CLI Reference

All commands are accessed through the dd-agents entry point.

dd-agents [COMMAND] [OPTIONS]

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning	What to Do
0	Success	Nothing — the pipeline completed normally
1	Error (invalid config, missing input, unexpected failure)	Check the error message and fix the issue
2	Quality gate failed (pipeline halted because a quality check did not pass)	See blocking gate recovery for specific guidance
130	Interrupted by user (Ctrl+C)	Resume with `--resume-from <step>`

run

Run the due diligence pipeline.

dd-agents run CONFIG_PATH [OPTIONS]

Arguments: - CONFIG_PATH -- Path to the deal-config.json file

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--mode`	`full\\|incremental`	from config	Override execution mode
`--resume-from`	int (0-35)	0 (beginning)	Resume from a specific step
`--no-narrative`	flag	off	Skip LLM narrative generation (deterministic report only)
`--dry-run`	flag	off	Print step plan without executing
`--quick-scan`	flag	off	Run steps 1-13 + Red Flag Scanner only
`--model-profile`	`economy\\|standard\\|premium`	from config	Model quality: `economy` (fastest, cheapest), `standard` (balanced), `premium` (most accurate, most expensive)
`--model-override`	`AGENT=MODEL`	none	Per-agent model override (repeatable)
`--no-knowledge`	flag	off	Skip knowledge compilation after pipeline run
`--verbose / -v`	flag	off	Enable debug logging

Examples:

# Full pipeline run
dd-agents run deal-config.json

# Dry run to preview steps
dd-agents run deal-config.json --dry-run

# Resume from step 17 after fixing a blocking gate failure
dd-agents run deal-config.json --resume-from 17

# Quick triage with cheap models
dd-agents run deal-config.json --quick-scan --model-profile economy

# Premium legal analysis, standard for the rest
dd-agents run deal-config.json --model-override legal=claude-opus-4-8

validate

Validate a deal-config.json file without running the pipeline.

dd-agents validate CONFIG_PATH

Arguments: - CONFIG_PATH -- Path to the deal-config.json file

Examples:

dd-agents validate deal-config.json

Prints "Config is valid" with a summary table on success, or detailed validation errors on failure.

version

Print the installed dd-agents version.

dd-agents version

init

Generate a deal-config.json by scanning a data room. Supports interactive and scripted modes.

dd-agents init [OPTIONS]

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--data-room`	path	prompted	Path to the data room folder
`--buyer`	string	prompted	Acquiring company name
`--target`	string	prompted	Target company name
`--deal-type`	choice	prompted	`acquisition`, `asset_sale`, `merger`, `divestiture`, `investment`, `joint_venture`, `other`
`--focus-areas`	string	prompted	Comma-separated focus areas
`--name-variants`	string	prompted	Comma-separated alternate target names
`--output`	path	`deal-config.json`	Output file path
`--non-interactive`	flag	off	Skip prompts, use flags only
`--force`	flag	off	Overwrite existing output file

Examples:

# Interactive mode
dd-agents init

# Fully scripted
dd-agents init --non-interactive --data-room ./data_room \
  --buyer "Acme Corp" --target "Target Inc" \
  --deal-type acquisition \
  --focus-areas "ip_ownership,change_of_control_clauses" \
  --name-variants "Target,Target Incorporated"

auto-config

Auto-generate a deal-config.json by analyzing a data room with AI. Claude inspects the directory structure, file names, and metadata to produce a complete configuration including entity aliases and recommended focus areas.

dd-agents auto-config BUYER TARGET [OPTIONS]

Arguments: - BUYER -- Name of the acquiring company - TARGET -- Name of the company being acquired

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--data-room`	path	required	Path to the data room folder
`--deal-type`	choice	inferred	Override the AI-inferred deal type
`--buyer-docs`	path	none	Buyer business description files (10-K, annual report). Repeatable.
`--spa`	path	none	SPA draft/redline for deal structure extraction
`--press-release`	path	none	Acquisition press release for strategic context
`--buyer-docs-dir`	string	`_buyer`	Folder name for converted buyer files in data room
`--interactive`	flag	off	Enable interactive follow-up questions for strategy refinement
`--output`	path	`deal-config.json`	Output file path
`--dry-run`	flag	off	Print config without writing
`--force`	flag	off	Overwrite existing output file
`--verbose / -v`	flag	off	Enable debug logging

Examples:

# Basic usage (backward compatible)
dd-agents auto-config "Acme Corp" "Target Inc" --data-room ./data_room

# Preview without writing
dd-agents auto-config "Acme Corp" "Target Inc" --data-room ./data_room --dry-run

# Override deal type and save to custom path
dd-agents auto-config "Acme Corp" "Target Inc" --data-room ./data_room \
  --deal-type merger --output configs/my-deal.json --force

# Deep auto-config with buyer strategy generation
dd-agents auto-config "Acme Corp" "Target Inc" --data-room ./data_room \
  --buyer-docs ./10k.docx --spa ./spa-draft.pdf --press-release ./pr.docx

# Multiple buyer docs with interactive refinement
dd-agents auto-config "Acme Corp" "Target Inc" --data-room ./data_room \
  --buyer-docs ./10k.docx --buyer-docs ./earnings-call.docx \
  --spa ./spa.pdf --interactive

When --buyer-docs, --spa, or --press-release are provided, the command runs a multi-turn AI analysis to generate a buyer_strategy section. This enables the Acquirer Intelligence Agent and buyer-specific report sections. Buyer documents are converted to markdown and placed in {data_room}/_buyer/ for agent access at runtime.

search

Search subject contracts using custom prompts. Produces an Excel report with answers and precise citations without running the full pipeline.

dd-agents search PROMPTS_PATH [OPTIONS]

Arguments: - PROMPTS_PATH -- Path to the prompts JSON file

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--data-room`	path	required	Path to the data room folder
`--output`	path	auto-named	Excel output path
`--groups`	string	all	Comma-separated group names to include
`--subjects`	string	all	Comma-separated subject names to filter
`--concurrency`	int (1-20)	5	Maximum parallel API calls
`--yes / -y`	flag	off	Skip cost confirmation prompt
`--no-file`	flag	off	Skip filing search results back to Knowledge Base
`--verbose / -v`	flag	off	Enable debug logging

Examples:

# Analyze all subjects
dd-agents search prompts.json --data-room ./data_room

# Filter to specific subjects, skip confirmation
dd-agents search prompts.json --data-room ./data_room \
  --subjects "Acme,Beta Corp" -y

# Save to specific file with higher concurrency
dd-agents search prompts.json --data-room ./data_room \
  --output results.xlsx --concurrency 10

assess

Assess data room quality and completeness before running the pipeline.

dd-agents assess DATA_ROOM [OPTIONS]

Arguments: - DATA_ROOM -- Path to the data room folder

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--verbose / -v`	flag	off	Enable debug logging

Examples:

dd-agents assess ./data_room

Outputs a health report with overall score (0-100), file type distribution, extraction readiness, issues, and recommendations.

export-pdf

Export an HTML DD report to a print-optimized PDF.

dd-agents export-pdf <html_path> [OPTIONS]

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--output`	Path	Same name with `.pdf`	Output PDF file path
`--engine`	Choice	`auto`	PDF engine: `auto`, `playwright`, `weasyprint`

Engine detection: Prefers Playwright (highest fidelity), falls back to WeasyPrint. Install one:

pip install playwright && playwright install chromium
# OR
pip install weasyprint

Examples:

dd-agents export-pdf _dd/forensic-dd/runs/latest/report/dd_report.html
dd-agents export-pdf report.html --output board-package.pdf
dd-agents export-pdf report.html --engine weasyprint

query

Ask natural-language questions about the DD report findings.

dd-agents query --report <run_dir> [OPTIONS]

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--report`	Path	(required)	Path to the pipeline run directory
`--question`, `-q`	String	None	Single question (omit for interactive mode)
`--verbose`, `-v`	Flag	Off	Enable verbose logging

Indexes merged findings from the run directory and answers questions using keyword matching (fast path for counts and filters) or Claude (for complex analysis questions).

Examples:

# Single question
dd-agents query --report _dd/forensic-dd/runs/latest -q "How many P0 findings?"

# Interactive REPL mode
dd-agents query --report _dd/forensic-dd/runs/latest
> How many subjects have CoC risk?
> What are the top liability concerns?
> quit

chat

Interactive multi-turn chat about due diligence findings. Explore results, drill into source documents, verify citations, and save insights that persist across sessions.

dd-agents chat [OPTIONS]

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--report`	Path	`runs/latest`	Path to the pipeline run directory
`--model`	String	SDK default	Override the LLM model (e.g. `claude-sonnet-4-6`)
`--max-cost`	Float	10.00	Maximum session cost in USD
`--max-turns`	Int	200	Max tool-use turns per question (max: 500)
`--no-limit`	Flag	Off	Remove per-turn caps for complex tasks (session cost is the only brake)
`--no-tools`	Flag	Off	Disable document tools (findings-only mode)
`--verbose / -v`	Flag	Off	Enable verbose logging

Chat mode provides MCP document tools (citation verification, page reading, entity resolution), persistent memory, and document export. The model can save key insights during conversation, recall them in future sessions, and generate Excel workbooks, Word documents, and CSV files on request using the run_export_script tool. Exported files are saved to _dd/exports/.

In-session commands: - cost — show current session cost - history — show turn count and history size - quit / exit / q — end session

Examples:

# Start chatting about the latest run
dd-agents chat

# Specify a run directory
dd-agents chat --report _dd/forensic-dd/runs/latest

# Findings-only mode (no document tools, faster responses)
dd-agents chat --no-tools

# Unlimited turns for heavy analysis (set cost cap as safety brake)
dd-agents chat --no-limit --max-cost 25.0

# Higher budget with specific model
dd-agents chat --max-cost 20.0 --model claude-sonnet-4-6

portfolio

Manage multiple DD projects and compare across deals.

dd-agents portfolio COMMAND [OPTIONS]

portfolio add

Register a new DD project.

dd-agents portfolio add NAME [OPTIONS]

Arguments: - NAME -- Human-readable project name

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--data-room`	path	required	Path to the data room folder
`--deal-type`	string	none	Deal type (acquisition, merger, etc.)
`--buyer`	string	none	Buyer company name
`--target`	string	none	Target company name

Examples:

dd-agents portfolio add "Alpha Acquisition" --data-room ./alpha --deal-type acquisition
dd-agents portfolio add "Beta Merger" --data-room ./beta --buyer "Acme" --target "Beta Inc"

portfolio list

List all registered projects with status, finding counts, and risk scores.

dd-agents portfolio list

Displays a table with name, status, deal type, subject count, finding count, risk score, and last run date for each project.

portfolio compare

Compare risk profiles across deals.

dd-agents portfolio compare [SLUGS...]

Arguments: - SLUGS -- Optional project slugs to compare (omit to compare all active projects)

Outputs total findings, average risk score, severity distribution, and risk benchmarks (min/median/max).

Examples:

# Compare all active projects
dd-agents portfolio compare

# Compare specific projects
dd-agents portfolio compare alpha_acquisition beta_merger

portfolio remove

Remove a project from the registry (does not delete data room files).

dd-agents portfolio remove SLUG

Arguments: - SLUG -- Project slug (shown in portfolio list)

templates

Browse and inspect pre-built report templates.

dd-agents templates COMMAND

templates list

List all available report templates.

dd-agents templates list

Built-in templates:

Template ID	Name	Audience
`full_report`	Full DD Report	Complete analysis with all sections
`board_summary`	Board Summary	Condensed executive summary — KPIs, Go/No-Go, top findings only
`legal_deep_dive`	Legal Deep Dive	Detailed legal analysis (CoC, TfC, privacy, IP)
`financial_analysis`	Financial Analysis	Revenue, SaaS metrics, valuation
`technical_assessment`	Technical Assessment	Product and technology focused

templates show

Show details of a specific template (sections included, branding, detail level).

dd-agents templates show TEMPLATE_ID

Arguments: - TEMPLATE_ID -- Template identifier (from templates list)

Examples:

dd-agents templates list
dd-agents templates show board_summary
dd-agents templates show legal_deep_dive

log

View the analysis chronicle — an append-only timeline of all pipeline runs, searches, and queries.

dd-agents log [OPTIONS]

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--data-room`	path	required	Path to the data room folder
`--type`	string	all	Filter by interaction type (pipeline_run, search, query, annotation, knowledge_compilation, chat)
`--limit`	int	20	Maximum entries to display

Examples:

dd-agents log --data-room ./data_room
dd-agents log --data-room ./data_room --limit 5 --type search

annotate

Add a user annotation to the Deal Knowledge Base. Annotations capture analyst observations, corrections, or notes that enrich future analysis.

dd-agents annotate [OPTIONS] NOTE

Arguments: - NOTE -- Annotation text

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--data-room`	path	required	Path to the data room folder
`--entity`	string	none	Entity safe_name to link this annotation to

Examples:

dd-agents annotate --data-room ./data_room "Key risk: vendor lock-in clause in Acme MSA"
dd-agents annotate --data-room ./data_room --entity acme_corp "Needs legal review"

lineage

View finding lineage — how findings evolve across pipeline runs.

dd-agents lineage [OPTIONS]

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--data-room`	path	required	Path to the data room folder
`--entity`	string	all	Filter by entity safe name
`--active-only`	flag	off	Show only active findings
`--format`	`table\\|json\\|csv`	`table`	Output format
`--output`	path	stdout	Write output to file instead of stdout

Examples:

dd-agents lineage --data-room ./data_room
dd-agents lineage --data-room ./data_room --entity acme_corp --active-only
dd-agents lineage --data-room ./data_room --format json --output lineage.json
dd-agents lineage --data-room ./data_room --format csv --output lineage.csv

health

Run automated integrity checks against the Deal Knowledge Base.

dd-agents health [OPTIONS]

Options:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--data-room`	path	required	Path to the data room folder
`--auto-fix`	flag	off	Automatically fix broken links and orphan articles

Examples:

dd-agents health --data-room ./data_room
dd-agents health --data-room ./data_room --auto-fix

Checks 7 categories: staleness, orphans, broken links, missing coverage, citation drift, graph integrity, and lineage gaps.

agents

Inspect, describe, validate, and preview specialist agents. Every subcommand is read-only — none writes files or calls the model.

dd-agents agents COMMAND [OPTIONS]

agents list

List every registered specialist agent with its enabled/disabled status, and (when a config is passed) the resolved model tier.

dd-agents agents list [--config PATH]

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--config`	path	none	Optional `deal-config.json`; reflects `specialists.disabled` and model tiers

dd-agents agents list
dd-agents agents list --config ./deal-config.json

Reads agents/registry.py (and the deal config if given). Writes nothing.

agents describe

Render an agent's persona, focus areas, and the non-removable safety floor as markdown.

dd-agents agents describe --agent NAME [--format text|md]

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--agent`	string	required	Agent name (e.g. `legal`, `finance`)
`--format`	choice	`text`	Output format: `text` (rendered for the terminal) or `md` (raw markdown)

dd-agents agents describe --agent legal

Reads the agent descriptor and the assembled safety floor. Writes nothing. Exits non-zero on an unknown agent name.

agents validate

Lint the dd-config/ customizations under a project directory. Fail-closed: exits non-zero if any error-level issue is found.

dd-agents agents validate PROJECT_DIR

Argument	Type	Description
`PROJECT_DIR`	path	Directory containing the `dd-config/` folder

dd-agents agents validate ./my-project

Checks unknown agent names, unknown front-matter keys/headings, malformed severity tokens, empty persona overrides, broken extends chains, and safety-floor-negation patterns. Reads dd-config/agents/*.md; writes nothing.

agents preview

Print the fully assembled specialist prompt — customizations, profiles, and safety floor folded together — byte-identical to what the pipeline sends.

dd-agents agents preview --agent NAME [--config PATH] [--project-dir DIR] [--output FILE]

Option	Type	Default	Description
`--agent`	string	required	Agent name to preview
`--config`	path	none	Optional `deal-config.json`; its directory is used as the project dir (so `dd-config/` is picked up)
`--project-dir`	path	`--config`'s dir, else cwd	Directory containing `dd-config/`
`--output`, `-o`	path	stdout	Write the assembled prompt to a file instead of stdout

dd-agents agents preview --agent legal
dd-agents agents preview --agent legal --config ./deal-config.json
dd-agents agents preview --agent legal --project-dir ./my-deal -o legal-prompt.txt

Reads the registry, safety floor, and any dd-config/ customizations. Writes nothing unless --output is given. Exits non-zero on an unknown agent name.

See Agent Customization for the full customization workflow.

Global Options

The --version flag is available on the top-level group:

dd-agents --version

Getting Started -- Installation and first run
Deal Configuration -- Config file structure
Running the Pipeline -- Pipeline execution details
Reading the Report -- Report navigation guide
Troubleshooting -- Common errors, exit codes, recovery steps

CLI Reference

Exit Codes

run

validate

version

init

auto-config

search

assess

export-pdf

query

chat

portfolio

portfolio add

portfolio list

portfolio compare

portfolio remove

templates

templates list

templates show

log

annotate

lineage

health

agents

agents list

agents describe

agents validate

agents preview

Global Options

Related Documentation