CLI reference

Commands for jawb, the jawb CLI.

Source: jawb-cli. Every command talks to jawbd (from jawb-core), and the first one starts it if it isn't running — see running the daemon.

jawb [GLOBAL FLAGS] <command> [<subcommand>] [ARGS] [FLAGS]

Commands group into three jobs, plus daemon/session bookkeeping:

Read — understand the page: observe, read, tools, wait.
Act — change the page (runs on the compatibility bridge): click, fill, type, select, check/uncheck, press, hover, scroll, upload, download, submit, media.
See — how the page renders (also bridge-only): viewport, emulate, screenshot.
Daemon and sessions: status, profile *, open, back/forward/reload, tabs, tab use, close, cookies, storage export|import, secret, trace — see tabs, profiles and sessions.
Policy and settings: confirm — see policy and confirmation; config — see configuration.
Install and daemon: version, update, doctor, uninstall, daemon start|stop|status|install, and profile settings — see install lifecycle and profile settings.

Every command accepts --json, which prints exactly one JSON object on stdout — see the JSON envelope and exit codes. Anything that can require a human decision (uploads, downloads, form submits, and especially purchases) goes through policy and confirmation.

Global flags

Flag	Default	Meaning
`--json`	off	Print exactly one JSON envelope on stdout. Nothing else goes to stdout.
`--tab <id>`	current tab	Run against this tab instead of the session's current tab.
`--profile <name>`	active profile (`profile use`) or `default`	Profile the command's session uses.
`--incognito`	off	Use an ephemeral session. Valid only on `open`.
`--daemon <url>`	`$JAWB_DAEMON` or `http://127.0.0.1:4180`	Daemon address. Must be loopback (`127.0.0.1`, `::1`, `localhost`); anything else is a usage error (exit 2). A non-default address never auto-starts a daemon.
`--no-autostart`	off	Never start `jawbd` automatically. Also `JAWB_NO_AUTOSTART=1`.
`--timeout <dur>`	`30s`	Deadline for each request to jawbd, not for the whole command: a command that makes two requests (for example `observe <url>`, which opens then observes) can take up to twice as long. `wait` waits at most this long for its condition, and `--await-confirm` polls at most this long.
`--native-only`	off	Fail with `E_BRIDGE_DISABLED` rather than route to the bridge for this command.
`--allow-private`	off	Let this command's page reach local and private-network addresses from a public page. Valid on `open`, `back`/`forward`, `reload`, `observe` and the Act commands — see lifecycle.
`--yes`	off	Pre-confirm policy prompts this command would raise. Never satisfies a purchase-like confirmation.
`-q`, `--quiet`	off	Human mode only: print only the essential result.
`--no-color`	auto	Also turned on by `NO_COLOR`.

What's implemented today

Every command above is registered and working: Read and the daemon and session commands (status, profile *, open/back/forward/reload, tabs/tab use/close, observe, read, tools, wait, cookies, storage, trace) on jawb's native engine, and Act, See, --js, bridge wait and the confirmation flow on the compatibility bridge. Targeting elements by observation element ID (jawb click 48) is the primary form; --text, --role, and --css are fallback selectors.