> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/steveyegge/beads/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Beads Documentation
> Distributed, git-backed graph issue tracker for AI agents with persistent memory and dependency tracking
Memory Upgrade for Your Coding Agent
Beads replaces messy markdown plans with a dependency-aware graph, allowing agents to handle long-horizon tasks without losing context. Built on Dolt with native version control and zero-conflict merges.
## Quick start
Get Beads running in your project in under a minute.
Install the `bd` CLI globally using your preferred package manager:
```bash npm theme={null}
npm install -g @beads/bd
```
```bash Homebrew theme={null}
brew install beads
```
```bash Go theme={null}
go install github.com/steveyegge/beads/cmd/bd@latest
```
Navigate to your project directory and initialize Beads:
```bash theme={null}
cd your-project
bd init
```
This creates a `.beads` directory with a Dolt database for tracking issues.
Create a task and let your agent get to work:
```bash theme={null}
bd create "Add authentication system" -p 0 --json
```
```json theme={null}
{
"id": "bd-a3f8",
"title": "Add authentication system",
"status": "open",
"priority": 0,
"created_at": "2026-03-04T10:00:00Z"
}
```
View unblocked tasks ready for work:
```bash theme={null}
bd ready --json
```
Your agent can now pick up tasks with no open dependencies and start working.
## Key features
Discover what makes Beads perfect for AI agent workflows.
Version-controlled SQL database with cell-level merge and native branching. Every change is tracked in Dolt history.
Hash-based IDs like `bd-a3f8` prevent merge collisions in multi-agent and multi-branch workflows.
Track blockers and relationships between issues with `blocks`, `relates_to`, `duplicates`, and `supersedes` links.
Agent memory that survives sessions and account rotations. Use `bd remember` to store knowledge permanently.
Semantic "memory decay" summarizes old closed tasks to save context window and keep agents focused.
Automatically detects tasks with no open blockers, making it easy for agents to find work.
Route planning issues to a separate repo when working on forked projects. Keep experimental work out of PRs.
Visualize dependencies and relationships across your entire issue graph.
## Explore by topic
Understand Beads architecture, dependency tracking, and workflows.
Learn how to integrate Beads into your AI agent's task management workflow.
Complete reference for all `bd` commands with examples and flags.
Set up Beads with Claude, Copilot, Aider, and other AI tools.
## Resources
Answers to common questions about Beads and its features.
Debug common issues and learn how to use `bd doctor` for repairs.
Explore community-built UIs, extensions, and integrations.
Learn how to contribute to Beads development.
Ready to upgrade your agent's memory?
Install Beads and give your coding agent the persistent, structured memory it needs for long-horizon tasks.
Get Started