Skip to main content
Coming soon. The native zenable CLI is under active development and will replace zenable-mcp. This page will be updated as commands stabilize. For the current CLI, see the zenable-mcp CLI Reference.

​
Overview

Zenable CLI - conformance checking, IDE management, and hook handling for agentic IDEs. The zenable CLI is the native Go binary that replaces the older Python-based zenable-mcp package. Install it via the Getting Started guide.

​
Global Options

These options are available for all commands:
OptionDescription
-v, --verboseEnable verbose output (repeatable: -v, -vv)
-h, --helpShow help message

​
Commands

​
install

Install the Zenable integrations. 
zenable install [OPTIONS] [COMMAND] [ARGS]...
Note: You can use unified commands like install cursor or install claude-code, or use subcommands like install mcp cursor and install hook claude-code. The unified commands are simpler and install all features.

​
Options

OptionDescription
-d, --dry-runPreview what would be done without actually performing the installation
-g, --globalInstall globally in user’s home directory instead of project directory
--include TEXTInclude only directories matching these glob patterns (e.g., '**/microservice-*')
--exclude TEXTExclude directories matching these glob patterns
--allInstall for all supported IDEs, even if not currently installed
-h, --helpShow help message
Running outside a git repository? The installer will search for git repositories below your current location and present an interactive TUI to select which repositories to install into. You can select one or more repositories, or choose to install globally.

​
Subcommands

install mcp
Install Zenable MCP server configuration. Uses OAuth for secure authentication. 
zenable install mcp [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...
Additional options:
OptionDescription
--overwriteOverwrite existing Zenable configuration if it exists
--no-instructionsDon’t show post-installation instructions
Supported IDE commands:
  • all - Install MCP for all detected IDEs (default)
  • amazon-q - Install MCP for Amazon Q Developer
  • amp - Install MCP for Amp
  • antigravity - Install MCP for Antigravity
  • auggie (alias: augment) - Install MCP for Auggie
  • claude-code (alias: claude) - Install MCP for Claude Code
  • codex - Install MCP for Codex
  • continue - Install MCP for the Continue IDE*
  • copilot-cli - Install MCP for GitHub Copilot CLI
  • cursor - Install MCP for Cursor IDE and cursor-agent CLI
  • gemini - Install MCP for Gemini CLI
  • kiro - Install MCP for Kiro
  • roo - Install MCP for Roo Code
  • vscode - Install MCP for Visual Studio Code
  • windsurf - Install MCP for Windsurf IDE
install hook
Install hooks for various tools. 
zenable install hook [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...
Supported hook commands:
  • all - Install hooks for all supported tools
  • claude-code (alias: claude) - Install Claude Code hooks
  • cursor - Install Cursor hooks
Options
OptionDescription
--dry-runPreview what would be done without actually performing the installation
--include TEXTInclude only directories matching these glob patterns (e.g., '**/microservice-*')
--exclude TEXTExclude directories matching these glob patterns
-h, --helpShow help message

​
Examples

# Install for all detected IDEs (recommended)
zenable install

# Install for a specific IDE using unified command (recommended)
zenable install cursor
zenable install claude-code

# Install Zenable for all detected IDEs, globally
zenable install --global

# Preview what would be done without installing
zenable install --dry-run

# Advanced: Install only MCP (without hooks) for all detected IDEs
zenable install mcp

# Advanced: Install only MCP for a specific IDE
zenable install mcp cursor

# Advanced: Install only hooks
zenable install hook
zenable install hook claude-code
zenable install hook cursor

​
check

Check the provided files against your conformance tests. 
zenable check [OPTIONS] [PATTERNS]...
Automatically detects files from IDE context when no patterns are provided. Supports glob patterns like **/*.py to check all Python files recursively. Files are processed in batches of 5 for optimal performance.

​
Arguments

  • PATTERNS: Glob patterns for files to check (e.g., '**/*.py', 'src/**/*.js')
    • If no patterns are provided, auto-detects the last edited file, subject to filtering. Use --verbose for filtering details

​
Options

OptionDescription
--exclude TEXTPatterns to exclude from checking
--base-path DIRECTORYBase directory for pattern matching (defaults to current directory)
--branchCheck all files changed on the current branch compared to the base branch
--base-branch TEXTBase branch to compare against when using --branch (default: $ZENABLE_CHECK_BASE_BRANCH or main)
--dry-runShow which files would be sent without actually checking them
-h, --helpShow help message

​
Configuration

The check command supports configuration via environment variables:
Environment VariableDescriptionDefault
ZENABLE_CHECK_BASE_BRANCHDefault base branch to compare against when using --branchmain
Example
# Set default base branch to develop
export ZENABLE_CHECK_BASE_BRANCH=develop

# Now --branch uses develop instead of main
zenable check --branch

# CLI option still overrides env var
zenable check --branch --base-branch feature/base

​
Examples

# Check a single file
zenable check example.py

# Check all Python files recursively
zenable check '**/*.py'

# Check multiple patterns
zenable check 'src/**/*.js' 'tests/**/*.js'

# Exclude test files from checking
zenable check '**/*.py' --exclude '**/test_*.py'

# Specify base directory for pattern matching
zenable check '*.py' --base-path ./src

# Check all files changed on current branch compared to main
zenable check --branch

# Check all files changed on current branch compared to develop
zenable check --branch --base-branch develop

# Check only Python src files changed on current branch
zenable check --branch '**/*.py' --exclude '**/test_*.py'

# Dry run to see which files would be checked
zenable check '**/*.py' --dry-run

​
hook

Handle calls from the hooks of Agentic IDEs. 
zenable hook [OPTIONS]
This command is specifically designed for IDE integrations like Claude Code and Cursor. It reads hook input from stdin, processes the files, and returns appropriate exit codes and formatted responses for the IDE to handle. To manually run a scan, use the check command instead.

​
Options

OptionDescription
-h, --helpShow help message
Reverted files are not reviewed. When an agent modifies a file and then reverts it back to match the base branch (e.g., via git checkout), the hook will report “No files to process” because there is no net change compared to the base branch. This is expected behavior — Zenable reviews the diff, not individual edits, so if the final state matches what’s already on the base branch, there’s nothing new to review.

​
login

Authenticate with Zenable via OAuth. 
zenable login
Opens a browser to complete the OAuth authentication flow. Credentials are cached locally for future commands. If already authenticated, skips re-authentication.

​
logout

Clear local OAuth credentials. 
zenable logout [OPTIONS]

​
Options

OptionDescription
--allAlso open Auth0 logout in browser to end remote session

​
sync

Sync guardrails from Zenable to local disk. 
zenable sync
Downloads and caches semgrep guardrails locally for faster conformance checks. Uses ETag-based caching to avoid re-downloading unchanged guardrails. Requires authentication.

​
logs

View zenable logs. 
zenable logs [OPTIONS]

​
Options

OptionDescription
-f, --followFollow log output (like tail -f)
-r, --rawShow raw log entries instead of just messages
-n, --lines INTEGERNumber of lines to show (from end of file, default: 50)
--clearClear the log file (cannot be used with other options)
-h, --helpShow help message

​
Examples

# View recent logs
zenable logs

# Follow logs in real-time
zenable logs --follow

# Show last 50 lines
zenable logs -n 50

# Clear logs
zenable logs --clear

​
doctor

Diagnose and troubleshoot installation and client issues. 
zenable doctor
Displays diagnostic information including OS details, terminal environment, Zenable environment variables (sensitive values redacted), dependency status, authentication state, and recent log entries.

​
version

Show the zenable version. 
zenable version
Will also notify you if an update is available.

​
Configuration Files

​
MCP Server Configuration

The tool creates MCP server configuration in IDE-specific locations, appropriate for that individual IDE. For instance: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zenable": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.zenable.app/"
    }
  }
}

​
Hook Configuration (Claude Code)

Hooks are configured in Claude Code settings (.claude/settings.json): 
{
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Write|Edit|MultiEdit",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "zenable hook"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

​
Hook Configuration (Cursor)

Hooks are configured in Cursor hooks file (.cursor/hooks.json): 
{
  "version": 1,
  "hooks": {
    "afterFileEdit": [
      {
        "command": "zenable hook"
      }
    ]
  }
}

​
Exit Codes

CodeMeaning
0Success
2Conformance issues found
3Handler conflict
4No hook input
12No files specified
13No files found
14File read error
15Invalid parameters
16File write error
20API error
21Authentication error
51Installation error
52Partial success
130User interrupt

​
File Patterns

​
Glob Pattern Examples

# All Python files recursively
'**/*.py'

# Multiple extensions
'**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}'

# Specific directory
'src/**/*.py'

# All files in current directory
'*'

# All files recursively
'**/*'

# Specific depth
'*/*.py'  # One level deep
'*/*/*.py'  # Two levels deep

​
Common Exclusions

# Python
--exclude '**/{__pycache__,venv,.venv,migrations}/**'

# JavaScript/Node
--exclude '**/{node_modules,dist,build,.next}/**'

# General
--exclude '.git/**'
--exclude '**/*.min.js'
--exclude '**/*.map'
--exclude '**/vendor/**'

​
Troubleshooting

​
Debug Mode

Enable debug output for troubleshooting: 
# Maximum verbosity
zenable -vv install

# Run a check with verbose output
zenable -v check '**/*.py'

# View debug logs
zenable logs --lines 100

# Run diagnostics
zenable doctor

​
Dry Run Mode

Preview changes without applying: 
# Preview installation
zenable install --dry-run

# Preview with specific IDE
zenable install mcp cursor --dry-run
*Continue users may experience issues until Continue adds support for streamable HTTP.

​
See Also