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

# CLI overview

> Every meow command at a glance, plus the global behaviors that apply across the CLI.

The meow CLI groups its verbs into four families. Run `meow` with no arguments to
see this catalog plus live telemetry about your install and cache.

## Command catalog

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Run" icon="play" href="/cli/run">
    `run` · `dev` · `task` · `test` · `x` · eval — execute files, scripts, and packages.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Packages" icon="box" href="/cli/packages">
    `install` · `add` · `remove` · `search` — manage dependencies.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quality" icon="screwdriver-wrench" href="/cli/quality">
    `check` · `lint` · `fmt` · `bundle` — the toolchain.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Insight" icon="magnifying-glass-chart" href="/cli/insight">
    `why-dep` · `why-large` · `why-slow` · `doctor` · `sync` · `ls` — observability & lifecycle.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Full command list

| Command                  | Aliases                            | Summary                                                       |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `meow init`              |                                    | Scaffold a new project (`--mode`, `--force`, `--no-install`). |
| `meow run <target>`      |                                    | Run a file or a `package.json` script.                        |
| `meow dev`               |                                    | Run the `dev` script (`meow run dev`).                        |
| `meow task <name>`       |                                    | Run a `package.json` script by name.                          |
| `meow test`              |                                    | Run `*.test.*` / `*.spec.*` in deterministic isolates.        |
| `meow x <pkg>`           | `execute`                          | Ephemeral package execution (npx/bunx).                       |
| `meow install`           | `i`                                | Resolve + install + materialize.                              |
| `meow add <pkg…>`        |                                    | Add a dependency, then install.                               |
| `meow remove <pkg…>`     | `rm`, `del`, `delete`, `uninstall` | Remove a dependency, then install.                            |
| `meow search <query>`    | `s`, `find`                        | Search the npm registry.                                      |
| `meow check [paths…]`    |                                    | Type-check via `tsc`.                                         |
| `meow lint [paths…]`     |                                    | Lint over the shared syntax tree.                             |
| `meow fmt [paths…]`      |                                    | Format (`--check` for CI).                                    |
| `meow bundle <entries…>` |                                    | Bundle via Rolldown (`--out`).                                |
| `meow why-dep <pkg>`     |                                    | Trace dependency provenance.                                  |
| `meow why-large`         |                                    | Largest packages by cached size.                              |
| `meow why-slow [target]` |                                    | Cold-start timing.                                            |
| `meow doctor`            |                                    | Environment / config / lockfile health.                       |
| `meow sync`              |                                    | Regenerate the shadow `tsconfig` and types.                   |
| `meow ls`                |                                    | List active dev servers.                                      |

## Global behaviors

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The omni-router" icon="wand-magic-sparkles">
    When the first argument isn't a known command, meow infers intent: a script name
    or file path becomes `meow run …`; an unknown name becomes `meow x …`. It also
    strips competitor flags (`--shell`, `--silent`, `--no-warnings`) and Deno-style
    run flags (`-A`, `--allow-all`, `--unstable-*`). Full rules in
    [Running code](/runtime/running-code#the-omni-router).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Did-you-mean suggestions" icon="lightbulb">
    A near-miss command gets a suggestion:
    `Unknown command 'installc'. Did you mean 'install'?`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Binary aliases" icon="link">
    Invoke meow as `meowx`, `mwx`, `npx`, `pnpx`, or `bunx` and it auto-routes to
    `meow x`. Invoke it as `node` (or with `MEOW_NODE_SHIM=1`) and it behaves as the
    [node shim](/runtime/node-compat#the-node-shim).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Exit codes" icon="hashtag">
    meow propagates your program's exit code (and `process.exit(n)`) to the shell,
    taken modulo 256 like any process. Quality commands exit non-zero on findings,
    so they gate CI directly.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Color & CI" icon="palette">
    Output is rich in a TTY and plain in pipes/CI. Honors `NO_COLOR`, `FORCE_COLOR`,
    `CLICOLOR_FORCE`, and `CI`. See [environment variables](/runtime/environment).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Tip>
  `meow <command> --help` prints on-brand, colorized help for any command.
</Tip>