gastownhall/beads1.9k installs

beads

Q: How do I install this agent skill?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/gastownhall/beads --skill beads.

Q: Is this agent skill safe to install?

Review the displayed partner audits, complete source, permissions, dependencies, and exact revision before installing.

Dolt-powered issue tracker for multi-session work with dependencies and persistent memory across conversation compaction. Use when work spans sessions, has blockers, or needs context recovery after compaction. Trigger with "create task", "what's ready", "track this work", "resume after compaction". Make sure to use this skill whenever managing multi-session work, tracking dependencies, or recovering context.

How do I install this agent skill?

npx skills add https://github.com/gastownhall/beads --skill beads

view source ↗

Is this agent skill safe to install?

Gen Agent Trust Hubpass
The beads skill provides a robust framework for persistent task management using the Dolt-powered 'bd' CLI. It enables AI agents to maintain context across conversation compactions by storing progress and decisions in a local graph-based database. No malicious patterns or security vulnerabilities were identified.
Socketpass
No alerts
Snykpass
Risk: LOW · No issues

What does this agent skill do?

Beads - Persistent Task Memory for AI Agents

Graph-based issue tracker that survives conversation compaction. Provides persistent memory for multi-session work with complex dependencies.

bd vs TodoWrite

Decision test: "Will I need this context in 2 weeks?" YES = bd, NO = TodoWrite.

bd (persistent)	TodoWrite (ephemeral)
Multi-session, dependencies, compaction survival	Single-session linear tasks
Dolt-backed team sync	Conversation-scoped

See BOUNDARIES.md for detailed comparison.

Prerequisites

bd --version  # Requires v0.60.0+

bd CLI installed and in PATH
Git repository (optional — use BEADS_DIR + --stealth for git-free operation)
Initialization: bd init run once (humans do this, not agents)

CLI Reference

Run bd prime for AI-optimized workflow context (auto-loaded by hooks). Run bd <command> --help for specific command usage.

Essential commands: bd ready, bd create, bd show, bd update, bd close, bd dolt push

Session Protocol

bd ready — Find unblocked work
bd show <id> — Get full context
bd update <id> --claim — Claim and start work atomically
Add notes as you work (critical for compaction survival)
bd close <id> --reason "..." — Complete task
bd dolt push — Push to Dolt remote (if configured)

Output

Append --json to any command for structured output. Use bd show <id> --long for extended metadata. Status icons: ○ open ◐ in_progress ● blocked ✓ closed ❄ deferred.

Error Handling

Error	Fix
`database not found`	`bd init <prefix>` in project root
`not in a git repository`	`git init` first
`disk I/O error (522)`	Move `.beads/` off cloud-synced filesystem
Status updates lag	Use server mode: `bd dolt start`

See TROUBLESHOOTING.md for full details.

Examples

Track a multi-session feature:

bd create "OAuth integration" -t epic -p 1 --json
bd create "Token storage" -t task --deps blocks:oauth-id --json
bd ready --json                    # Shows unblocked work
bd update <id> --claim --json      # Claim and start
bd close <id> --reason "Implemented with refresh tokens" --json

Recover after compaction: bd list --status in_progress --json then bd show <id> --long

Discover work mid-task: bd create "Found bug" -t bug -p 1 --deps discovered-from:<current-id> --json

Advanced Features

Feature	CLI	Resource
Molecules (templates)	`bd mol --help`	MOLECULES.md
Chemistry (pour/wisp)	`bd pour`, `bd wisp`	CHEMISTRY_PATTERNS.md
Agent beads	`bd agent --help`	AGENTS.md
Async gates	`bd gate --help`	ASYNC_GATES.md
Worktrees	`bd worktree --help`	WORKTREES.md

Resources

Category	Files
Getting Started	BOUNDARIES.md, CLI_REFERENCE.md (live reference pointers), WORKFLOWS.md
Core Concepts	DEPENDENCIES.md, ISSUE_CREATION.md, PATTERNS.md
Resilience	RESUMABILITY.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md
Advanced	MOLECULES.md, CHEMISTRY_PATTERNS.md, AGENTS.md, ASYNC_GATES.md, WORKTREES.md
Reference	STATIC_DATA.md, INTEGRATION_PATTERNS.md

Validation

If bd --version reports newer than 0.60.0, this skill may be stale. Run bd prime for current CLI guidance — it auto-updates with each bd release and is the canonical source of truth (ADR-0001).

How can the creator link this skill?

Add the canonical catalog link to the repository README so users can inspect current installs and available audits. The publishing guide covers the complete discovery path.

<a href="https://skillzs.dev/skills/gastownhall/beads/beads">View beads on skillZs</a>