/basecamp - Basecamp Workflow Command

Full CLI coverage: 195 tracked in-scope endpoints across todos, cards, messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks, subscriptions, lineup, chat, pings, gauges, assignments, notifications, the account event feed, and accounts.

Agent Invariants

MUST follow these rules:

1. Choose the right output mode — --jq when you need to filter/extract data; --json for full JSON; --md when presenting results to a human (see Output Modes below). Never pipe to external jq — use --jq instead.
2. Parse URLs first with basecamp url parse "<url>" to extract IDs
3. Comments are flat - reply to parent recording, not to comments
4. Check context via .basecamp/config.json before assuming project
5. Content fields accept Markdown, and most accept @mentions — the CLI converts these rich-text fields from Markdown to HTML: message bodies, document bodies, comment content, todo descriptions, card bodies, schedule entry descriptions, upload descriptions, check-in answers and notes. Two rich-text fields are sent as written, so give them HTML: todolist descriptions and gauge needle descriptions. Chat is different again: chat post sends plain text unless you pass --content-type text/html or the line carries a mention. Use Markdown formatting (lists, bold, links, code blocks, tables) for rich content. @mentions resolve in message bodies, comment content, card bodies, schedule descriptions and chat lines — not in todo descriptions, documents, uploads, check-ins or notes. Four mention syntaxes are available (prefer deterministic for agents):

• [@Name](mention:SGID) — zero API calls, embeds SGID directly (preferred for agents)
• [@Name](person:ID) — one API call, resolves person ID to SGID via pingable set
• @sgid:VALUE — inline SGID embed for pipeline composability
• @Name / @First.Last — fuzzy name resolution (may be ambiguous)

Raw HTML is also accepted, but it is all-or-nothing per field: a tag the CLI detects as HTML (<p>, <ul>, <strong>, <a>, <img>, <table> and the other common formatting tags) outside a backtick code span or backtick fence (a ~~~ fence does not hide it) skips Markdown conversion for the whole field, so any Markdown alongside it — ![alt](/local/path) included — is sent literally. The HTML itself goes through as written, except that an empty separator paragraph is inserted between directly adjacent <p> blocks so they render with spacing; a local path in a raw <img src> is still uploaded and replaced with an attachment in every converted field except notes, which take no attachments. Titles (a todo's content argument, card and message titles) are plain text and never converted.

Table boundary: GFM tables round-trip: they render in message/comment bodies, display converts them back to pipe tables, and the TUI in-place editors open simple grids for editing. Only complex tables — merged cells (colspan/rowspan), captions, extra header rows, nested tables, attachments/images or block content inside cells, multi-paragraph or multi-line cells, or a table inside a blockquote or list — refuse to open, since a GFM pipe table can't represent those shapes (edit them on Basecamp web, or replace the whole field via messages update / comments update / todos update --description, which take fresh content and are unaffected). Complex tables still display best-effort, flattened to a plain grid.

Multiline / non-ASCII content: do not rely on bash ANSI-C quoting ($'...\n...') — it is a bash/zsh extension. Under a POSIX /bin/sh (dash, busybox-ash, common in sandboxes) the $ is passed through literally and posts a stray leading $, and \n stays a literal backslash-n. Pipe the content via stdin instead, using - as the content argument: bash printf '%s\n' '海报 mockup 方向稿：' '' '<bc-attachment ...>' | basecamp comments create <recording_id> - --in <project> --json - means "read from stdin" on every content input: content-kind positionals (comments create/update, messages create [body], cards create [body], todos create, docs documents create [content], chat post/update, boost create, checkins answer create/update, notes set) and content flags (--data on api post/put, --body, --content, --description, --comment on todos sweep, --file on notes set). Each command's --agent help lists its stdin inputs. Rules:

• A pipe is never consumed implicitly — without - it is ignored (or, where

content is required and missing, the error teaches -).

• Only one input can read stdin per invocation.
• A literal - anywhere else (a title, a name, a path) errors when stdin is

piped. Escape a positional after the -- separator (basecamp projects create -- -); a flag value has no in-line escape — run the command without piped stdin. basecamp help and shell completion are exempt: they write nothing to Basecamp, and completion legitimately receives - as the word being completed.

• - with nothing piped (interactive TTY) errors immediately instead of

hanging; use a pipe, a heredoc (basecamp comments create <id> - <<'EOF'), or --edit where offered.

• Trailing newlines are trimmed from stdin content, so printf 'x\n' | ... -

posts x (this keeps boost create - inside its 16-rune limit).

• Universal - support (and the stray-- guard) shipped in v0.10.0. Older

CLIs do not support it consistently: comments create/update read stdin, while unsupported inputs may treat - as literal content or fail. For example, messages create "Title" - posts a body of -, which Markdown renders as an empty bullet list. When the CLI version is unknown, check basecamp --version first, or pass the content portably as "$(cat file.md)" and verify the posted content when it matters.

1. Project scope is mandatory for most commands — via --in <project> or .basecamp/config.json. Cross-project exceptions: basecamp reports assigned for assigned work, basecamp assignments for structured assignment views, basecamp reports overdue for overdue todos, basecamp reports schedule for upcoming schedule across all projects, basecamp recordings <type> for browsing by type, basecamp notifications for notifications, basecamp gauges list for account-wide gauges, basecamp events poll and basecamp inbox for the account event feed, and the seven list commands covered in item 7.
2. Account-wide listing. basecamp todos list --all-projects --json lists across every project; the same flag does the same on cards list, messages list, comments list, files list, forwards list, and checkins answers. It overrides a configured project, and with no project in scope those commands already list account-wide rather than prompting. Flags that name something inside a single project are rejected there rather than silently ignored.

Account-wide listings return the first 100 items by default — account-wide "all" is the whole account, not one project's worth. Use --limit N to raise the cap (it walks pages until N are collected) or --all for everything. --page N fetches exactly one page, but only on the paginated listings. The two overdue variants — basecamp todos list --all-projects --overdue and basecamp cards list --all-projects --overdue — come from unpaginated endpoints. They accept --limit and --all but reject --page, so do not generate --page against them.

Output Modes

Choosing a mode:

| Goal | Flag | Format | |------|------|--------| | Filter/extract JSON data | --jq '<expr>' | Built-in jq filter (no external jq needed). Implies --json; filter runs on the envelope. | | Filter in agent mode | --agent --jq '<expr>' | Filter runs on data-only payload (no envelope), matching --agent contract. | | Full JSON output | --json | JSON envelope: {ok, data, summary, breadcrumbs, meta}; errors: {ok:false, error, code, retryable, hint, meta} | | Show results to a user | --md / -m | GFM tables, task lists, structured Markdown | | Automation / scripting | --agent | Success: raw JSON data (no envelope); errors: {ok:false,...} object; no interactive prompts |

Always pass --json or --md explicitly — auto-detection depends on config and may not produce the format you expect. Use --md when composing reports, summarizing data, or displaying results inline. --agent is for headless integration scripts.

Avoiding interactive prompts. The flags --agent/--json/--quiet/--ids-only/--count and the environment variable BASECAMP_NONINTERACTIVE=1 suppress interactive selection prompts. --md does not — if a required target is ambiguous (e.g. a project with multiple todosets and no --todoset), and the CLI is attached to a terminal, it will show a blocking picker. When you need Markdown output and no prompts, either pass the flag that names whatever is ambiguous (--todoset <id> for the todoset case above, or --in <project> / --list <id> when the project or list is ambiguous) or set BASECAMP_NONINTERACTIVE=1 in the environment. BASECAMP_NONINTERACTIVE disables all prompts (they become actionable errors instead) without changing the output format — an escape hatch for agents running under a PTY.

Other modes: --quiet (success: raw JSON, no envelope; errors: {ok:false,...}), --ids-only, --count, --stats (session statistics), --styled (force ANSI), -v / -vv (verbose/trace), --jq '<expr>' (built-in jq filter — see below).

CLI Introspection

Navigate unfamiliar commands with --agent --help — returns structured JSON describing any command:

bash
basecamp todos --agent --help

json
{"command":"todos","path":"basecamp todos","short":"...","long":"...","usage":"...","notes":["..."],
 "subcommands":[{"name":"sweep","short":"...","path":"basecamp todos sweep"}],
 "flags":[{"name":"assignee","type":"string","default":"","usage":"..."}],
 "inherited_flags":[{"name":"json","shorthand":"j","type":"bool","default":"false","usage":"..."}]}

Walk the tree: start at basecamp --agent --help for top-level commands, then drill into any subcommand. Commands carry domain-specific agent hints (e.g., "--assignee filters the account-wide listing only; within a project, fetch all and filter client-side").

Note: a subcommand's inherited_flags is deliberately short — the CLI curates it down to --account, --json, --md, --project, --quiet (and drops --project where the command takes <id|url>). Every other global flag (--jq, --agent, --styled, --verbose, --profile, ...) is listed only at the root (basecamp --agent --help) but still applies on every subcommand (a command that cannot honor one refuses it with an explicit error — version rejects --jq); its absence from a subcommand's help does not mean it is unsupported.

Pagination

bash
basecamp <cmd> --limit 50   # Cap results (default varies by resource)
basecamp <cmd> --all        # Fetch all (may be slow for large datasets)
basecamp <cmd> --page 1     # First page only, no auto-pagination

--all and --limit are mutually exclusive. --page cannot combine with either.

Smart Defaults

• --assignee me resolves to current user
• --due tomorrow / --due +3 / --due "next week" — natural date parsing, when setting a due date (todos create, todos update, cards create, and so on)
• --due on a listing is a different flag and does not take dates: it accepts only with, without, or overdue, and only account-wide. basecamp todos list --due tomorrow is rejected. For date-based listing use --overdue, --no-due-date, or basecamp assignments due <scope>
• Project from .basecamp/config.json if --in not specified
• Multiple identities use named profiles: basecamp profile create <name>, then select one with global --profile <name> or BASECAMP_PROFILE=<name>.

Quick Reference

> Note: Most queries require project scope (via --in <project> or .basecamp/config.json). Cross-project exceptions: basecamp reports assigned, basecamp assignments, basecamp reports overdue, basecamp reports schedule, basecamp recordings <type>, basecamp notifications, basecamp gauges list, basecamp events poll, basecamp inbox. > > Seven list commands also list account-wide: basecamp todos list --all-projects --json, and likewise cards list, messages list, comments list, files list, forwards list, and checkins answers.

| Task | Command | |------|---------| | List projects | basecamp projects list --json | | My todos (in project) | basecamp todos list --assignee me --in <project> --json | | My todos (cross-project) | basecamp reports assigned --json (defaults to "me") | | My schedule (cross-project) | basecamp reports schedule --json (upcoming events across all projects) | | All todos (cross-project) | basecamp todos list --all-projects --json (grouped by project) | | Overdue todos (in project) | basecamp todos list --overdue --in <project> --json | | Overdue todos (cross-project) | basecamp todos list --all-projects --overdue --json (flat, oldest first) or basecamp reports overdue --json (bucketed by lateness) | | All cards (cross-project) | basecamp cards list --all-projects --json (grouped by project) | | Someone's todos (cross-project) | basecamp todos list --all-projects --assignee "Ann" --json (server-side filter) | | Two people's todos (cross-project) | basecamp todos list --all-projects --assignee ann --assignee bob --json (matches either) | | Someone's cards (cross-project) | basecamp cards list --all-projects --assignee "Ann" --json | | Todos with no due date set (cross-project) | basecamp todos list --all-projects --due without --json | | My bookmarks | basecamp bookmarks list --json | | Bookmark something | basecamp bookmarks add <id-or-url> --json | | Is it bookmarked? | basecamp bookmarks check <id-or-url> --json (always exits 0) | | Bubble a recording up | basecamp bubble-up add <id-or-url> --json | | Schedule a bubble-up | basecamp bubble-up add <id-or-url> --at tomorrow --json | | Pop a bubble-up | basecamp bubble-up remove <id-or-url> --json | | My unpublished drafts | basecamp drafts list --json | | Read my personal note | basecamp notes show --json | | Replace my personal note | basecamp notes set "<content>" --json | | Check-ins I owe answers to | basecamp checkins reminders --json | | Add to Up Next | basecamp assignments prioritize <id> --json | | Recolor a calendar | basecamp calendars update <id-or-url> --color blue --json | | Todo outside any list | basecamp todos create "<content>" --loose --in <project> --json | | Assign todo | basecamp assign <id> [id...] --to <person> --in <project> --json | | Assign card | basecamp assign <id> [id...] --card --to <person> --in <project> --json | | Assign card step | basecamp assign <id> [id...] --step --to <person> --in <project> --json | | Create todo | basecamp todos create "Task" --in <project> --list <list> --json | | Create todolist | basecamp todolists create "Name" --in <project> --json | | Complete todo | basecamp todos complete <id> --json | | List cards | basecamp cards list --in <project> --json | | Create card | basecamp cards create "Title" --in <project> --json | | Complete card | basecamp cards done <id|url> --in <project> --json | | Move card | basecamp cards move <id> --to <column> [--position N] --in <project> --json | | Move card to on-hold | basecamp cards move <id> --on-hold --in <project> --json | | Move card to another project | basecamp cards move <id> --to-wormhole <wormhole_id> --in <project> --json (async teleport) | | Post message | basecamp messages create "Title" "Body" --in <project> --json | | Post with @mention | basecamp messages create "Title" "Hey @First.Last, ..." --in <project> --json | | Post silently | basecamp messages create "Title" "Body" --no-subscribe --in <project> --json | | Post to chat | basecamp chat post "Message" --in <project> --json | | List pings | basecamp notifications --json --jq '.data.reads[]? | select(.section == "pings")' | | Read ping thread | basecamp api get "/buckets/<circle_id>/chats/<chat_id>/lines.json" --agent | | Post to ping thread | basecamp api post "/buckets/<circle_id>/chats/<chat_id>/lines.json" --data '{"content":"<p>message</p>"}' --json | | Add comment | basecamp comments create <recording_id> "Text" --in <project> --json | | Inspect comment / reply atoms | basecamp comments show <url> --json → reply_target + mention in .data | | List attachments | basecamp attachments list <id\|url> --json | | Download attachments | basecamp attachments download <id> --out /tmp/ | | Show + download | basecamp todos show <id> --download-attachments --json | | Stream attachment to stdout | basecamp attachments download <id> --file <name> --out - | | Change history for an item | basecamp events <id\|url> --json (when a card moved columns, when a todo was completed) | | Account-wide activity feed (resumable) | basecamp events poll --since now --json (then resume with --position) | | Items that addressed me (agents only) | basecamp inbox --since now --json | | Search | basecamp search "query" --json | | Parse URL | basecamp url parse "<url>" --json | | Upload file | basecamp files uploads create <file> [--vault <folder_id>] --in <project> --json | | Download file | basecamp files download <id> --in <project> | | Stream file to stdout | basecamp files download <id> --out - --in <project> | | Download storage URL | basecamp files download "https://storage.3.basecamp.com/.../download/report.pdf" | | My assignments | basecamp assignments --json (priorities + non-priorities) | | Overdue assignments | basecamp assignments due overdue --json | | Completed assignments | basecamp assignments completed --json | | Notifications | basecamp notifications --json | | Mark notification read | basecamp notifications read <id> --json | | All bubble-ups (BC5) | basecamp notifications bubbleups --json | | Gauges (account-wide) | basecamp gauges list --json | | Gauge needles | basecamp gauges needles --in <project> --json | | Create needle | basecamp gauges create --position 75 --color green --in <project> --json | | Account details | basecamp accounts show --json |

URL Parsing

Parse URLs before acting on them — unless you're handing the URL to a command that accepts a URL directly (show, comments show, comments thread, attachments list/attachments download), which extract the IDs for you. Only comments show and comments thread verify the URL's host and account before any fetch. For other URL-accepting commands, only pass URLs from a trusted Basecamp host: basecamp url parse extracts IDs but does not validate the URL's origin, so parsing an attacker-controlled path yields trusted-looking IDs.

bash
basecamp url parse "https://3.basecamp.com/2914079/buckets/41746046/messages/9478142982#__recording_9488783598" --json

Returns: account_id, project_id, type, recording_id, comment_id (from fragment).

URL patterns:

• /buckets/27/messages/123 - Message 123 in project 27
• /buckets/27/messages/123#__recording_456 - Comment 456 on message 123
• /buckets/27/card_tables/cards/789 - Card 789
• /buckets/27/card_tables/columns/456 - Column 456 (for creating cards)
• /buckets/27/todos/101 - Todo 101
• /buckets/27/uploads/202 - Upload/file 202
• /buckets/27/documents/303 - Document 303
• /buckets/27/schedule_entries/404 - Schedule entry 404

Replying to comments:

bash
# Comments are flat - reply to the parent recording_id, not the comment_id
basecamp url parse "https://...messages/123#__recording_456" --json
# Returns recording_id: 123 (parent), comment_id: 456 (fragment) - comment on 123, not 456
basecamp comments create 123 "Reply" --in <project>

# Or get the whole reply-ready context deterministically in one call:
basecamp comments thread "https://...messages/123#__recording_456" --json
# .data.reply_target.recording_id  → where to post the reply
# .data.reply_target.account_id    → the account that reply belongs to (build a fully-qualified command)
# .data.focus.author.mention.syntax → paste-ready [@Name](mention:SGID)
# .data.comments                   → surrounding discussion (default window of 41)
# --all returns every fetched comment; --window N sets the window size
# When the account came from the URL (none configured), the reply breadcrumb carries --account

Decision Trees

Finding Content

Need to find something?
├── Know the type + project? → basecamp <type> list --in <project> --json
│   (some groups have default list behavior; use --agent --help if unsure)
├── My assigned work? → basecamp assignments --json (priorities + non-priorities)
│   Or: basecamp reports assigned --json (traditional view, defaults to "me")
├── My overdue assignments? → basecamp assignments due overdue --json
├── My notifications? → basecamp notifications --json
├── Upcoming schedule? → basecamp reports schedule --json (cross-project)
├── Overdue across projects? → basecamp reports overdue --json
├── Browse by type cross-project? → basecamp recordings <type> --json
│   (types: todos, messages, documents, comments, cards, uploads)
│   Note: Defaults to active status; use --status archived for archived items
│   ⚠ No assignee data — cannot filter by person; use reports assigned instead
├── Full-text search? → basecamp search "query" --json
├── Have a comment URL, or a notification link targeting a comment? → basecamp comments thread <url> --json
└── Have a URL? → basecamp url parse "<url>" --json

Modifying Content

Want to change something?
├── Have URL? → basecamp url parse "<url>" → use extracted IDs
├── Have ID? → basecamp <resource> update <id> --field value
├── Change status? → basecamp recordings trash|archive|restore <id>
├── Complete todo? → basecamp todos complete <id>
├── Complete card? → basecamp cards done <id|url> --in <project>
└── Reply to a comment? → basecamp comments show <url> --jq '.data | {reply_target, mention}'
    (one call, cheap atoms — the mention is machine-only, so use --jq/--json, not plain show)
    or basecamp comments thread <url> when you need the surrounding discussion;
    then basecamp comments create <reply_target.recording_id> <text>

Common Workflows

Link Code to Basecamp Todo

bash
# Get commit info and comment on todo (use printf %q for safe quoting)
COMMIT=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
MSG=$(git log -1 --format=%s)
basecamp comments create <todo_id> "Commit $COMMIT: $(printf '%s' "$MSG")" --in <project>

# Complete when done
basecamp todos complete <todo_id>

Track PR in Basecamp

bash
# Create todo for PR work
basecamp todos create "Review PR #42" --in <project> --assignee me --due tomorrow

# When merged
basecamp todos complete <todo_id>
basecamp chat post "Merged PR #42" --in <project>

Bulk Process Overdue Todos

bash
# Preview overdue todos
basecamp todos sweep --overdue --dry-run --in <project>

# Complete all with comment
basecamp todos sweep --overdue --complete --comment "Cleaning up" --in <project>

Mentioning people (preferred — deterministic)

bash
# 1. Look up the person
basecamp people pingable --jq '.data[] | select(.name == "Jane Smith")'
# => {"id": 42000, "attachable_sgid": "BAh7CEkiCG...", "name": "Jane Smith"}

# 2. Use SGID in Markdown mention syntax (zero API calls during post)
basecamp comments create 123 "Hey [@Jane Smith](mention:BAh7CEkiCG...), check this" --in <project>

# Or use person ID (one lookup during post)
basecamp comments create 123 "Hey [@Jane Smith](person:42000), check this" --in <project>

Mentioning people (interactive — may be ambiguous)

bash
# Fuzzy matching: use @First.Last to reduce ambiguity
basecamp comments create <id> "@Jane.Smith, please review this" --in <project>
basecamp messages create "Update" "cc @Jane, @Alex" --in <project>
basecamp chat post "@Jane, done!" --in <project>

# Ambiguous names return an error with suggestions
# Use @First.Last for disambiguation

Move Card Through Workflow

bash
# List columns to get IDs
basecamp cards columns --in <project> --json

# Complete a card (moves it to the Done column automatically)
basecamp cards done <card_id> --in <project>

# Move card to column
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to <column_id> --in <project>

# Move card to specific position in column (1-indexed)
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to <column_id> --position 1 --in <project>

# Move card to on-hold section of its current column
basecamp cards move <card_id> --on-hold --in <project>

# Move card to on-hold section of a specific column (numeric ID)
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to <column_id> --on-hold --in <project>

# Move card to on-hold section of a named column (requires --card-table)
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to "Column Name" --on-hold --card-table <table_id> --in <project>

Download File from Basecamp

bash
basecamp files download <upload_id> --in <project> --out ./downloads

# Download attachment from a storage URL (no --in needed)
basecamp files download "https://storage.3.basecamp.com/123/blobs/abc/download/report.pdf"

# Stream to stdout (for piping)
basecamp files download <upload_id> --out - --in <project>

Working with Attachments (Multimodal Agent Workflow)

Messages, todos, cards, and documents may contain images and file attachments (mockups, screenshots, annotated designs). Show commands surface these as field-scoped collections — content_attachments and/or description_attachments — keyed by which rich-text attribute contained them. The notice field hints at the download command.

Step 1: Fetch the recording and check for attachments

bash
basecamp todos show <id> --json
# Response includes description_attachments when attachments are present
# Messages/documents use content_attachments; cards may have both
# The notice field hints: "3 attachment(s) — download: basecamp attachments download <id>"

Step 2 (one-shot): Download attachments with the show command

bash
# --download-attachments fetches + downloads in one shot
basecamp todos show <id> --download-attachments --json
# content_attachments/description_attachments entries now include "path" pointing to local files
# Downloads to OS temp dir by default, or specify: --download-attachments /tmp/att

Step 2 (two-step alternative): Download separately

bash
# Download all at once (shows progress on stderr)
basecamp attachments download <id> --out /tmp/attachments

Step 3: View images with your native file-read tool For multimodal LLMs (Claude, Gemini), use your file-read tool on the path from the response to view downloaded images directly — no browser needed. This surfaces visual context (mockups, screenshots, annotated designs) that is often the most important part of a Basecamp todo or message.

bash
# Stream a single image to stdout for piping
basecamp attachments download <id> --file mockup.png --out -

# Select by index when names collide
basecamp attachments download <id> --index 2 --out -

Key pattern: When a show command response contains content_attachments or description_attachments, always download and view them — visual context is often more important than the text content. Use --download-attachments for one-shot fetch+download, or follow the breadcrumb hint for two-step control.

Resource Reference

Projects

bash
basecamp projects list --json               # List all
basecamp projects show <id> --json          # Show details
basecamp projects create "Name" --json      # Create
basecamp projects update <id> --name "New"  # Update
basecamp projects trash <id>                # Move to trash (recoverable)

Archiving a project: the CLI does not have a dedicated archive command, but the underlying status endpoint can be hit via raw API. Same path works for restoring to active or moving to trashed.

bash
basecamp api put "projects/<id>/status/archived" -d '{}' --json   # Archive
basecamp api put "projects/<id>/status/active" -d '{}' --json     # Unarchive
basecamp api put "projects/<id>/status/trashed" -d '{}' --json    # Trash (same as `projects trash`)

Verify with basecamp projects show <id> --jq '.data.status'.

Todos

bash
basecamp todos list --in <project> --json               # List in project
basecamp todos list --assignee me --in <project>        # My todos
basecamp todos list --overdue --in <project>            # Overdue only
basecamp todos list --status completed --in <project>   # Completed
basecamp todos list --list <todolist_id> --in <project> # In specific list
basecamp todos create "Task" --in <project> --list <list> --assignee me --due tomorrow
basecamp todos complete <id> [id...]                    # Complete (multiple OK)
basecamp todos uncomplete <id>                          # Reopen
basecamp assign <id> [id...] --to <person> --in <project>       # Assign to-do (multiple OK)
basecamp unassign <id> [id...] --from <person> --in <project>   # Remove to-do assignee (multiple OK)
basecamp assign <id> [id...] --card --to <person> --in <project>   # Assign card
basecamp unassign <id> [id...] --card --from <person> --in <project> # Remove card assignee
basecamp assign <id> [id...] --step --to <person> --in <project>   # Assign card step
basecamp unassign <id> [id...] --step --from <person> --in <project> # Remove step assignee
basecamp todos position <id> --to 1                     # Move to top
basecamp todos position <id> --to 1 --list <id|name|url> # Move to different list
basecamp todos sweep --overdue --complete --comment "Done" --in <project>
basecamp todos create "Task" --in <project> --list <list> --notify-on-completion "Jane,Bob"  # Notify when done
basecamp todos update <id> --notify-on-completion "Jane"  # Set who's notified on completion
basecamp todos update <id> --no-notify-on-completion      # Clear completion notifications

Flags: --assignee (repeatable; server-side account-wide, client-side within a project; also on cards list account-wide, but not on messages), --status (completed/incomplete/archived/trashed), --overdue, --list, --due (listing filter: with/without/overdue only, account-wide only — not a date; see Smart Defaults), --limit, --all

Completion subscribers ("When done, notify…"): set with --notify-on-completion <names or IDs, comma-separated> on todos create and todos update; clear with --no-notify-on-completion on todos update. Plain updates (title, due date, etc.) preserve existing completion subscribers.

Todo Subtasks (checklist steps): Basecamp to-do subtasks are stored as Kanban::Step records, even when their parent is a normal Todo. The regular basecamp todos show response may not include them; use basecamp recordings list --in <project> --type Kanban::Step and filter by parent.id to list/check subtasks for a todo.

bash
# Create a subtask under a todo.
# Use the numeric project ID and todo ID in this card-style path.
basecamp api post /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/cards/<parent_todo_id>/steps.json \
  --data '{"title":"Subtask title"}' \
  --json

# Read or edit a subtask
basecamp api get /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/steps/<step_id>.json --json
basecamp api put /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/steps/<step_id>.json \
  --data '{"title":"Updated subtask title"}' \
  --json

# List subtasks for a todo
PARENT_TODO_ID=<parent_todo_id> \
basecamp recordings list --in <project> --type Kanban::Step --all \
  --jq '.data[] | select(.parent.id==(env.PARENT_TODO_ID | tonumber)) | {id,title,status,parent:.parent.id,url}'

# Assign or set a due date. Send only what you're changing — omitted fields are
# left alone. `assignee_ids` replaces the whole list, so name everyone who stays.
basecamp api put /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/steps/<step_id>.json \
  --data '{"assignee_ids":[<person_id>,<existing_person_id>],"due_on":"<YYYY-MM-DD>"}' \
  --json

# Complete or reopen a subtask
basecamp api put /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/steps/<step_id>/completions.json \
  --data '{"completion":"on"}' \
  --json
basecamp api put /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/steps/<step_id>/completions.json \
  --data '{"completion":"off"}' \
  --json

# Trash a subtask from the todo UI by trashing the step record (Kanban::Step)
basecamp recordings trash <step_id> --in <project> --json

Key points: replace numeric placeholders such as <project_id>, <parent_todo_id>, and <person_id> before running the examples. Bucket-scoped API paths require a numeric project/bucket ID; --in <project> can still accept a project name where CLI commands support name resolution. For creating todo subtasks, Basecamp accepts the parent todo ID in the /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/cards/<parent_todo_id>/steps.json path. To list subtasks under a todo, use basecamp recordings list --in <project> --type Kanban::Step with the parent.id filter shown above.

Completed subtasks have completed: true and a completion object with created_at and creator. Open subtasks have completed: false and no completion object. Trashed subtasks may still be readable directly with status: "trashed" and inherits_status: false, but they no longer appear in the todo UI.

In testing with todo-backed steps, these bucket-scoped direct GET requests returned not_found: /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/cards/<parent_todo_id>/steps.json, /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/cards/<parent_todo_id>.json, and /buckets/<project_id>/todos/<parent_todo_id>/steps.json. To inspect trashed subtasks, add --status trashed; archived parents may require --status archived.

Raw step updates are partial. PUT .../card_tables/steps/<id>.json leaves every parameter you omit unchanged, so send only the fields you are changing. Echoing back a title you did not mean to change is not merely redundant — it reverts anyone who edited the title between your read and your write. To clear a value, say so explicitly: "due_on": null clears the due date, "assignee_ids": [] removes everyone. assignee_ids always replaces the whole list rather than adding to it, so name every person who should remain assigned.

(This is bc3#12521. Before it, an omitted field was cleared and a title-less update was rejected, which is why older guidance said to resend the title. Todo subtasks and card steps share one endpoint and one contract — PUT card_tables/steps/:id routes to the same controller for both.)

The generic basecamp assign <step_id> --step ... command is intended for card steps and may fail with Bad Request for todo-backed steps, so prefer assignee_ids on the raw step update endpoint for todo subtasks.

Todolists

Todolists are containers for todos. Create a todolist before adding todos.

bash
basecamp todolists list --in <project> --json              # List todolists
basecamp todolists show <id> --in <project>                # Show details
basecamp todolists create "Name" --in <project> --json     # Create
basecamp todolists create "Name" --description "Desc" --in <project>
basecamp todolists create "Name" --visible-to-clients --in <project>  # Visible to clients
basecamp todolists update <id> --name "New" --in <project> # Update
basecamp todolists position <id> --to 1                     # Reorder one list (1 = top)
basecamp todolists position <id> <id> <id>                  # Order incomplete lists, top→bottom

Bulk position sets the visible order in one command: pass incomplete lists from the same todoset, top to bottom. It always places them at the top.

Cards (Kanban)

Note: --assignee on cards list is account-wide only — pass --all-projects (or have no project in scope) and it becomes a real server-side filter. Within a single project cards have no assignee filter: fetch all and filter client-side. --due with|without|overdue is account-wide only on cards too. If a project has multiple card tables, you must specify --card-table <id>. When you get an "Ambiguous card table" error, the hint shows available table IDs and names.

bash
basecamp cards list --in <project> --json             # All cards
basecamp cards list --card-table <id> --in <project>  # Specific table (required if multiple)
basecamp cards list --column <id> --in <project>      # Cards in column
basecamp cards columns --in <project> --json          # List columns (needs --card-table if multiple)
basecamp cards show <id> --in <project>               # Card details
basecamp cards create "Title" "<p>Body</p>" --in <project> --column <id>
basecamp cards update <id> --title "New" --due tomorrow --assignee me
basecamp cards done <id|url> --in <project>           # Move to the Done column automatically
basecamp cards move <id> --to <column_id>             # Move to column (numeric ID)
basecamp cards move <id> --to "Done" --card-table <table_id>  # Move by name (needs table)
basecamp cards move <id> --to "Done" --position 1 --card-table <table_id>  # Move to position
basecamp cards move <id> --on-hold                    # Move to on-hold of current column
basecamp cards move <id> --to <column_id> --on-hold   # Move to on-hold of target column

Cross-project card move (wormholes): the only way to move a card to another project is to teleport it through a wormhole — a portal on the card table that sends cards to a preconfigured column on another project's card table (max 4 per table). The teleport is asynchronous and mints a new card id: after the move is accepted, the server copies the card into the destination and deletes the original, so the original id 404s — do not reuse it.

bash
basecamp cards wormholes list --in <project>          # Discover wormholes (id, destination, linked)
basecamp cards wormholes create --to-column <id|url> --in <project>   # Link to a column on another table (≤4)
basecamp cards wormholes update <id> --to-column <id|url> --in <project>
basecamp cards wormholes delete <id> --in <project>
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to-wormhole <wormhole_id> --in <project>          # Teleport (async)
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to-wormhole <destination_column_url> --in <project>  # Match by destination column

--to-wormhole is mutually exclusive with --to/--on-hold/--position. Pass a numeric wormhole id to route directly, or a destination-column URL to match it against the source table's wormholes.

Archived/trashed cards: cards list only returns active cards. For archived or trashed cards, use basecamp recordings cards --status archived --in <project> or --status trashed.

Identifying completed cards: Cards in Done columns have parent.type: "Kanban::DoneColumn" and completed: true. Use this to identify completed cards that haven't been archived.

When a card moved columns: don't read updated_at — it changes on any modification. Use the event history instead: basecamp events <card_id> --json records an adopted event for every column move, and a card crossing into or out of a Done column pairs that with completed/uncompleted. See Events.

Card Steps (checklists):

bash
basecamp cards steps <card_id> --in <project>     # List steps
basecamp cards step create "Step" --card <id> --in <project>
basecamp cards step complete <step_id> --in <project>
basecamp cards step uncomplete <step_id>

Column management:

bash
basecamp cards column show <id> --in <project>
basecamp cards column create "Name" --in <project>
basecamp cards column update <id> --title "New"
basecamp cards column move <id> --position 2
basecamp cards column color <id> --color blue
basecamp cards column on-hold <id>                # Enable on-hold section
basecamp cards column watch <id>                  # Subscribe to column

Messages

bash
basecamp messages list --in <project> --json  # List messages
basecamp messages show <id> --in <project>    # Show message
basecamp messages create "Title" "Body" --in <project>
basecamp messages create "Draft" "WIP" --draft --in <project>  # Create draft
basecamp messages publish <id>               # Publish a draft
basecamp messages update <id> --title "New" --body "Updated"
basecamp messages pin <id> --in <project>     # Pin to top
basecamp messages unpin <id>                  # Unpin

Archived/trashed messages: messages list only returns active messages. For archived or trashed messages, use basecamp recordings messages --status archived --in <project> or --status trashed.

Flags: --draft (create as draft), --no-subscribe (silent, no notifications), --subscribe "people" (comma-separated names, emails, IDs, or "me"; mutually exclusive with --no-subscribe), --message-board <id> (if multiple boards), --visible-to-clients (make visible to clients on the project; omit for the server default)

bash
basecamp messages create "Bot update" "Done" --no-subscribe --in <project>
basecamp messages create "FYI" "Note" --subscribe "Alice,bob@x.com" --in <project>
basecamp messages create "For the client" "..." --visible-to-clients --in <project>

Client visibility at create time: messages create, todolists create, schedule create, checkins question create, and tools create accept --visible-to-clients to post a client-visible recording in one call (for tools create, only chat and kanban_board tool types honor it — other types inherit the project default). Omitting the flag uses the server default, which is context-dependent: team-only when you post as a team member, but a client-authenticated caller always creates client-visible records (an explicit --visible-to-clients=false is overridden server-side for client callers). Passing --visible-to-clients posts client-visible in every case. To change visibility on an already-created recording, use recordings visibility <id> --visible.

Comments

bash
basecamp comments list <recording_id> --in <project> --json
basecamp comments show <comment-id|comment-url> --json            # Now returns reply_target + paste-ready mention (JSON)
basecamp comments thread <comment-id|comment-url> --json          # Reply-ready: parent + focus + discussion + @mention
basecamp comments thread <comment-id> --all --json                # Every fetched comment instead of a window
basecamp comments thread <comment-id> --window 11 --json          # Focus-centered window of 11
basecamp comments create <recording_id> "Text" --in <project>
basecamp comments create <recording_id> "@Jane.Smith, looks good!" --in <project>  # With @mention
basecamp comments update <id> "Updated" --in <project>

Cheap atoms vs. deep context (choose by need):

• comments show <url> --jq '.data | {reply_target, mention}' — one API call. Returns

reply_target (recording_id — where a reply is posted, comments are flat — plus account_id) and a paste-ready author mention (JSON only; human output shows a reply breadcrumb). Use this for the exact-comment reply atoms.

• comments thread <url> — two extra calls. Adds the full parent recording, the

surrounding discussion (windowed, truncation-honest), and focus attachments. Use this when the surrounding discussion matters.

Files & Documents

bash
basecamp files list --in <project> --json               # List all (folders, files, docs)
basecamp files list --vault <folder_id> --in <project>  # List folder contents
basecamp files list --all-projects --json               # Across every project (first 100)
basecamp files list --all-projects --limit 500          # Walk pages until 500 collected
basecamp files list --all-projects --page 2             # Exactly page 2
basecamp files list --all-projects --all                # Every page (slow on big accounts)
basecamp files show <id> --in <project>                 # Show item (auto-detects type)
basecamp files versions <upload_id> --json              # Every version of an uploaded file
basecamp files versions <upload_id> --limit 5 --json    # Cap results (default: all)
basecamp files replace <upload_id> <file>               # Replace the file, keep the ID/URL/comments
basecamp files replace <upload_id> <file> --description "v2 notes"  # Also set a new description
basecamp files download <id> --in <project>             # Download file
basecamp files download <id> --out ./dir                # Download to specific dir
basecamp files download "https://storage.../download/f" # Download from storage URL
basecamp files uploads create <file> --in <project>      # Upload file to root
basecamp files uploads create <file> --vault <folder_id> --in <project>  # Upload to folder
basecamp files uploads create <file> --visible-to-clients --in <project>  # Client-visible (root folder only)
basecamp files folder create "Folder" --in <project>
basecamp files doc create "Doc" "Body" --in <project>
basecamp files doc create "Draft" --draft --in <project>
basecamp files doc create "Notes" "..." --no-subscribe --in <project>
basecamp files doc create "For client" "..." --visible-to-clients --in <project>  # Client-visible (root folder only)
basecamp files update <document_id> --title "New" --content "Updated"
basecamp files update <document_id> --title "New" --in <project>      # Preserves existing document content
basecamp files update <document_id> --content "Updated" --in <project> # Preserves existing document title

Document update semantics: basecamp files update <document_id> is safe for partial updates in the CLI: when you pass only --title or only --content, the CLI first fetches the current document and preserves the untouched field.

Client visibility at create time: doc create and uploads create accept --visible-to-clients, but the server only honors it in the project's root Docs & Files folder. Targeting a nested folder (--vault/--folder) with the flag is a hard error raised before anything is uploaded — a nested item inherits its folder's visibility, and that can't be changed per-item afterward (the visibility endpoint rejects nested docs/uploads). To make a nested item client-visible, create it in the root folder, or change the eligible top-level ancestor that controls the folder's visibility first. Omitting the flag uses the server default; as with Messages, a client-authenticated caller always creates client-visible records regardless. recordings visibility is not a remediation for nested docs/uploads.

Upload versions: replacing a file keeps the earlier copies under the same upload ID, so basecamp files versions <upload_id> is how you see the history of one file. A file that was never replaced returns its single current version, not an error. Only --page 1 is accepted; use --all to walk every page. basecamp files replace <upload_id> <file> publishes a new version in place — the upload keeps its ID, URL and comments, nobody is notified, and the description carries forward unless --description is given. Use it instead of uploads create when shipping a new build of the same file.

Subcommands: folders, uploads, documents (each with pagination flags)

Schedule

For upcoming events across all projects, use basecamp reports schedule --json.

bash
basecamp schedule info --in <project> --json       # Schedule info
basecamp schedule entries --in <project> --json   # List entries
basecamp schedule show <id> --in <project>        # Entry details
basecamp schedule show <id> --date 20240315       # Specific occurrence (recurring)
basecamp schedule create "Event" --starts-at "2024-03-15T09:00:00Z" --ends-at "2024-03-15T10:00:00Z" --in <project>
basecamp schedule create "Meeting" --all-day --notify --participants 1,2,3 --in <project>
basecamp schedule create "Sync" --starts-at "..." --ends-at "..." --no-subscribe --in <project>
basecamp schedule update <id> --summary "New title" --starts-at "..."
basecamp schedule settings --include-due --in <project>  # Include todos/cards due dates

Flags: --all-day, --notify, --participants <ids>, --no-subscribe, --subscribe "people" (mutually exclusive), --status (active/archived/trashed), --visible-to-clients (make visible to clients; omit for the server default)

Check-ins

bash
basecamp checkins --in <project> --json           # Questionnaire info
basecamp checkins questions --in <project>        # List questions
basecamp checkins question <id> --in <project>    # Question details
basecamp checkins answers <question_id> --in <project>  # List answers
basecamp checkins answers <question_id> --by me --in <project>  # My answers only
basecamp checkins answers <question_id> --by "Alice Smith" --in <project>  # Filter by person (name, email, or ID)
basecamp checkins answer <id> --in <project>      # Answer details
basecamp checkins question create "What did you work on?" --in <project>
basecamp checkins question update <id> "New question" --frequency every_week
basecamp checkins answer create <question-id> "My answer" --in <project>  # Defaults to today
basecamp checkins answer update <id> "Updated" --in <project>

Schedule options: --frequency (every_day, every_week, every_other_week, every_month, on_certain_days), --days 1,2,3,4,5 (0=Sun), --time "5:00pm"

Client visibility: checkins question create accepts --visible-to-clients to make the question visible to clients (omit for the server default; see the note under Messages for the context-dependent rule).

Managing a question:

bash
basecamp checkins question pause <id> --json      # Stop asking it
basecamp checkins question resume <id> --json     # Start asking it again
basecamp checkins question answerers <id> --json  # Who answers it
basecamp checkins question notify <id> --on-answer --json
basecamp checkins question notify <id> --no-on-answer --json
basecamp checkins question notify <id> --digest-include-unanswered --json

notify changes your own settings, and each one is left alone unless you name it — so --on-answer does not silently reset the digest setting. The --no-... spellings send an explicit false; passing neither setting is refused rather than sent as an empty update.

Your pending reminders (account-wide, no --in):

bash
basecamp checkins reminders --json
basecamp checkins reminders --limit 10 --json

reminders and answerers take --limit but deliberately no --page: the API does not honor a page number on these, so the flag would accept a value it could not act on.

Timeline

bash
basecamp timeline --json                          # Account-wide activity
basecamp timeline --in <project> --json           # Project activity
basecamp timeline me --json                       # Your activity
basecamp timeline --person <id> --json            # Person's activity

Use --limit N to cap results or --all to fetch everything (default: 100 events).

Events (change history)

basecamp timeline reports activity across a project or account. For the audit trail of one specific item — todo, card, message, document — use basecamp events:

bash
basecamp events <id|url> --json                   # Change history for one item
basecamp events <id> --limit 25 --json            # Cap results (default 100)
basecamp events <id> --all --json                 # Fetch everything

Common action values: created, completed/uncompleted, assignment_changed, content_changed, archived/unarchived, commented_on, and — for cards — adopted, which is recorded every time a card moves to another column. That makes events the way to answer "when did this card move?" or "when was this actually finished?", neither of which updated_at can tell you.

--page accepts only 1; use --all to walk every page.

Event feed (account-wide, resumable)

basecamp events <id> is one recording's history. The account-wide event feed is a different resource, and the way an agent hears about activity it did not cause:

bash
basecamp events poll --since now --json            # Enter at the present
basecamp events poll --position "$POSITION" --json # Resume from a held position
basecamp events poll --since 0 --all --json        # Replay served history
basecamp inbox --since now --json                  # Addressed items (agents only)
basecamp events ticket --json                      # Mint a live-stream ticket

Each page is an envelope: events (or items), a durable position, and a next continuation URL while the current walk has more to serve. Persist position only after processing the page, then pass it back with --position. The response's notice spells the whole resume command out, filters included. --all walks next to the end of the current walk — it is not a live tail.

The feed is a notification lane, not an audit log:

• Deduplicate by event id — polls repeat what the live stream delivered, and

an event can appear up to ~30 seconds after it happens.

• Deduplicate inbox items by addressing_id, never by event id: one event

addresses you once per reason and each reason is its own item.

• Events are thin pointers. Refetch the recording (basecamp show

<recording_id>) before acting on it.

• An agent that acts on what it hears should pass --exclude-performers self,

which drops its own performances without hiding other agents' activity.

The two lanes have different filter sets, and they are not interchangeable:

• events poll: --types, --buckets, --creators, --performers,

--exclude-performers, --actor-types.

• inbox: --reasons, --types, --buckets. The other four are not flags

here.

Each takes a comma-separated list. These are the only narrowing available: both commands accept the global --in <project> flag but ignore it, because these are account endpoints. Narrow to a project with --buckets.

A position is bound to the filter set it was minted for, so a resume has to carry the same filters. Changing them exits 1 naming both filter digests, and the fix is to re-enter with --since. A position that is no longer servable exits 2, and the hint carries the whole re-entry command, filters included.

basecamp inbox is served to agent principals only for now; other principals get exit 4. basecamp events ticket redacts the ticket and its URL unless --show-secret is passed — both are bearers, so never log either, and mint a fresh one per connection attempt.

Recordings (Cross-project)

Use basecamp recordings <type> for cross-project type browsing. For assigned todos, prefer basecamp reports assigned — recordings do not include assignee data and cannot be filtered by person.

bash
basecamp recordings todos --json                  # All todos across projects
basecamp recordings todos --all --json            # All todos (paginate through all)
basecamp recordings messages --in <project>       # Messages in project
basecamp recordings documents --status archived   # Archived docs
basecamp recordings cards --sort created_at --direction asc
basecamp recordings cards --status archived --all --json  # Include archived cards

Types: todos, messages, documents, comments, cards, uploads

Status filtering: By default, only active recordings are returned. Use --status archived or --status trashed to query other statuses. You may need separate queries to get complete data (e.g., active + archived).

Status management:

bash
basecamp recordings trash <id> --in <project>     # Move to trash
basecamp recordings archive <id> --in <project>   # Archive
basecamp recordings restore <id> --in <project>   # Restore to active
basecamp recordings visibility <id> --visible --in <project>  # Show to clients
basecamp recordings visibility <id> --hidden      # Hide from clients

Templates

bash
basecamp templates list --json                    # List project templates
basecamp templates show <id> --json               # Project template details
basecamp templates create "Template Name"         # Create empty project template
basecamp templates update <id> --name "New Name"
basecamp templates delete <id>                    # Trash project template
basecamp templates construct <id> --name "New Project"  # Create project (async)
basecamp templates construct <id> --name "New Project" --start-date 2026-09-01  # Anchor template dates to that week
basecamp templates construction <template_id> <construction_id>  # Check project status

basecamp templates library --json                 # List active to-do list templates
basecamp templates copy <template_id> --in <project>  # Start copying into To-dos
basecamp templates copy-status <copy_id>          # Check copy status

Asynchronous results: construct returns a construction ID; poll construction until status="completed" to get the project. A template's dates are relative to its first week, and template weeks start on Sunday: --start-date (YYYY-MM-DD or natural, e.g. next monday) anchors them to the Sunday on or before that date; without it they anchor to the week of construction. copy returns a copy ID; poll copy-status through pending and processing until it is completed or failed.

A copy can report the people who need access to the destination project. Show those people to the user and rerun with --confirm-adding-people only after the user explicitly approves granting that access. Never add this flag automatically.

Webhooks

bash
basecamp webhooks list --in <project> --json  # List webhooks
basecamp webhooks show <id> --in <project>    # Webhook details
basecamp webhooks create "https://..." --in <project>
basecamp webhooks create "https://..." --types "Todo,Comment" --in <project>
basecamp webhooks update <id> --active --in <project>
basecamp webhooks update <id> --inactive      # Disable
basecamp webhooks delete <id> --in <project>

Event types: Todo, Todolist, Message, Comment, Document, Upload, Vault, Schedule::Entry, Kanban::Card, Question, Question::Answer

Subscriptions

bash
basecamp subscriptions <recording_id>              # Who's subscribed
basecamp subscriptions subscribe <id>              # Subscribe yourself
basecamp subscriptions unsubscribe <id>            # Unsubscribe
basecamp subscriptions add <id> --people 1,2,3     # Add people
basecamp subscriptions remove <id> --people 1,2,3  # Remove people

Lineup (Account-wide Markers)

bash
basecamp lineup list                              # List all markers
basecamp lineup create "Milestone" "2024-03-15"   # Create marker
basecamp lineup create "Launch" tomorrow          # Natural date parsing
basecamp lineup update <id> "New Name" "+7"
basecamp lineup delete <id>

Note: Lineup markers are account-wide, not project-scoped.

Gauges

Gauges track project progress with colored needles on a 0-100 scale.

bash
basecamp gauges list --json                           # All gauges (account-wide)
basecamp gauges needles --in <project> --json         # Needles for a project
basecamp gauges needle <id> --json                    # Needle details
basecamp gauges create --position 75 --color green --in <project>
basecamp gauges create --position 50 --color yellow --description "Halfway" --in <project>
basecamp gauges create --position 25 --notify custom --subscriptions 1,2 --in <project>
basecamp gauges update <id> --description "Updated"
basecamp gauges delete <id>
basecamp gauges enable --in <project>                 # Enable gauge on project
basecamp gauges disable --in <project>                # Disable gauge

Colors: green, yellow, red. Notify: everyone, working_on, custom (with --subscriptions).

Assignments

View your assignments across all projects. Separate from reports assigned — provides structured priority grouping and due-date scoping.

bash
basecamp assignments --json                           # All (priorities + non-priorities)
basecamp assignments list --json                      # Same as bare
basecamp assignments completed --json                 # Completed assignments
basecamp assignments due overdue --json               # Overdue
basecamp assignments due due_today --json             # Due today
basecamp assignments due due_tomorrow --json          # Due tomorrow
basecamp assignments due due_later_this_week --json   # Due later this week

Scopes: overdue, due_today, due_tomorrow, due_later_this_week, due_next_week, due_later.

Cross-project assignee filtering: basecamp todos list --all-projects --assignee <person> and basecamp cards list --all-projects --assignee <person> filter server-side across every project. Both are repeatable and match a task assigned to any of the named people. Assignees on nested steps are not considered, so a card whose step is assigned to someone does not match on that basis.

Always pass --all-projects when you mean every project. Without it these listings are account-wide only when no project is in scope — and a configured default project counts as in scope. With one configured, --assignee silently degrades to a client-side filter over that single project, and --due is rejected outright as account-wide-only. --all-projects is what overrides a configured default, so a recipe that omits it returns different results depending on the reader's config.

Within a project --assignee still works on todos, but there is no server-side filter, so it fetches everything and narrows client-side. Cards have no project-scoped --assignee at all. --due with|without|overdue is account-wide only on both, and conflicts with --overdue and --no-due-date, which select their own listings on the same axis. --assignee with --unassigned is refused — the server makes that combination necessarily empty.

Up Next — reorder the priority list:

bash
basecamp assignments prioritize <id> --json      # Add to Up Next
basecamp assignments deprioritize <id> --json    # Remove from Up Next
basecamp assignments reorder <id> --position 1 --json

Which id to pass — three cases, not two. A to-do or a card is addressed by the entry's own id. A step that is not yet prioritized is addressed by the step's own id, found in the parent card's children. But once a step is prioritized, the listing shows it under its parent card, so the entry's top-level id belongs to the card, and only priority_recording_id addresses the step.

basecamp assignments list is the only place priority_recording_id appears — it is in no URL. Read it from there rather than guessing: deprioritize targets one exact recording and the server answers 204 either way, so a wrong id reports success while changing nothing. If two steps on one card are prioritized, the listing shows the card once with a single priority_recording_id and the siblings are not separately addressable.

Personal (bookmarks, bubble-up, drafts, notes)

Private to you, spanning every project — no --in <project>.

bash
basecamp bookmarks list --json
basecamp bookmarks add <id-or-url> --json
basecamp bookmarks remove <id-or-url> --json
basecamp bookmarks check <id-or-url> --json
basecamp bubble-up add <id-or-url> --json
basecamp bubble-up add <id-or-url> --at tomorrow --json
basecamp bubble-up remove <id-or-url> --json
basecamp drafts list --json
basecamp notes show --json
basecamp notes set "<content>" --json

bubble-up add/remove resurface a recording in your readings (the BC5 successor to "save"), addressed by id or pasted URL. add bubbles up now by default; --at schedules it — a keyword (today, tomorrow, weekend, next_week) or a calendar date (YYYY-MM-DD). Both verbs are idempotent. There is no per-recording status read (that GET is an unrenderable API gap); the full list is basecamp notifications bubbleups.

bookmarks add and remove are idempotent — re-adding returns the existing bookmark, removing an absent one still succeeds. check reports {"bookmarked": true|false} and always exits 0: both answers are successes, so a nonzero exit here means the request failed, not that the answer was false.

bookmarks list and drafts list are bounded like the account-wide listings: default 100, --limit N, --page N, --all for every page. Drafts are capped at 250 server-side.

notes is a single private scratchpad — one per person, no id, nothing to list. Before your first write it renders empty rather than 404ing. set replaces the whole note (it does not append) and takes content from an argument or --file — either accepts - to read stdin (cat notes.md | basecamp notes set -); a pipe without - is not consumed. Markdown is converted to HTML.

Calendars

bash
basecamp calendars show <id-or-url> --json
basecamp calendars update <id-or-url> --color blue --json

There is no calendars list — the API has no index endpoint, so address a calendar by id or by pasting its URL. Colors: white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, aqua, purple, gray, pink, brown.

Notifications

bash
basecamp notifications --json                         # List (page 1)
basecamp notifications list --page 2 --json           # Page 2
basecamp notifications read <id> --json               # Mark as read
basecamp notifications read <id> <id> --page 2 --json # Mark from page 2
basecamp notifications bubbleups --json               # All bubble-ups (BC5)
basecamp notifications list --limit-bubble-ups --json # Cap inline bubble-ups at 2

Note: read resolves notification IDs from the specified page. Use --page to match the page you listed.

Bubble Ups (BC5): bubbleups lists all current and scheduled bubble-ups (paginated; --page fetches a single page). list --limit-bubble-ups keeps the notification feed compact: at most 2 inline bubble-ups, scheduled ones omitted, with the uncapped counts still reported.

Accounts

bash
basecamp accounts list --json                         # List authorized accounts
basecamp accounts use <id>                            # Set default account
basecamp accounts show --json                         # Account details, limits, subscription
basecamp accounts update --name "New Name" --json     # Rename account
basecamp accounts logo upload <file> --json           # Upload logo (PNG/JPEG/GIF/WebP/AVIF/HEIC, 5MB max)
basecamp accounts logo remove --json                  # Remove logo

Chat

bash
basecamp chat --in <project> --json           # List chats
basecamp chat messages --in <project> --json  # List messages
basecamp chat post "Hello!" --in <project>
basecamp chat post "@Jane.Smith, check this" --in <project>  # With @mention (auto text/html)
basecamp chat line <line_id> --in <project>   # Show line
basecamp chat update <line_id> "edited content" --in <project>  # Edit existing message in place
basecamp chat delete <line_id> --in <project> --force # Delete line (permanent, not trashable; --force required)

Pings (Direct Messages)

Pings are Basecamp's 1-on-1 and small-group direct messages. They are stored as chat transcripts in Circle buckets and use the same line API shape as Campfires.

Use notifications to discover active ping threads, then use the generic api command to read or post lines.

bash
# Find ping threads visible in notifications.
# circle_id is the Circle bucket ID from the UI URL; chat_id identifies the Chat::Transcript.
basecamp notifications --json \
  --jq '.data.reads[]? | select(.section == "pings") | {bucket_name, app_url, circle_id: (.subscription_url | capture("/buckets/(?<id>[0-9]+)/").id), chat_id: (.subscription_url | capture("/recordings/(?<id>[0-9]+)/").id)}'

# Read a ping thread. Lines are returned newest first.
basecamp api get "/buckets/<circle_id>/chats/<chat_id>/lines.json" --agent

# Post a ping line.
basecamp api post "/buckets/<circle_id>/chats/<chat_id>/lines.json" \
  --data '{"content":"<p>Hey, quick question.</p>"}' --json

Ping line records include creator.name, created_at, content HTML, type, bucket.type: "Circle", and attachment fields when files or voice notes are present.

Ping URLs use /circles/<circle_id> and may include a line anchor after @:

bash
echo "https://app.basecamp.com/<account_id>/circles/44024535@9927050443" \
  | sed -E 's|.*/circles/([0-9]+)(@([0-9]+))?.*|circle:\1 line:\3|'
# circle:44024535 line:9927050443

Pings are not returned by basecamp recordings <type>. Use notifications for discovery and the chat lines API for the conversation.

People

bash
basecamp people list --json                          # All people in account
basecamp people list --project <project> --json    # People on project
basecamp me --json                                 # Current user
basecamp people show <id> --json                   # Person details
basecamp people show me --json                     # Your own profile
basecamp people update me --bio "..." --title "..." --json   # Edit your own profile
basecamp people out-of-office me --json            # Your out-of-office status
basecamp people out-of-office me --start 2026-09-14 --end 2026-09-18 --json  # Set out-of-office
basecamp people out-of-office me --clear --json    # Clear out-of-office
basecamp people add <id> --project <project>       # Add a team member to a project
basecamp people remove <id> --project <project>    # Remove a team member from a project

people update me edits your own profile (bio, title, name, email, location, time zone); pass a flag with an empty value to clear that field. people out-of-office me shows your away status, sets it with --start/--end (natural language or YYYY-MM-DD, end not before start), or clears it with --clear.

people list reports each person's client flag. people add/remove manage team members only — a client's id passed to them is dropped server-side, never cross-graded — so clients have their own verbs:

bash
basecamp people clients enable --in <project>                 # Turn client access on (do this first)
basecamp people clients list --in <project>                   # Clients on the project
basecamp people clients add <id|email|name> --in <project>    # Grant an existing client user
basecamp people clients invite annie@example.com --in <project>                 # Invite a new client by email
basecamp people clients invite "Annie Bryan <annie@example.com>" --in <project> # ... with a name
basecamp people clients invite - --in <project>               # One invitee per line on stdin
basecamp people clients remove <id|email|name> --in <project> # Revoke a client's access
basecamp people clients disable --in <project>                # Turn client access off (after removing every client)

Enabling clients is a deliberate, separate step: it applies the project's default client visibility (timeline and most tools shared; card table, Campfire, and Doors private), so add/invite never enable implicitly and answer forbidden with an enable hint while clients are off. invite takes --company (applies to every invitee) and --title (one invitee only), and is all-or-nothing: a token that is not an address is refused locally as usage (2) naming each one, an address the server rejects exits validation (9) naming each rejected row, and a seat shortfall exits limit_exceeded (10) — in every case nobody was invited. add/remove report the ids the server did not grant or revoke (already on the project, or not a client user) in the notice.

Search

bash
basecamp search "query" --json                    # Full-text search (capped at 20; --all for every match)
basecamp search "query" --sort recency --limit 20
basecamp search "query" --project Marketing       # Scope to one project (--in also works)
basecamp search "query" --type todo               # Filter by type: todo, message, document, comment,
                                                  #   card, file, ping, chat, check-in, event, folder,
                                                  #   forward, client
basecamp search "query" --creator me              # Filter by creator (name, email, ID, or 'me')
basecamp search "query" --since last_30_days      # last_7_days|last_30_days|last_90_days|last_12_months|forever
basecamp search "query" --file-type pdf           # Filter attachments: image, audio, video, pdf
basecamp search "query" --exclude-chat            # Drop chat/campfire results
basecamp search metadata --json                   # Recording and file types the API accepts as filters

Generic Show

bash
basecamp show <type> <id> --in <project> --json                   # Show any recording type (includes up to 100 comments by default)
basecamp show <type> <id> --all-comments --in <project> --json   # Fetch the full discussion when you need every comment
basecamp show <type> <id> --no-comments --in <project> --json    # Skip the extra comments fetch
# Types: todo, todolist, message, comment, card, card-table, document (or omit <type> for generic lookup)

# Typed show commands also support --comments / --all-comments / --no-comments:
basecamp todos show <id> --comments --json                        # Opt in to comments on typed show
basecamp cards show <id> --all-comments --json                    # Fetch all comments on card
basecamp messages show <id> --no-comments --json                  # Suppress comments
# All commentable show commands: todos, messages, cards, files, todolists, schedule, checkins, forwards, chat

Configuration

The CLI uses two directory namespaces: basecamp for your Basecamp identity and project relationships, basecamp for tool-specific operational data.

~/.config/basecamp/           # Basecamp identity (DO NOT read credentials)
├── credentials.json          #   OAuth tokens — NEVER read or log
├── client.json               #   Obsolete (former dev-only client registration; safe to delete)
└── config.json               #   Global preferences (account_id, base_url, format)

~/.cache/basecamp/            # Tool cache (ephemeral, auto-managed)
├── completion.json           #   Tab completion cache
└── resilience/               #   Circuit breaker state

.basecamp/                    # Per-repo config (committed to git)
└── config.json               #   Project defaults (project_id, account_id, todolist_id)

Per-repo config: .basecamp/config.json

json
{
  "project_id": "12345",
  "todolist_id": "67890"
}

Initialize:

bash
basecamp config init
basecamp config set project_id <id>
basecamp config set todolist_id <id>

Config Trust:

Authority keys (base_url, default_profile, profiles) in local/repo configs are blocked until explicitly trusted. This prevents a cloned repo's config from redirecting OAuth tokens.

bash
basecamp config trust                    # Trust nearest .basecamp/config.json
basecamp config trust /path/to/.basecamp/config.json  # Trust specific config file
basecamp config trust --list             # Show all trusted configs
basecamp config untrust                  # Revoke trust for nearest config
basecamp config untrust /path/to/.basecamp/config.json  # Revoke trust for specific path

Check context:

bash
cat .basecamp/config.json 2>/dev/null || echo "No project configured"

Global config: ~/.config/basecamp/config.json (account_id, base_url, format preferences)

Error Handling

General diagnostics:

bash
basecamp doctor --json                            # Check CLI health, auth, connectivity

Coding agent setup (non-interactive):

bash
basecamp setup agents                             # Install skill + connect detected agent(s)
basecamp setup agents --json                      # Structured result envelope

setup agents installs the baseline skill and connects coding agents without prompting. Selection is driven by BASECAMP_SETUP_AGENT (claude, codex, grok, all, or none); unset auto-detects — one detected agent is connected, several leave the skill only and surface the per-agent basecamp setup <id> commands.

Rate limiting (429): The CLI handles backoff automatically. If you see 429 errors, reduce request frequency.

Authentication errors:

bash
basecamp auth status                              # Who you are logged in as, where, token expiry (no request made)
basecamp auth status --check                      # Also ask the server whether the active token (BASECAMP_TOKEN, else the stored login) is accepted
basecamp auth login                               # Re-authenticate
basecamp auth login --scope full                  # Full access (the default; ignored by Launchpad)
basecamp auth login --scope read                  # Read-only access (ignored by Launchpad)
basecamp auth login --device-code                 # Print a link and one-time code to approve from any device, never opening a browser here (Launchpad has no device flow: paste the callback URL back instead)
BASECAMP_NONINTERACTIVE=1 basecamp auth login --device-code  # The only OAuth login that runs under BASECAMP_NONINTERACTIVE, and only where the server offers the device flow (Launchpad does not); browser and pasted-callback flows refuse — prefer --with-token
basecamp auth login --with-token -P bot --account <id>  # Import a personal access token from stdin (pipe it in)
basecamp auth login --with-client-credentials --client-id <id> -P agent --account <id>  # Authenticate as a Basecamp agent: client secret on stdin, self-token minted on demand (no refresh token)
basecamp auth agent connect -P agent               # Connect this computer to a Basecamp agent: approve it in a browser and its OAuth client is stored — nothing to paste
basecamp connect setup -P agent --operator-profile <me> --route <project-id>=<dir>  # Set up a local agent connector on a connected profile (run `auth agent connect` first): verifies trust, checks token, identity, scope, ticket mint and project reads, then writes connect.json

Before running ANY of the logins above, check oauth_type. basecamp auth status --json reports it, and agent means the profile is a Basecamp agent: a principal with no person behind it, which authenticates with its OAuth client rather than a sign-in. basecamp auth login and --with-token would both store a PERSON's credential under that profile and silently replace the agent; its recovery is --with-client-credentials with the client secret piped in. The CLI's own hint on a failing agent credential already names that command with the client id filled in — prefer it verbatim, and follow it rather than choosing for yourself whenever oauth_type is absent.

A profile with no agent credential yet gets one from basecamp auth agent connect -P <profile>: it prints a link and a one-time code, and the person who opens it picks which Basecamp agent this computer acts as. The account comes from the agent they approve, so --account is only an assertion — a connection to an agent in another account is refused. It waits on a person at a browser, so it is not the headless path; --with-client-credentials still is.

bash
basecamp auth login --expect-identity <id>        # Discard the login unless it authenticated as this identity
basecamp auth revoke                              # Revoke the token with the server and forget it; refuses when it cannot revoke (auth logout forgets regardless)
basecamp profile create <name> --account <id> --expect-identity <id>  # Same assertion for a new profile

Network errors / localhost URLs:

bash
# Check for dev config
cat ~/.config/basecamp/config.json
# Should only contain: {"account_id": "<id>"}
# Remove base_url/api_url if pointing to localhost

Not found errors:

bash
basecamp auth status                              # Verify auth working
cat ~/.config/basecamp/accounts.json              # Check available accounts

Required arguments are positional (not flags):

• basecamp todos create "Buy milk" (not --content)
• basecamp cards create "New feature" (not --title)
• basecamp messages create "Subject" "Body" (not --subject)
• basecamp chat post "Hello" (not --content)
• basecamp comments create <id> "Text" (not a flag)
• basecamp webhooks create "https://..." --in <project> (not --url)
• basecamp checkins answer create <question-id> "content" (not --question)
• --date YYYY-MM-DD is optional for checkins answer create; if omitted, it defaults to today

Missing argument errors (code: "usage"): When a required positional argument is missing, the CLI returns a structured error naming the specific argument. Use this for elicitation:

bash
$ basecamp todos create --json
{"ok": false, "error": "<content> required", "code": "usage", "retryable": false,
 "hint": "Usage: basecamp todos create <content>"}

$ basecamp comments create 123 --json
{"ok": false, "error": "<content> required", "code": "usage", "retryable": false, ...}

The error field names the missing <arg> — use it to prompt the user for the specific value.

Retryable errors (retryable): every error envelope carries a boolean retryable — true when the CLI classified the failure transient (network, timeout, rate limit, circuit open, most 5xx/gateway responses — not all: 507 and some 500s are verdicts) and a retry can change the outcome, false for a verdict (usage, not found, auth, forbidden, validation, account limit) and for any error nothing classified. Key on it rather than on code or error when deciding whether to retry — false means no known reason a retry would help, not a guarantee of permanence; it is never present on a success envelope.

URL malformed (curl exit 3): Special characters in content. Use plain text or properly escaped HTML.

Built-in jq Filtering

The CLI has a built-in --jq flag powered by gojq — no external jq binary required. Always prefer --jq over piping to external jq.

bash
# Extract fields from data array
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '.data[] | select(.completed == false) | .title'
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '.data | length'
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '[.data[] | {id, title, status}]'

# Access envelope metadata
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '.breadcrumbs[0].cmd'
basecamp todos list --in <project> --jq '.meta.stats.requests'

# Filter and transform
basecamp cards list --in <project> --jq '[.data[] | select(.completed == true) | .title]'
basecamp people list --jq '[.data[] | {name: .name, email: .email_address}]'

--jq implies --json — no need to pass both. String results print as plain text; objects and arrays print as formatted JSON.

Exit Codes

| Exit | Meaning | Fix | |------|---------|-----| | 0 | OK | — | | 1 | Usage error | Check basecamp <cmd> --help | | 2 | Not found | Verify ID/URL exists | | 3 | Auth error | basecamp auth login — but check oauth_type first: an agent profile recovers with --with-client-credentials, and a plain login would replace it | | 4 | Forbidden | Check account/project permissions | | 5 | Rate limit | Wait and retry (resilience layer handles Retry-After automatically) | | 6 | Network error | Check connectivity, basecamp doctor | | 7 | API error | Retry; if persistent, check basecamp doctor | | 8 | Ambiguous | Be more specific (use ID instead of name) |

Learn More

• API concepts: https://github.com/basecamp/bc3-api#key-concepts
• CLI repo: https://github.com/basecamp/basecamp-cli
• API coverage: See API-COVERAGE.md in the CLI repo