The step command

Use step to start sessions or manage installation, resource packages, and MCP servers.

step [options] [--] [@files...] [task...]

Inspect available options and the installed version:

step --help
step --version

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Model options

Option	Description
--provider <name>	Provider such as step, anthropic, or openai
--model <model>	Model ID or pattern; supports provider/id and a thinking-level suffix
--api-key <key>	Override other credentials; beware of shell history and process-argument exposure
--thinking <level>	off, minimal, low, medium, high, xhigh, max, subject to model support
--models <list>	Comma-separated models for Ctrl+P cycling
--list-models [search]	List available models

step --provider step --model step-3.7-flash
step --list-models flash

See Keyboard shortcuts for model-switching shortcuts.

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Session options

Option	Description
-c, --continue	Continue the most recent session
-r, --resume	Browse sessions; optionally supply a path or ID
--session <path-or-ID>	Select a session, including by partial ID
--fork <path-or-ID>	Fork a session
--session-dir <directory>	Override the session directory
--no-session	Do not save this session
--name <name>, -n <name>	Name the session
-p, --print	Run once and exit; accepts stdin and @files
-C <directory>, --cwd <directory>	Set the working directory; session storage and settings discovery follow it, and an invalid path fails at startup

step --name "Interface review" @README.md "Summarize the interface contracts"
step -p @screenshot.png "Explain the error in this screenshot"
step --no-session -p "Explain semantic versioning"

See Slash commands for interactive session commands.

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Tool options

Option	Description
--tools <list>, -t <list>	Comma-separated allowlist for built-in and extension tools
--exclude-tools <list>, -xt <list>	Exclude tools
--no-builtin-tools, -nbt	Disable built-in tools, keeping extensions
--no-tools, -nt	Disable all tools

For example, supply an existing README without enabling tools:

step --no-tools -p @README.md "Summarize the project described in this README"

See Permissions and safety for permissions and dangerous operations.

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Resource options

Option	Description
-e <source>, --extension <source>	Load an extension temporarily; repeatable
--skill <path>	Explicitly load a Skill; repeatable
--prompt-template <path>	Load a prompt template; repeatable
--theme <path>	Load a theme resource; repeatable
--no-extensions, --no-skills, --no-prompt-templates, --no-themes	Disable corresponding automatic discovery
--no-context-files, -nc	Disable automatic project-instruction loading

Explicit resources can be combined with options disabling discovery. They must still come from trusted sources.

See Configuration files for persistent resource configuration.

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Automation and context

Option	Description
--mode <mode>	Output or integration mode: text, json, or rpc; rpc is for integration and is not ordinary text output
--context-projection <mode>	Context mode for this run: clm-v1 (default), lightweight-v1, or off
--completion-check git-committed	print/JSON modes only; checks commits, working-tree status, and the final response
--completion-check-attempts <1..3>	Maximum follow-up rounds; default 2; requires completion checks
--completion-review	Requests self-review; requires completion checks and shares their follow-up rounds
--non-interactive-approval <mode>	Policy without a human approval UI: allow or deny
--non-interactive-denial <mode>	Handling after a blocked call: terminate (default) ends the run, or continue returns the reason to the model
--tool-override <tool=mode>	Per-tool policy; repeatable; mode is allow, confirm, or deny

Completion checks do not mean tests pass or guarantee code quality; continue does not bypass permissions.

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Other options

Option	Description
--plan	Start in Plan mode
--tui-mode <mode>	regular or experimental fullscreen
--approval-mode <mode>	Tool approval mode: confirm or auto; applies to interactive and non-interactive runs
--version	Show version
--use-theme <name>	Theme for this launch
--export <session-file> [output-file]	Export a session to HTML
--	End option parsing; remaining arguments are messages or file references

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Subcommands

Command	Description
step login --no-browser	Get an authorization link in an SSH, server, or container terminal and complete sign-in in a browser on this or another device; still requires an interactive terminal and does not depend on a local callback port
step update	Update to the latest stable version; alias step upgrade
step update <version>	Install a specific available release
step install <source>	Install a resource package
step remove <source>	Remove a resource package
step list	List packages
step config	Manage resources interactively; Tab switches global and project scope
step mcp	MCP list, get, add, remove, login, logout
step session-index status / reindex / clear	Inspect, rebuild, or clear the session full-text search index
step mcp prepare	Prepare or retry built-in optional resources, then restart to check; not a fix for arbitrary third-party MCP services
step login, step logout	Sign in to or out of Step
step login status	Show Step login method and status

For updates and removal, see Updates.