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

# CLI Overview

> Global flags and how the canonic CLI is organized.

The `canonic` CLI (alias: `can`) is a thin transport adapter: it parses options, selects the output format, and dispatches to the same protocol-neutral core service that also backs the MCP server. No business logic lives in the CLI layer itself.

## Global flags

| Flag            | Description                                                                                                                            |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--json` / `-j` | Emit raw structured JSON instead of formatted text. Every capability command's JSON output matches its MCP tool payload byte-for-byte. |
| `--version`     | Show the canonic version and exit.                                                                                                     |

## Bare `canonic`

Running `canonic` with no subcommand (and without `--json`) launches the interactive [setup wizard](/cli-reference/setup). With `--json` and no subcommand, it exits with an error instead; interactive mode requires a terminal.

## `canonic overview`

Show active metrics grouped by domain with plain-language sample questions: the recommended first command for a new user or agent, giving a scannable map of what's askable before drilling into `sl describe` or `query`.

```bash theme={null}
canonic overview
canonic overview --domain warehouse
```

| Flag       | Description                                     |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `--domain` | Filter to a single domain (owning-source name). |

## Command groups

| Group                                     | Purpose                                        |
| ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| [`connection`](/cli-reference/connection) | Manage source connections in `canonic.yaml`.   |
| [`sl`](/cli-reference/sl)                 | Semantic layer: resolve, compile, describe.    |
| [`mcp`](/cli-reference/mcp)               | Control the local MCP daemon.                  |
| [`knowledge`](/cli-reference/knowledge)   | Search and author knowledge pages.             |
| [`eval`](/cli-reference/eval)             | Run the local-model accuracy baseline harness. |

## Top-level commands

| Command                                     | Purpose                                                                         |
| ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `overview`                                  | Show active metrics grouped by domain with sample questions (documented above). |
| [`setup`](/cli-reference/setup)             | Interactive project setup wizard.                                               |
| [`ingest`](/cli-reference/ingest)           | Reconcile configured sources into reviewable context diffs.                     |
| [`review`](/cli-reference/review-apply)     | Interactively review pending proposals.                                         |
| [`apply`](/cli-reference/review-apply)      | Batch-apply pending proposals from a run directory.                             |
| [`query`](/cli-reference/query-sql-assert)  | Resolve, compile, and execute a semantic query read-only.                       |
| [`sql`](/cli-reference/query-sql-assert)    | Execute a read-only SQL string on a named connection.                           |
| [`assert`](/cli-reference/query-sql-assert) | Run the accuracy harness over all loaded assertions (CI gate).                  |
| [`status`](/cli-reference/status-report)    | Show the current project root, config version, and local state.                 |
| [`report`](/cli-reference/status-report)    | Show event-log figures: counts, errors, latency, freshness.                     |
| [`completion`](/cli-reference/completion)   | Generate a shell completion script.                                             |