Commands

A line whose first non-space character is / is a command. It never reaches the model, the transcript, or the session journal. // is the escape: one / is dropped and the rest is sent as an ordinary message. Arguments split with shell quoting, so /memory add "two words" is one argument. Unbalanced quotes are an error notice. An unknown command is an error notice, never a message to the model.

Command output shows as transcript notices. Type /help to print the command list.

Some arguments come from host data, not fixed words. tab completes them: /model offers provider and model pairs from the catalog and your logins; /login offers the provider ids (providers.md lists them) plus custom; /logout offers the providers with a stored credential; /theme offers the built-ins plus your theme files; /skill:<name> offers the discovered skill names (/skills lists them with descriptions); /memory id arguments offer record ids. When nothing matches, tab does nothing.

While a turn runs, /queue still works and Enter steers the turn. Everything else waits or is refused. See "While a turn runs" below.

Session#

Command Syntax What it does
/sessions /sessions [query] Open the session picker overlay for this workspace. With a query, filter first. Selecting shows a copyable --resume <id> line; it never switches sessions in place. Applies at once.
/fork /fork (no arguments) Fork this session at its last turn boundary into a child session. Only idle sessions fork. It does not switch to the child; the notice names it. Applies at once.
/new /new (no arguments) End this session and open a fresh one in the same workspace. The old session stays resumable. Refused while a turn runs, while jobs run, or after the session ended. Applies at once.
/export /export [md|markdown|json] [path] [--force] Export this session. markdown is an alias of md. The default format is md; the default path is <workspace>/radian-<id>.<ext>. A relative path resolves against the workspace; an absolute path may point anywhere. Refuses to overwrite without --force. Applies at once. Example: /export md notes.md --force. Related: /sessions.
/login /login [provider] Open the credential wizard. With a provider id or custom, skip the provider choice. custom names a new endpoint (name, protocol, base URL, key). Applies at once.
/logout /logout <provider> (exactly one) Remove one stored credential. Asks first: y removes, n or esc cancels. Applies at once.

A resumed session rebuilds the history from the journal's user messages. The history is this session's submitted lines only; it is not persisted on its own. A non-empty input survives a clean exit in <session-dir>/<session-id>.draft: --resume restores it once and deletes it. A signal exit saves what was typed. An idle ctrl-c clears the input first, so a ctrl-c exit saves the cleared line. A panic writes nothing.

Model#

Command Syntax What it does
/model /model <provider>/<model> or /model <provider> <model> Switch the model. Takes effect at the next turn boundary. Either switches directly or asks first when the switch needs confirmation. Example: /model openai/gpt-5. Related: /thinking, /usage.
/thinking /thinking <level> (exactly one of off, minimal, low, medium, high, xhigh, max) Set the thinking level. tab completes only the levels the current model supports. An unknown level behaves like an unsupported one: the level clamps to what the current model supports. Takes effect at the next turn boundary. Example: /thinking high.
/usage /usage (no arguments) Show the current provider's usage snapshot, every window of it, one line each. A pure read: no network, works any time. The footer shows the short form of the same snapshot.
/auto /auto on|off Approve tool questions without asking, for this session (on), or ask again (off). Deny rules and the sandbox still apply. Applies at once.
/yolo /yolo on|off Alias of /auto with the same two words.
/access /access [workspace|full] With no argument, show the current tier and where it came from. With a name, switch tiers. The switch takes effect at the next tool call, and full asks for confirmation first because it removes the sandbox. Applies at once. Example: /access workspace.

Trust#

Command Syntax What it does
/trust /trust (no arguments) or /trust status Show the current directory's trust decision and its source: saved for, inherited from, command line, this session only, or no saved decision. A pure read: no disk write. Applies at once.
/trust /trust on Trust the current directory for every future session. Only the disk changes: loaded resources stay as they are, so the notice says it takes effect at the next start. Applies at once. Example: /trust on.
/trust /trust off Distrust the current directory, saving false. Like on, disk state only: the next start never loads. Applies at once.
/trust /trust forget Remove the current directory's saved decision. An ancestor's decision then applies, or none at all; with none, the untrusted hint returns. Applies at once.

radian trust status|on|off|forget|list outside the interface runs the same record: status prints the same line, on/off/forget print the same takes-effect notice, list prints every saved decision. See cli.md.

Context#

Command Syntax What it does
/context /context [all] Show the next request's estimated size by category, plus the reported line, the message count and the compactions. With all, list every context file. A pure read; works mid-turn. Applies at once.
/btw /btw [question] Ask a side question from the current context. The question is the raw remainder of the line, so quotes survive. Nothing goes into the transcript and no tool runs. The answer streams into an overlay. With no question, reopen the last answer. Only one runs at a time; a second while one runs is refused. esc cancels a running question or closes the answer. Example: /btw why does this test fail?

Goal and loop#

Command Syntax What it does
/goal /goal <objective> (up to 4000 characters) Set a persistent goal that repeats every turn until done or budgeted. Setting a new goal resets the budget to the default: 30 turns or 2 hours, no token cap. The objective is literal text; a bare number or duration is refused. Example: /goal fix the failing tests. Related: /loop, /queue.
/goal /goal (alone) Show the goal, its progress, and its budget use.
/goal /goal pause Stop continuing and keep the goal.
/goal /goal resume Continue a paused goal. A resumed session starts with the goal paused; resume restarts it.
/goal /goal drop Forget the goal entirely.
/goal /goal budget [<N> turns|turn] [<dur>] [<N> tokens|token] Cap the goal. Durations look like 30s, 5m, 2h. With no pairs, show the budget. When a cap runs out the goal stops and names the cap; raise the budget to continue. Example: /goal budget 10 turns 1h.
/loop /loop [--every <dur>] [--times N] [--for <dur>] [prompt] Repeat the prompt every turn until --times or --for (default 20 turns or 1 hour). --every waits between turns. Flags come before the prompt. A bare /loop toggles: when off, it arms and the next message becomes the prompt. A bare number or duration needs its flag. --times 0, a zero or unknown-unit duration, an unknown flag, or a flag after the prompt started is a usage notice. Example: /loop --every 30s --times 5 check the build. Related: /goal.
/queue /queue <text> (required) Queue a message for the next turn as a followup, even while a turn runs. Idle, it opens a turn at once. The @ references expand first, like a send. Example: /queue check the build next. Related: /retry.
/retry /retry (no arguments) Resend the last user message, but only when idle and the previous turn ended in a model error. The text goes as-is, with no @ expansion. Anything else is a nothing to retry notice.

Output#

Command Syntax What it does
/copy /copy [code] Copy the last committed assistant message through the clipboard backend. A streaming entry never counts. With code, copy only its last fenced block without the fence lines. Applies at once.
/compact /compact [note] Summarize the history now and keep the recent part. The driver runs it between turns, so a running turn finishes first, and the result shows as a notice. ctrl-c or esc cancels an in-flight compaction without committing. Needs a model. Example: /compact keep the test plan.
/help /help (no arguments) List the commands. Applies at once.

Tools and jobs#

Command Syntax What it does
/jobs /jobs (alone) Open the inspector's jobs page. Lists the running background jobs in registry order. Applies at once.
/jobs /jobs kill <id|all> Stop one background job or every running job. Sends SIGTERM to the process group, then SIGKILL after 2 seconds. The model gets a completion message on the busy or idle lane. Example: /jobs kill all. Related: /panel.
/tools /tools (no arguments) Open the inspector's tools page. Applies at once.
/mcp /mcp (no arguments) Open the inspector's MCP page. It lists the servers and their tools. Applies at once. Related: mcp.md.
/hooks /hooks (no arguments) Open the inspector's hooks page. It lists each configured entry and whether its matcher compiles. Applies at once. Related: hooks.md.
/panel /panel (no arguments) Open the inspector on the last used page. Applies at once.

Memory#

/memory runs the same grammar as radian memory outside the interface (cli.md holds the flags). One grammar, one executor: the TUI adds only the framework and the notices. A read command runs while a turn is running and does not interrupt it. A write takes effect at the next model request. forget, purge, split and merge ask first: a notice shows the prompt, y runs it and n or esc cancels. While the prompt is up, keys do not type into the message box.

Command Syntax What it does
/memory list /memory list [--global|--project] [--all] [--json] List records, project first then global. --all includes archived records.
/memory search /memory search [--global|--project] [--json] <words>... Search by keyword. Every word must match; matching ignores case. Example: /memory search vpn profile.
/memory show /memory show [--global|--project] [--json] <id> Show one record in full.
/memory add /memory add [--global] [--kind preference|decision|fact|lesson] [--key <key>] <text|-> Add a record. Project scope by default. The text is literal in the interface: a bare - writes nothing and shows `-` reads stdin only in `radian memory`; type the text here. On the command line - reads it from stdin. Example: /memory add The deploy needs the vpn profile "office".
/memory edit /memory edit [--global] --revision <N> <id> <text> Change a record's content. Needs the current revision. A bare - as the text writes nothing and shows `-` reads stdin only in `radian memory`; type the text here.
/memory archive /memory archive [--global] --revision <N> <id> Archive a record. It stays stored but is no longer injected or searched by default.
/memory restore /memory restore [--global] --revision <N> <id> Restore an archived record.
/memory forget /memory forget [--global] [--yes] <id> Forget a record. Gone from every view, never resurrected by a rebuild; the bytes remain until a purge. Asks first.
/memory purge /memory purge [--global|--project] [--yes] Rewrite the log, removing forgotten content. Asks first.
/memory confirm /memory confirm [--global] --revision <N> <id> Confirm a record. Keeps its original source.
/memory export /memory export [--global|--project] Print one scope as editable Markdown.
/memory import /memory import [--global|--project] <source> Import an edited Markdown export from the file at <source>: a relative path resolves against the workspace in the interface and against the current directory on the command line; an absolute path may point anywhere. A bare - imports nothing and shows `-` reads stdin only in `radian memory`; give a file path here. On the command line - reads it from stdin. A file that cannot be read imports nothing and shows cannot read <path>: <error>.
/memory project /memory project [--json] [new] Show this workspace's identity key and project state, or register it with new.
/memory relink /memory relink <project-id> Attach this workspace's identity key to an existing project.
/memory split /memory split [--yes] <from> <to> <id>... Move records between projects. Asks first.
/memory merge /memory merge [--yes] <into> <from> Merge one project into another, reporting key conflicts. Asks first.

radian memory outside the interface adds --workspace <dir> to resolve the project against another directory. Full detail, including kinds, revisions, and the memory_search tool the model uses, is in memory.md.

View#

Command Syntax What it does
/theme /theme <name> (exactly one) Switch the color theme now and write the name back to the config file. A built-in (dark, light, mono) or a file in ~/.radian/themes/, named by its stem. Both .toml and .json files read; a .toml file wins when both exist for one stem. An unknown name warns and falls back. Applies at once. Example: /theme light. Related: themes.md.
/skills /skills (no arguments) List the discovered skills, one row per name and one-line description. Applies at once. Related: skills.md.
/skill:<name> /skill:<name> [args] Run a skill. The name is glued to the command with a colon. The skill body plus the arguments become one user message. Arguments are the raw remainder of the line, verbatim, so quotes survive. A $ARGUMENTS placeholder in the body fills with the arguments; without it, they append. Example: /skill:review --strict. Related: skills.md.

Shell commands#

! and !! come before the / commands, so !/bin/sh is a shell command, not an unknown command. The rest of the line is the shell command verbatim; only surrounding whitespace is trimmed. It runs in the tier's shell, under the sandbox when one is enforced, and it never opens an approval box. A second ! while one runs is refused. esc cancels a running ! command.

Command Syntax What it does
! !<command> (required) Run a shell command. Its output enters the model context. Example: !make check.
!! !!<command> (required) Run a shell command outside model context. The block draws dimmer so the exclusion reads. Its output never enters the journal or the model context. Example: !!ls /tmp.

An empty command is a usage notice. Ask about radian itself in plain words to read the built-in manual.

While a turn runs#

A submitted Enter on an idle composer opens a turn at once. While a turn runs, Enter steers it instead: the text joins the running turn. /queue always queues as a followup, even mid-turn. The footer's queued item shows the waiting count.

esc closes a menu or clears the input first; with an empty input it cancels the running turn. ctrl-c cancels the running turn. A second ctrl-c within 2 seconds on an empty input quits; any other key disarms it. There is no quit command. A side question (/btw) and a read command (/context, /usage, /memory list, /memory search, /memory show, /memory export, /memory project) run while a turn runs without interrupting it. Writes take effect at the next turn boundary: /model, /thinking, /access, /compact, /memory writes.