Pacto logo Pacto CLI agent control surface

Spec-driven development for AI-assisted teams

Keep every agent on the same verified flight path.

Pacto is a small, fast CLI for teams that treat plans as executable contracts instead of stale documents. Define a slice, execute it deliberately, and verify every claim against repository evidence before you call it done.

read the docs view on github
02 · control signals why teams lock in

Specs that stay close to the work — and closer to the evidence.

The payoff is a cleaner engineering loop: smaller scopes, clearer transitions, and far fewer surprises between the plan you wrote on Monday and the code that shipped on Friday.

signal 01

Plan slices before code touches the repo.

Model work in explicit states so every change starts with a bounded, reviewable plan slice — no vague tickets, no heroics.

Scope lock
signal 02

Evidence-backed status, not status theater.

Pacto status reconciles plan claims with files, symbols, endpoints, and tests living in the repository.

Evidence scan
signal 03

A durable surface beneath your AI agents.

Keep one source of truth while working alongside Codex, Cursor, Claude Code, OpenCode, and friends.

Agent handoff
signal 04

Verify offline. Trust nothing remote.

Run the core workflow locally without depending on a hosted service for status or plan checks.

Local proof
03 · command rail how the loop works

One CLI. One plan surface. Explicit state transitions.

Pacto works best when the workflow stays visible. Each command pushes the slice forward with a narrow job and a clear, auditable artifact.

  1. Step 01 pacto init

    Initialize the workspace

    Bootstrap .pacto/plans and optional agent hand-off artifacts inside your repository.

  2. Step 02 pacto new

    Create a plan slice

    Open a bounded slice of work with README, spec, design, and tasks documents.

  3. Step 03 pacto status

    Verify plan claims

    Inspect plan state and reconcile claims against repository evidence instead of trusting prose.

  4. Step 04 pacto exec

    Record execution

    Append notes, blockers, and evidence references while you implement the planned work.

  5. Step 05 pacto move

    Move state explicitly

    Advance work from to-implement to current to done with an auditable workflow trail.

04 · boot sequence

Get to your first verified slice in a minute.

Start with the install script, then initialize a workspace and open your first plan slice. Pacto also supports Go installs when you want to build from source.

install pacto command reference
install.sh shell
# Sign the pact $curl -fsSL \ https://raw.githubusercontent.com/triple0-labs/pacto-spec/main/install.sh \ | bash # Verify $pacto --version
05 · manuals curated guides

Read the essentials in order, then dive into the repository docs.

Each guide is a self-contained chapter. Read them sequentially the first time, then jump to the command surface when you need a specific workflow detail.

manual node 01

Install

Install Pacto with the shell installer or from Go source.

open chapter
manual node 02

Getting Started

Initialize a workspace, create a plan slice, and run the core workflow.

open chapter
manual node 03

Concepts

Understand states, evidence-backed status, and capability baselines.

open chapter
manual node 04

Commands

Reference the most important commands, flags, and automation patterns.

open chapter