/basecamp - Basecamp Workflow Command

Full CLI coverage: 155 endpoints across todos, cards, messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks, subscriptions, lineup, chat, gauges, assignments, notifications, 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 @mentions — message body and comment content accept Markdown syntax; the CLI converts to HTML automatically. Use Markdown formatting (lists, bold, links, code blocks) for rich content. 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) For todos, documents, and cards, content is sent as-is — use plain text or HTML directly.
6. 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.

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}
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.

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:

basecamp todos --agent --help

{"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 include notes with domain-specific agent hints (e.g., "Cards do NOT support --assignee filtering").

Pagination

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
• 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.

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 recordings todos --json (no assignee data — cannot filter by person)
Overdue todos (in project)	basecamp todos list --overdue --in <project> --json
Overdue todos (cross-project)	basecamp reports overdue --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
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
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
Add comment	basecamp comments create <recording_id> "Text" --in <project> --json
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 -
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
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
Watch timeline	basecamp timeline --watch

URL Parsing

Always parse URLs before acting on them:

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:

# 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>

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 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>

Common Workflows

Link Code to Basecamp Todo

# 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

# 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

# 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)

# 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)

# 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

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

# 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

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

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

# --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

# 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.

# 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

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.

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

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>

Flags: --assignee (todos only - not available on cards/messages), --status (completed/incomplete/archived/trashed), --overdue, --list, --due, --limit, --all

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.

# 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.
# Include the current title and every person who should remain assigned.
basecamp api put /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/steps/<step_id>.json \
  --data '{"title":"Current subtask title","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.

When updating a todo subtask with the raw API, include the existing title along with metadata changes; omitting it may reset the step title to Untitled. assignee_ids sets the full assignee list for the step, so include every person who should remain assigned. 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.

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 update <id> --name "New" --in <project> # Update

Cards (Kanban)

Note: Cards do NOT support --assignee filtering like todos. Fetch all cards and filter client-side if needed. 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.

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 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

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.

Limitation: Basecamp does not track when cards are moved between columns. The updated_at field updates on any modification and cannot reliably indicate when a card was completed.

Card Steps (checklists):

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:

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

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)

basecamp messages create "Bot update" "Done" --no-subscribe --in <project>
basecamp messages create "FYI" "Note" --subscribe "Alice,bob@x.com" --in <project>

Comments

basecamp comments list <recording_id> --in <project> --json
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>

Files & Documents

basecamp files list --in <project> --json               # List all (folders, files, docs)
basecamp files list --vault <folder_id> --in <project>  # List folder contents
basecamp files show <id> --in <project>                 # Show item (auto-detects type)
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 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 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.

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

Schedule

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

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)

Check-ins

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 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"

Timeline

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
basecamp timeline --watch                         # Live monitoring (TUI)
basecamp timeline --watch --interval 60           # Poll every 60 seconds

Use --limit N to cap results or --all to fetch everything (default: 100 events). --all and --page cannot be combined with --watch.

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.

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:

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

basecamp templates --json                         # List templates
basecamp templates show <id> --json               # Template details
basecamp templates create "Template Name"         # Create empty template
basecamp templates update <id> --name "New Name"
basecamp templates delete <id>                    # Trash template
basecamp templates construct <id> --name "New Project"  # Create project (async)
basecamp templates construction <template_id> <construction_id>  # Check status

Construct returns construction_id - poll until status="completed" to get project.

Webhooks

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

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)

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.

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.

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.

Notifications

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

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

Accounts

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

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 delete <line_id> --in <project> --force # Delete line (permanent, not trashable)

People

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 add <id> --project <project>       # Add to project
basecamp people remove <id> --project <project>    # Remove from project

Search

basecamp search "query" --json                    # Full-text search
basecamp search "query" --sort updated_at --limit 20
basecamp search metadata --json                   # Available search scopes

Generic Show

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               #   DCR client registration
└── 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

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

Initialize:

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.

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:

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:

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

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

Authentication errors:

basecamp auth status                              # Check auth
basecamp auth login                               # Re-authenticate
basecamp auth login --scope full                  # Full access (BC3 OAuth only)
basecamp auth login --device-code                 # Headless: display URL, paste callback

Network errors / localhost URLs:

# 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:

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:

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

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

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

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.

# 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
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