bd Issue Tracking

bd ("beads") is a lightweight CLI issue tracker with first-class dependency support. Issues are stored locally in .beads/ and can sync via git.

When to Use bd vs TodoWrite

Use bd	Use TodoWrite
Multi-session work	Single-session tasks
Work with dependencies	Simple checklists
Strategic/discovered work	Execution tracking
Needs persistence	Ephemeral progress

Rule: When in doubt, prefer bd—persistence you don't need beats lost context.

Issue Structure

Every issue in this repository should include a Testing section:

## Testing
- Deploy all changes and run E2E tests (see CLAUDE.md "Deploy & Test Workflow")
- [Additional verification steps specific to the issue]

Core Commands

Creating Issues

# Basic issue
bd create --title="Fix login bug" --type=bug --priority=2

# With description
bd create --title="Add dark mode" --type=feature --priority=2 \
  --description="$(cat << 'EOF'
Implement dark mode toggle in settings.

## Requirements
- Toggle in settings page
- Persist preference

## Testing
- Run E2E tests: `make test-e2e`
EOF
)"

# From stdin for complex descriptions
cat << 'EOF' | bd create --title="Complex feature" --body-file -
Description with multiple sections...

## Testing
- Run E2E tests: `make test-e2e`
EOF

Priority values: 0-4 or P0-P4 (0=critical, 4=backlog). Default is P2. Do NOT use "high"/"medium"/"low".

Issue types: task, bug, feature, epic, chore

Finding Work

bd ready                    # Issues ready to work (no blockers)
bd list                     # Open issues
bd list --all               # All issues including closed
bd list --status=in_progress # Active work
bd show <id>                # Issue details with dependencies
bd status                   # Project overview stats

Updating Issues

bd update <id> --status=in_progress  # Claim work
bd update <id> --assignee=username   # Assign
bd update <id> --description="..."   # Update description
bd update <id> --body-file -         # Update from stdin
bd close <id>                        # Mark complete
bd close <id1> <id2> <id3>          # Close multiple at once

Dependencies

bd dep add <issue> <depends-on>  # issue depends on depends-on
bd dep rm <issue> <depends-on>   # Remove dependency
bd blocked                       # Show all blocked issues
bd graph                         # Visualize dependency graph

Analysis

bd status                   # Overview with counts
bd list --all --json | jq   # JSON for custom analysis
bd stale                    # Issues not updated recently

Workflows

Starting Work

bd ready                              # Find available work
bd show <id>                          # Review details
bd update <id> --status=in_progress   # Claim it

Completing Work

bd close <id>           # Mark complete
bd sync --flush-only    # Export to JSONL (if using git sync)

Creating Dependent Work

bd create --title="Implement feature" --type=feature
# Returns: ephemeral-environments-xxx

bd create --title="Write tests" --type=task
# Returns: ephemeral-environments-yyy

bd dep add ephemeral-environments-yyy ephemeral-environments-xxx
# Tests depend on feature (feature blocks tests)

Breaking Down Epics

# Create parent epic
bd create --title="User authentication" --type=epic

# Create child tasks with parent
bd create --title="Login form" --type=task --parent=<epic-id>
bd create --title="Session management" --type=task --parent=<epic-id>
bd create --title="Logout flow" --type=task --parent=<epic-id>

Best Practices

1. Always include Testing section in issue descriptions for this repo
2. Use meaningful titles - action-oriented, specific
3. Set appropriate priority - P0 for critical, P2 for normal, P4 for backlog
4. Link dependencies - helps surface what's blocked
5. Close issues promptly - keeps bd ready useful
6. Use --body-file - for multi-line descriptions to preserve formatting

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed command reference and advanced usage:

• references/commands.md - Complete command reference with all flags