---
title: "overlane run start"
description: "Start a bounded run and record it in .overlane/state/run.json"
---

> 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 run start

{/* 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`. */}

Starts one bounded run for this working copy after checking the run policy. A stop (policy paused, a budget spent, nothing runnable) exits 6 with the reason in the error code and the exact `overlane run end --reason ...` as the hint.

## Usage

```sh
overlane run start [--trigger schedule|interactive|event] [--executor claude-code|codex|gemini-cli|cursor] [--dry-run]
```

## Flags

| Flag | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `--trigger` | one of `schedule`, `interactive`, `event` | no | `interactive` | What started the run |
| `--executor` | one of `claude-code`, `codex`, `gemini-cli`, `cursor` | no |  | Which agent this is (default: detected from the environment) |
| `--dry-run` | boolean | no |  | Print the requests and file changes this command would make, then stop. Needs no credentials. |

## Examples

```sh
overlane run start --trigger schedule
overlane run start --dry-run
```

## Behavior

- Effect: `write` (changes local or hosted state).
- Needs credentials: yes. Uses the network: yes.
- Supports `--dry-run`: yes. Accepts `--force`: no.
- Machine-readable description: `overlane schema run start`.

## Result

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

```json
{
  "anyOf": [
    {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "runId": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "executor": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "trigger": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "policy": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "status": {
              "type": "string",
              "enum": [
                "active",
                "paused"
              ]
            },
            "buildAheadLimit": {
              "type": "string"
            },
            "maxTasksPerRun": {
              "type": "number"
            },
            "maxMinutesPerRun": {
              "type": "number"
            },
            "usagePolicy": {
              "type": "object",
              "properties": {
                "order": {
                  "default": "sequential",
                  "type": "string",
                  "enum": [
                    "sequential",
                    "round_robin",
                    "parallel"
                  ]
                },
                "maxParallel": {
                  "default": 1,
                  "type": "integer",
                  "minimum": 1,
                  "maximum": 9007199254740991
                },
                "pace": {
                  "default": "asap",
                  "type": "string",
                  "enum": [
                    "asap",
                    "steady"
                  ]
                },
                "capPercent": {
                  "default": 85,
                  "type": "integer",
                  "minimum": 1,
                  "maximum": 100
                },
                "reservePercent": {
                  "default": 0,
                  "type": "integer",
                  "minimum": 0,
                  "maximum": 99
                },
                "iterationsPerWindow": {
                  "type": "integer",
                  "minimum": 1,
                  "maximum": 9007199254740991
                }
              },
              "required": [
                "order",
                "maxParallel",
                "pace",
                "capPercent",
                "reservePercent"
              ],
              "additionalProperties": false
            },
            "executorsAllowed": {
              "type": "array",
              "items": {
                "type": "string"
              }
            },
            "handoffOnLimit": {
              "anyOf": [
                {
                  "type": "string",
                  "const": "pause"
                },
                {
                  "minItems": 1,
                  "type": "array",
                  "items": {
                    "anyOf": [
                      {
                        "type": "string",
                        "enum": [
                          "claude-code",
                          "codex",
                          "gemini-cli",
                          "cursor"
                        ]
                      },
                      {}
                    ]
                  }
                }
              ]
            }
          },
          "required": [
            "status",
            "buildAheadLimit",
            "maxTasksPerRun",
            "maxMinutesPerRun",
            "usagePolicy",
            "executorsAllowed",
            "handoffOnLimit"
          ],
          "additionalProperties": false
        },
        "next": {
          "type": "string"
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "runId",
        "executor",
        "trigger",
        "policy",
        "next"
      ],
      "additionalProperties": false
    },
    {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "dryRun": {
          "type": "boolean",
          "const": true
        },
        "service": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "requests": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "method": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "path": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "body": {},
              "note": {
                "type": "string"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "method",
              "path"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        },
        "commands": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          }
        },
        "writes": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "path": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "action": {
                "type": "string",
                "enum": [
                  "write",
                  "append",
                  "delete"
                ]
              },
              "description": {
                "type": "string"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "path",
              "action",
              "description"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        },
        "notes": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          }
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "dryRun",
        "requests",
        "commands",
        "writes",
        "notes"
      ],
      "additionalProperties": false
    }
  ]
}
```

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

Source: https://docs.overlane.app/cli/run-start/index.mdx