---
title: "overlane task start"
description: "Claim an existing task, or create one with a contract and claim it"
---

> 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 task 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`. */}

With a TASK_ID, claims that ready or paused task for this working copy (same checks as `task resume`). Without one, creates a task (outcome, acceptance criteria, required checks, allowed paths) at the current commit and claims it, writing the lease to .overlane/state/task.json. Fails with exit 5 if this working copy already holds a task.

## Usage

```sh
overlane task start [task-id] [--outcome TEXT] [--criterion TEXT...] [--check ID:LEVEL...] [--path GLOB...] [--no-checks REASON] [--dry-run]
```

## Arguments

| Argument | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `task-id` | no | An existing task to claim; omit to create one from the flags |

## Flags

| Flag | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `--outcome` | string | no |  | What the task must achieve (up to 500 characters) |
| `--criterion` | string (repeatable) | no |  | An acceptance criterion; repeat for more |
| `--check` | string (repeatable) | no |  | A required check and its minimum evidence level, for example unit_tests:L2; repeat for more |
| `--path` | string (repeatable) | no |  | A file pattern the task may change; repeat for more |
| `--no-checks` | string | no |  | Why the task has no required checks; needed when no --check is given |
| `--dry-run` | boolean | no |  | Print the requests and file changes this command would make, then stop. Needs no credentials. |

## Examples

```sh
overlane task start task-7
overlane task start --outcome "Add CSV export" --criterion "export works" --check unit_tests:L2 --path "src/**"
overlane task start --outcome "Fix login" --criterion "login passes" --no-checks "copy change only" --path "src/auth/**" --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 task 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": {
        "taskId": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "version": {
          "type": "number"
        },
        "state": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "holder": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "leaseExpiresAt": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "next": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "payload": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "file": {
              "type": "string"
            },
            "totalTokens": {
              "type": "number"
            },
            "sections": {
              "type": "object",
              "propertyNames": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "additionalProperties": {
                "type": "string"
              }
            }
          },
          "required": [
            "file",
            "totalTokens",
            "sections"
          ],
          "additionalProperties": false
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "taskId",
        "version",
        "state",
        "holder",
        "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/task-start/index.mdx