Commands

• Launch Kai. Without a path it uses the current folder.
• Activates Code Mode for the selected project workspace.
• Creates local stdio Model Context Protocol (MCP) server context for connected AI coding tools.
• Automatically generates and indexes the project graph and symbol dependencies.

kai open
kai open /path/to/project

• Check system readiness, environment diagnostics, and installation health.
• Verifies Kai CLI version, data directories (~/.kai), and desktop app availability.
• Confirms fast, private, and free local status.

kai health

Output:

✔ Kai v0.1.6 is ready

✔ Fast and private · Free

• Run an AI coding tool on a project (shortform kai <agent> [path]).
• Auto-wires Kai MCP configuration if needed.
• Activates Code Mode and generates the project graph.
• Automatically synchronizes code and graph changes when the tool finishes.
• Any binary on your PATH works dynamically; extra arguments are forwarded. Advanced passthrough: kai run -- <command> [args...].

kai <agent> .

• Leave Code Mode and return to plain terminal mode.
• Preserves all indexed code maps, caches, and project files.

kai stop

• Wire Kai MCP into one tool, or every installed tool automatically.
• Aliases: add = setup = install.

kai agent add <agent>           # group form (e.g. kai agent add claude)
kai setup <agent>               # top-level alias (also: kai setup --agent <agent>)
kai agent add all               # wire every detected tool (also: kai setup all)

Options: --print (preview snippet only), --dry-run (show what would change), --force (replace existing entry), --project (project settings instead of global), --global (global user config).

• Disconnect a tool from Kai MCP. Your repository code is never touched.
• Aliases: remove = rm = unlink = unregister.

kai agent remove <agent>        # group form (e.g. kai agent remove claude)
kai remove -a <agent>           # short flag (also: kai remove --agent <agent>)
kai remove -m <agent>           # MCP flag (also: kai remove --mcp <agent>)

Option: --dry-run previews first. Same pattern for every id: kai agent remove cursor, kai remove -a codex, kai remove -m claude, and so on.

• Show installed tools and connection state (probes live system PATH and configs).

kai list -a                     # list installed tools (also: kai list --agent, kai list)

• What: Generates a high-precision AST symbol index, dependency graph, and project intelligence map for your codebase.
• Where: Stored locally and privately in ~/.kai/projects/<project-id>/. Your repository code is never modified.
• How:
• kai graph init [path] — Build the map from scratch. Automatically installs a self-contained commit-msg git hook to prevent co-author trailers.
• kai graph update [path] — Rebuild and refresh the map with incremental change detection.
• kai graph status [path] — Inspect map size, symbol counts, file counts, and index freshness.
• kai remove -i [path] — Remove a project's map from ~/.kai/projects/ (--dry-run previews first).

kai graph init .                # build the map from scratch
kai graph update .              # rebuild and refresh map
kai graph status .              # show map size, symbol counts, and freshness
kai remove -i .                 # remove project code map (--dry-run previews first)

• What: Manages local session states, window layouts, and runtime caches.
• Where: Stored locally in ~/.kai/sessions/ and ~/.kai/cache/.
• How:
• kai remove -s [path] — Clear session and cache files for a project (defaults to . current folder; --dry-run previews first).
• kai remove -s all — Clear all managed session and cache files across all projects.
• kai list -s — List active session and cache files.

kai remove -s .                 # remove current project's session and cache
kai remove -s /path/to/project  # remove specific project session
kai remove -s all               # clear all session and cache files
kai list -s                     # list managed session files

• Check version, data folder, PATH, and desktop app diagnostics.
• Verifies Node environment, KAI_HOME directories, and GUI executable availability.

kai doctor

• Check installed language servers (typescript-language-server, rust-analyzer, pyright, gopls).
• Missing servers print their installation commands.

kai lsp

• View local timing stats, operation counts, and token estimates.
• Wipe local stats with kai metrics clear.

kai metrics
kai metrics clear

• Safely terminates active Kai instances across Linux, macOS, and Windows.

kai close