---
title: "overlane intent brief"
description: "Compile the content-addressed brief for a task"
---

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

# overlane intent brief

{/* Generated by apps/docs/scripts/generate.mjs (CLI pages from the command registry in packages/cli). Do not edit; run `pnpm --filter @overlane/docs gen`. */}

Hashes the tracked files the task's scope allows and asks the service for the brief: the task contract, its requirements, constraints, checks by registry id and the file manifest, addressed by one digest. For the held task, also records the brief's contract revision as the one `overlane task submit` names.

## Usage

```sh
overlane intent brief [task-id] [--constraint TEXT...]
```

## Arguments

| Argument | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `task-id` | no | A task; defaults to the held one |

## Flags

| Flag | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `--constraint` | string (repeatable) | no |  | An extra constraint to carry in the brief; repeat for more |

## Examples

```sh
overlane intent brief
overlane intent brief task-7 --constraint "no new dependencies"
```

## Behavior

- Effect: `read` (changes nothing).
- Needs credentials: yes. Uses the network: yes.
- Supports `--dry-run`: no. Accepts `--force`: no.
- Machine-readable description: `overlane schema intent brief`.

## Result

With `--json` (the default when stdout is not a terminal) the command prints this JSON Schema's shape on stdout.

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "brief": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "schemaVersion": {
          "type": "string",
          "const": "1"
        },
        "digest": {
          "type": "string",
          "pattern": "^sha256:[0-9a-f]{64}$"
        },
        "taskId": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "maxLength": 128,
          "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.:-]*$",
          "description": "task identifier"
        },
        "outcome": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1
        },
        "scope": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "allowedPaths": {
              "minItems": 1,
              "type": "array",
              "items": {
                "type": "string",
                "minLength": 1
              }
            },
            "prohibitedActions": {
              "type": "array",
              "items": {
                "type": "string",
                "pattern": "^[a-z][a-z0-9_]*$"
              }
            }
          },
          "required": [
            "allowedPaths",
            "prohibitedActions"
          ],
          "additionalProperties": false
        },
        "contractRevision": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "acceptanceVersion": {
              "type": "integer",
              "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
              "maximum": 9007199254740991
            },
            "intentRevision": {
              "type": "integer",
              "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
              "maximum": 9007199254740991
            }
          },
          "required": [
            "acceptanceVersion"
          ],
          "additionalProperties": false
        },
        "intent": {
          "anyOf": [
            {
              "type": "object",
              "properties": {
                "revision": {
                  "type": "integer",
                  "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
                  "maximum": 9007199254740991
                },
                "digest": {
                  "type": "string",
                  "pattern": "^sha256:[0-9a-f]{64}$"
                }
              },
              "required": [
                "revision",
                "digest"
              ],
              "additionalProperties": false
            },
            {
              "type": "null"
            }
          ]
        },
        "requirements": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "id": {
                "type": "string",
                "maxLength": 48,
                "pattern": "^[A-Z][A-Z0-9]*(?:-[A-Z0-9]+)+$"
              },
              "statement": {
                "type": "string",
                "minLength": 1
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "id",
              "statement"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        },
        "acceptanceCriteria": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string",
            "minLength": 1
          }
        },
        "checks": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "checkId": {
                "type": "string",
                "pattern": "^[a-z][a-z0-9_]*$"
              },
              "minEvidenceLevel": {
                "type": "string",
                "enum": [
                  "L0",
                  "L1",
                  "L2",
                  "L3",
                  "H"
                ]
              },
              "definitionDigest": {
                "type": "string",
                "pattern": "^sha256:[0-9a-f]{64}$"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "checkId",
              "minEvidenceLevel"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        },
        "constraints": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string",
            "minLength": 1
          }
        },
        "context": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "path": {
                "type": "string",
                "minLength": 1,
                "maxLength": 512
              },
              "sha256": {
                "type": "string",
                "pattern": "^sha256:[0-9a-f]{64}$"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "path",
              "sha256"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "schemaVersion",
        "digest",
        "taskId",
        "outcome",
        "scope",
        "contractRevision",
        "intent",
        "requirements",
        "acceptanceCriteria",
        "checks",
        "constraints",
        "context"
      ],
      "additionalProperties": false
    },
    "refreshed": {
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "current": {
      "type": "boolean"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "brief",
    "refreshed",
    "current"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false
}
```

See [exit codes](/cli/#exit-codes) for the status the process returns.

Source: https://docs.overlane.app/cli/intent-brief/index.mdx