# Context and manifest

> Get a readable command reference or the full machine-readable contract for the CLI version you have installed.

HTML version: https://www.purveyors.io/docs/cli/context-manifest

purvey context prints a compact, readable reference that suits people and language models. purvey manifest prints the same contract as stable JSON for scripts and tools. Both describe exactly the version you have installed and work without signing in.

## Which one to use

| Need | Use | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A readable reference | purvey context | Plain text covering access rules, the ID map, workflows, and common errors. |
| A machine-readable contract | purvey manifest | Stable JSON on standard output. Add --pretty for indented output. |
| JSON from an existing context caller | purvey context --json | Prints the same contract as purvey manifest. |
| The contract inside a Node.js tool | @purveyors/cli/manifest | Import getCliManifest() to read the same contract in-process. |

## purvey context

Print a dense human-readable CLI reference, or the manifest as JSON.

Usage: `purvey context [options]`

Access: None. Works without signing in.

- Use `purvey context` for dense human-readable operator reference text.
- Prefer `purvey manifest` for the stable machine-readable CLI contract.
- Use `purvey context --json` only for compatibility with existing context-based callers.
- Use `@purveyors/cli/manifest` for the same contract in-process.

| Argument or flag | Details |
| --- | --- |
| `--json` | Print the machine-readable manifest as compact JSON instead of the text reference. |
| `--pretty` | Print the machine-readable manifest as indented JSON instead of the text reference. |

Examples:

```bash
purvey context
purvey context --json
purvey context --pretty
```

## purvey manifest

Print the stable machine-readable CLI contract as JSON.

Usage: `purvey manifest [options]`

Access: None. Works without signing in.

- `purvey manifest` is the preferred machine-readable entrypoint and emits compact JSON by default.
- `purvey context --json` remains available for compatibility with existing context-based callers.
- The same contract is available in-process via `@purveyors/cli/manifest`.

| Argument or flag | Details |
| --- | --- |
| `--json` | Print the manifest as compact JSON, the default. |
| `--pretty` | Print the manifest as indented JSON. |

Examples:

```bash
purvey manifest
purvey manifest --pretty
```

## Related

- [Agent integration](https://www.purveyors.io/docs/cli/agent-integration): Patterns for AI agents that use the CLI.
- [Auth, config, and output](https://www.purveyors.io/docs/cli/auth-output): Output modes, exit codes, and the ID reference.