags are optional when you run a request by hand.

## Send a request body

Commands with a JSON body, including create, fork, token minting, World build/start, and clock advances, take individual flags, a `--body` JSON string, or JSON on stdin. Flags override values from `--body` or stdin. `--body` wins over stdin.

These commands read stdin to end-of-file whenever stdin is not a terminal, even when the flags already supply the body. In a pipeline or a job that leaves stdin open, the command waits until stdin closes. Redirect from `/dev/null` or pass `--body` when nothing is meant to arrive on stdin:

```bash theme={null}
continuous simulations create \
  --simulator-id smr_01J8Z5X4K7M2N9P0Q1R2S3T4V5 \
  --no-interactive </dev/null
```

```bash theme={null}
continuous simulations create --no-interactive -o json <<'JSON'
{
  "simulator_id": "smr_01J8Z5X4K7M2N9P0Q1R2S3T4V5",
  "name": "checkout-test"
}
JSON
```

`simulators build` is different: it sends multipart form data. Pass the build request with `--request` and the OpenAPI or WSDL file with `--spec`:

```bash theme={null}
continuous simulators build \
  --request '{
    "name": "billing-api",
    "instructions": "Return stable example data for every operation."
  }' \
  --spec ./openapi.yaml
```

## Preview a request

`--dry-run` prints the method, URL, headers, and body to stderr and skips the network call. The `Authorization` header is redacted.

```bash theme={null}
continuous simulations create \
  --simulator-id smr_01J8Z5X4K7M2N9P0Q1R2S3T4V5 --dry-run
```

Do not use the exit status of a dry run in scripts; see [Known issues](#known-issues).

`--debug` logs the real request and response to stderr. When you pass both flags, only the dry run runs.

## Agent mode

Agent mode turns off color, prompts, and the explorer, defaults output to TOON, prints errors as JSON on stderr, and refuses the interactive `configure` and `auth login` commands. `continuous explore` prints help instead. The CLI enables it when one of these variables is set to `1`, `true`, or `yes`: `CLAUDE_CODE`, `CURSOR_AGENT`, `CODEX`, `AIDER`, `CLINE`, `WINDSURF_AGENT`, `GITHUB_COPILOT`, `AMAZON_Q`, `GEMINI_CODE_ASSIST`, `SRC_CODY`, `FORCE_AGENT_MODE`. To force it in a script, set `FORCE_AGENT_MODE=1`. To turn it off, unset those variables or set them to `0`. The `--agent-mode` flag does not work in the current release; see [Known issues](#known-issues).

## Errors and exit codes

Any failure exits with status 1. API errors are printed on stderr. With `--output-format json` or `--jq`, and in agent mode, stderr carries a JSON object followed by one plain line that repeats the API's problem body, so parse the object rather than the whole stream. The object's `error` field holds the problem body as a JSON string; in agent mode the object also carries `error_type`, `message`, and `hints`. Parse `error` and read its `code`; see [Known issues](#known-issues) for why `error_type` is not reliable.

```text theme={null}
# --output-format json (stderr)
{
  "error": "{\"code\":\"auth_invalid\",\"detail\":\"...\"}"
}
{"code":"auth_invalid","detail":"..."}
```

## Known issues

These reproduce on v0.1.18.

* `--agent-mode` and `--agent-mode=false` are accepted but ignored. Use the environment variables in [Agent mode](#agent-mode).
* `--dry-run` prints the preview and then exits with status 1 for `simulations create`, `simulations fork`, `simulators build`, `worlds build`, and every `delete` command. It exits 0 for `list`, `get`, `start`, `stop`, `cancel-*`, and `mint-simulation-token`.
* In the default pretty format, an API error message prints twice. In `json`, `--jq`, and agent modes the JSON object is followed by one plain line with the problem body.
* The CLI cannot read the HTTP status from API errors, so `error_type` for a rejected key is `connection_error`. Read the `code` inside `error` instead.
* `--output-format yaml` drops the underscores from keys (`next_cursor` prints as `nextcursor`) unless `--include-headers` is also set; use `json` if you do not want the headers.