Interact with Basecamp via the Basecamp CLI. Full API coverage: projects, todos, cards,
messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks,
subscriptions, lineup, chat, pings, gauges, assignments, notifications, bookmarks,
drafts, notes, calendars, and accounts.
Use for ANY Basecamp question or action.
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name
basecamp
description
Interact with Basecamp via the Basecamp CLI. Full API coverage: projects, todos, cards,
messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks,
subscriptions, lineup, chat, pings, gauges, assignments, notifications, bookmarks,
drafts, notes, calendars, and accounts.
Use for ANY Basecamp question or action.
triggers
["basecamp","/basecamp","basecamp todos","basecamp project","basecamp cards","basecamp chat","basecamp campfire","basecamp messages","basecamp file","basecamp document","basecamp bookmarks","basecamp drafts","basecamp notes","basecamp calendars","basecamp schedule","basecamp checkin","basecamp check-in","basecamp timeline","basecamp template","basecamp webhook","basecamp gauge","basecamp assignment","basecamp notification","basecamp account","link to basecamp","track in basecamp","post to basecamp","comment on basecamp","complete todo","mark done","create todo","move card","download file","search basecamp","find in basecamp","look up basecamp","check basecamp","list basecamp","show basecamp","get from basecamp","fetch from basecamp","can I basecamp","how do I basecamp","what's in basecamp","what basecamp","does basecamp","my todos","my tasks","my schedule","my basecamp","assigned to me","my assignments","my notifications","overdue todos","upcoming events","project gauge","project progress","3.basecamp.com","basecampapi.com","https://3.basecamp.com/"]
invocable
true
argument-hint
[action] [args...]
/basecamp - Basecamp Workflow Command
Full CLI coverage: 155 endpoints across todos, cards, messages, files, schedule, check-ins, timeline, recordings, templates, webhooks, subscriptions, lineup, chat, pings, gauges, assignments, notifications, and accounts.
Agent Invariants
MUST follow these rules:
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.
Parse URLs first with basecamp url parse "<url>" to extract IDs
Comments are flat - reply to parent recording, not to comments
Check context via .basecamp/config.json before assuming project
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, tables) 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.
Table boundary: GFM tables round-trip: they render in message/comment
bodies, display converts them back to pipe tables, and the TUI in-place
editors open simple grids for editing. Only complex tables — merged
cells (colspan/rowspan), captions, extra header rows, nested tables,
attachments/images or block content inside cells, multi-paragraph or
multi-line cells, or a table inside a blockquote or list — refuse to open,
since a GFM pipe table can't represent those shapes (edit them on Basecamp
web, or replace the
whole field via messages update / comments update / todos update --description, which take fresh content and are unaffected). Complex
tables still best-effort, flattened to a plain grid.
display
Multiline / non-ASCII content: do not rely on bash ANSI-C quoting ($'...\n...') — it is a bash/zsh extension. Under a POSIX /bin/sh (dash, busybox-ash, common in sandboxes) the $ is passed through literally and posts a stray leading $, and \n stays a literal backslash-n. Pipe the content via stdin instead, using - as the content argument:
- means "read from stdin" on every content input: content-kind positionals
(comments create/update, messages create [body], cards create [body],
todos create, docs documents create [content], chat post/update, boost create,
checkins answer create/update, notes set) and content flags (--data on
api post/put, --body, --content, --description, --comment on
todos sweep, --file on notes set). Each command's --agent help lists
its stdin inputs. Rules:
A pipe is never consumed implicitly — without - it is ignored (or, where
content is required and missing, the error teaches -).
Only one input can read stdin per invocation.
A literal - anywhere else (a title, a name, a path) errors when stdin is
piped. Escape a positional after the -- separator
(basecamp projects create -- -); a flag value has no in-line escape — run
the command without piped stdin. basecamp help and shell completion are
exempt: they write nothing to Basecamp, and completion legitimately
receives - as the word being completed.
- with nothing piped (interactive TTY) errors immediately instead of
hanging; use a pipe, a heredoc (basecamp comments create <id> - <<'EOF'),
or --edit where offered.
Trailing newlines are trimmed from stdin content, so printf 'x\n' | ... -
posts x (this keeps boost create - inside its 16-rune limit).
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, and the seven list commands covered in item 7.
Account-wide listing.basecamp todos list --all-projects --json lists across every project; the same flag does the same on cards list, messages list, comments list, files list, forwards list, and checkins answers. It overrides a configured project, and with no project in scope those commands already list account-wide rather than prompting. Flags that name something inside a single project are rejected there rather than silently ignored.
Account-wide listings return the first 100 items by default — account-wide "all" is the whole account, not one project's worth. Use --limit N to raise the cap (it walks pages until N are collected) or --all for everything. --page N fetches exactly one page, but only on the paginated listings.
The two overdue variants — basecamp todos list --all-projects --overdue and basecamp cards list --all-projects --overdue — come from unpaginated endpoints. They accept --limit and --all but reject --page, so do not generate --page against them.
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.
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.
Avoiding interactive prompts. The flags --agent/--json/--quiet/--ids-only/--count and the environment variable BASECAMP_NONINTERACTIVE=1 suppress interactive selection prompts. --md does not — if a required target is ambiguous (e.g. a project with multiple todosets and no --todoset), and the CLI is attached to a terminal, it will show a blocking picker. When you need Markdown output and no prompts, either pass the flag that names whatever is ambiguous (--todoset <id> for the todoset case above, or --in <project> / --list <id> when the project or list is ambiguous) or set BASECAMP_NONINTERACTIVE=1 in the environment. BASECAMP_NONINTERACTIVE disables all prompts (they become actionable errors instead) without changing the output format — an escape hatch for agents running under a PTY.
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 carry domain-specific agent hints (e.g., "--assignee filters the account-wide listing only; within a project, fetch all and filter client-side").
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, when setting a due date (todos create, todos update, cards create, and so on)
--due on a listing is a different flag and does not take dates: it accepts only with, without, or overdue, and only account-wide. basecamp todos list --due tomorrow is rejected. For date-based listing use --overdue, --no-due-date, or basecamp assignments due <scope>
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>.
Seven list commands also list account-wide: basecamp todos list --all-projects --json, and likewise cards list, messages list, comments list, files list, forwards list, and checkins answers.
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 todos list --all-projects --json (grouped by project)
Overdue todos (in project)
basecamp todos list --overdue --in <project> --json
Overdue todos (cross-project)
basecamp todos list --all-projects --overdue --json (flat, oldest first) or basecamp reports overdue --json (bucketed by lateness)
All cards (cross-project)
basecamp cards list --all-projects --json (grouped by project)
Someone's todos (cross-project)
basecamp todos list --all-projects --assignee "Ann" --json (server-side filter)
Two people's todos (cross-project)
basecamp todos list --all-projects --assignee ann --assignee bob --json (matches either)
Someone's cards (cross-project)
basecamp cards list --all-projects --assignee "Ann" --json
Todos with no due date set (cross-project)
basecamp todos list --all-projects --due without --json
basecamp gauges create --position 75 --color green --in <project> --json
Account details
basecamp accounts show --json
URL Parsing
Parse URLs before acting on them — unless you're handing the URL to a command
that accepts a URL directly (show, comments show, comments thread,
attachments list/attachments download), which extract the IDs for you. Only comments show and
comments thread verify the URL's host and account before any fetch. For other
URL-accepting commands, only pass URLs from a trusted Basecamp host:
basecamp url parse extracts IDs but does not validate the URL's origin, so
parsing an attacker-controlled path yields trusted-looking IDs.
# 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>
# Or get the whole reply-ready context deterministically in one call:
basecamp comments thread "https://...messages/123#__recording_456" --json
# .data.reply_target.recording_id → where to post the reply# .data.reply_target.account_id → the account that reply belongs to (build a fully-qualified command)# .data.focus.author.mention.syntax → paste-ready [@Name](mention:SGID)# .data.comments → surrounding discussion (default window of 41)# --all returns every fetched comment; --window N sets the window size# When the account came from the URL (none configured), the reply breadcrumb carries --account
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 comment URL, or a notification link targeting a comment? → basecamp comments thread <url> --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>
├── Complete card? → basecamp cards done <id|url> --in <project>
└── Reply to a comment? → basecamp comments show <url> --jq '.data | {reply_target, mention}'
(one call, cheap atoms — the mention is machine-only, so use --jq/--json, not plain show)
or basecamp comments thread <url> when you need the surrounding discussion;
then basecamp comments create <reply_target.recording_id> <text>
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
# Complete a card (moves it to the Done column automatically)
basecamp cards done <card_id> --in <project>
# 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
# 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>
basecamp todos create "Task" --in <project> --list <list> --notify-on-completion "Jane,Bob"# Notify when done
basecamp todos update <id> --notify-on-completion "Jane"# Set who's notified on completion
basecamp todos update <id> --no-notify-on-completion # Clear completion notifications
Flags:--assignee (repeatable; server-side account-wide, client-side within a project; also on cards list account-wide, but not on messages), --status (completed/incomplete/archived/trashed), --overdue, --list, --due (listing filter: with/without/overdue only, account-wide only — not a date; see Smart Defaults), --limit, --all
Completion subscribers ("When done, notify…"): set with
--notify-on-completion <names or IDs, comma-separated> on todos create and
todos update; clear with --no-notify-on-completion on todos update.
Plain updates (title, due date, etc.) preserve existing completion subscribers.
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. Send only what you're changing — omitted fields are# left alone. `assignee_ids` replaces the whole list, so name everyone who stays.
basecamp api put /buckets/<project_id>/card_tables/steps/<step_id>.json \
--data '{"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.
Raw step updates are partial.PUT .../card_tables/steps/<id>.json leaves
every parameter you omit unchanged, so send only the fields you are changing.
Echoing back a title you did not mean to change is not merely redundant — it
reverts anyone who edited the title between your read and your write. To clear a
value, say so explicitly: "due_on": null clears the due date, "assignee_ids": [] removes everyone. assignee_ids always replaces the whole list rather than
adding to it, so name every person who should remain assigned.
(This is bc3#12521. Before it, an omitted field was cleared and a title-less
update was rejected, which is why older guidance said to resend the title. Todo
subtasks and card steps share one endpoint and one contract — PUT card_tables/steps/:id routes to the same controller for both.)
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 create "Name" --visible-to-clients --in <project> # Visible to clients
basecamp todolists update <id> --name "New" --in <project> # Update
basecamp todolists position <id> --to 1 # Reorder one list (1 = top)
basecamp todolists position <id> <id> <id> # Order incomplete lists, top→bottom
Bulk position sets the visible order in one command: pass incomplete lists from
the same todoset, top to bottom. It always places them at the top.
Cards (Kanban)
Note:--assignee on cards list is account-wide only — pass --all-projects (or have no project in scope) and it becomes a real server-side filter. Within a single project cards have no assignee filter: fetch all and filter client-side. --due with|without|overdue is account-wide only on cards too. 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 done <id|url> --in <project> # Move to the Done column automatically
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
Cross-project card move (wormholes): the only way to move a card to another
project is to teleport it through a wormhole — a portal on the card table that
sends cards to a preconfigured column on another project's card table (max 4 per
table). The teleport is asynchronous and mints a new card id: after the move
is accepted, the server copies the card into the destination and deletes the
original, so the original id 404s — do not reuse it.
basecamp cards wormholes list --in <project> # Discover wormholes (id, destination, linked)
basecamp cards wormholes create --to-column <id|url> --in <project> # Link to a column on another table (≤4)
basecamp cards wormholes update <id> --to-column <id|url> --in <project>
basecamp cards wormholes delete <id> --in <project>
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to-wormhole <wormhole_id> --in <project> # Teleport (async)
basecamp cards move <card_id> --to-wormhole <destination_column_url> --in <project> # Match by destination column
--to-wormhole is mutually exclusive with --to/--on-hold/--position. Pass
a numeric wormhole id to route directly, or a destination-column URL to match it
against the source table's wormholes.
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.
When a card moved columns: don't read updated_at — it changes on any
modification. Use the event history instead: basecamp events <card_id> --json
records an adopted event for every column move, and a card crossing into or
out of a Done column pairs that with completed/uncompleted. See
Events.
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), --visible-to-clients (make visible to clients on the project; omit for the server default)
Client visibility at create time:messages create, todolists create,
schedule create, checkins question create, and tools create accept
--visible-to-clients to post a client-visible recording in one call (for
tools create, only chat and kanban_board tool types honor it — other types
inherit the project default). Omitting the flag uses the
server default, which is context-dependent: team-only when you post as a team
member, but a client-authenticated caller always creates client-visible
records (an explicit --visible-to-clients=false is overridden server-side for
client callers). Passing --visible-to-clients posts client-visible in every
case. To change visibility on an already-created recording, use
recordings visibility <id> --visible.
comments show <url> --jq '.data | {reply_target, mention}' — one API call. Returns
reply_target (recording_id — where a reply is posted, comments are flat — plus
account_id) and a paste-ready author mention (JSON only; human output shows a reply
breadcrumb). Use this for the exact-comment reply atoms.
comments thread <url> — two extra calls. Adds the full parent recording, the
surrounding discussion (windowed, truncation-honest), and focus attachments. Use this
when the surrounding discussion matters.
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 list --all-projects --json # Across every project (first 100)
basecamp files list --all-projects --limit 500 # Walk pages until 500 collected
basecamp files list --all-projects --page 2 # Exactly page 2
basecamp files list --all-projects --all # Every page (slow on big accounts)
basecamp files show <id> --in <project> # Show item (auto-detects type)
basecamp files versions <upload_id> --json # Every version of an uploaded file
basecamp files versions <upload_id> --limit 5 --json # Cap results (default: all)
basecamp files replace <upload_id> <file> # Replace the file, keep the ID/URL/comments
basecamp files replace <upload_id> <file> --description "v2 notes"# Also set a new description
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 uploads create <file> --visible-to-clients --in <project> # Client-visible (root folder only)
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 doc create "For client""..." --visible-to-clients --in <project> # Client-visible (root folder only)
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.
Client visibility at create time:doc create and uploads create accept
--visible-to-clients, but the server only honors it in the project's root
Docs & Files folder. Targeting a nested folder (--vault/--folder) with the
flag is a hard error raised before anything is uploaded — a nested item inherits
its folder's visibility, and that can't be changed per-item afterward (the
visibility endpoint rejects nested docs/uploads). To make a nested item
client-visible, create it in the root folder, or change the eligible top-level
ancestor that controls the folder's visibility first. Omitting the flag uses the
server default; as with Messages, a client-authenticated caller always creates
client-visible records regardless. recordings visibility is not a
remediation for nested docs/uploads.
Upload versions: replacing a file keeps the earlier copies under the same
upload ID, so basecamp files versions <upload_id> is how you see the history of
one file. A file that was never replaced returns its single current version, not
an error. Only --page 1 is accepted; use --all to walk every page.
basecamp files replace <upload_id> <file> publishes a new version in place —
the upload keeps its ID, URL and comments, nobody is notified, and the
description carries forward unless --description is given. Use it instead of
uploads create when shipping a new build of the same file.
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), --visible-to-clients (make visible to clients; omit for the server default)
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 answers <question_id> --by me --in <project> # My answers only
basecamp checkins answers <question_id> --by "Alice Smith" --in <project> # Filter by person (name, email, or ID)
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>
Client visibility:checkins question create accepts --visible-to-clients to make the question visible to clients (omit for the server default; see the note under Messages for the context-dependent rule).
notify changes your own settings, and each one is left alone unless you
name it — so --on-answer does not silently reset the digest setting. The
--no-... spellings send an explicit false; passing neither setting is refused
rather than sent as an empty update.
reminders and answerers take --limit but deliberately no --page: the
API does not honor a page number on these, so the flag would accept a value it
could not act on.
Use --limit N to cap results or --all to fetch everything (default: 100 events).
Events (change history)
basecamp timeline reports activity across a project or account. For the audit
trail of one specific item — todo, card, message, document — use basecamp events:
basecamp events <id|url> --json # Change history for one item
basecamp events <id> --limit 25 --json # Cap results (default 100)
basecamp events <id> --all --json # Fetch everything
Common action values: created, completed/uncompleted,
assignment_changed, content_changed, archived/unarchived,
commented_on, and — for cards — adopted, which is recorded every time a card
moves to another column. That makes events the way to answer "when did this
card move?" or "when was this actually finished?", neither of which updated_at
can tell you.
--page accepts only 1; use --all to walk every page.
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
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.
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
Cross-project assignee filtering:basecamp todos list --all-projects --assignee <person> and basecamp cards list --all-projects --assignee <person>
filter server-side across every project. Both are repeatable and match a task
assigned to any of the named people. Assignees on nested steps are not
considered, so a card whose step is assigned to someone does not match on that
basis.
Always pass --all-projects when you mean every project. Without it these
listings are account-wide only when no project is in scope — and a configured
default project counts as in scope. With one configured, --assignee silently
degrades to a client-side filter over that single project, and --due is
rejected outright as account-wide-only. --all-projects is what overrides a
configured default, so a recipe that omits it returns different results
depending on the reader's config.
Within a project --assignee still works on todos, but there is no server-side
filter, so it fetches everything and narrows client-side. Cards have no
project-scoped --assignee at all. --due with|without|overdue is account-wide
only on both, and conflicts with --overdue and --no-due-date, which select
their own listings on the same axis. --assignee with --unassigned is refused
— the server makes that combination necessarily empty.
Up Next — reorder the priority list:
basecamp assignments prioritize <id> --json # Add to Up Next
basecamp assignments deprioritize <id> --json # Remove from Up Next
basecamp assignments reorder <id> --position 1 --json
Which id to pass — three cases, not two. A to-do or a card is addressed by
the entry's own id. A step that is not yet prioritized is addressed by the
step's own id, found in the parent card's children. But once a step is
prioritized, the listing shows it under its parent card, so the entry's top-level
id belongs to the card, and only priority_recording_id addresses the
step.
basecamp assignments list is the only place priority_recording_id appears —
it is in no URL. Read it from there rather than guessing: deprioritize targets
one exact recording and the server answers 204 either way, so a wrong id reports
success while changing nothing. If two steps on one card are prioritized, the
listing shows the card once with a single priority_recording_id and the
siblings are not separately addressable.
Personal (bookmarks, drafts, notes)
Private to you, spanning every project — no --in <project>.
bookmarks add and remove are idempotent — re-adding returns the existing
bookmark, removing an absent one still succeeds. check reports
{"bookmarked": true|false} and always exits 0: both answers are successes,
so a nonzero exit here means the request failed, not that the answer was false.
bookmarks list and drafts list are bounded like the account-wide listings:
default 100, --limit N, --page N, --all for every page. Drafts are capped
at 250 server-side.
notes is a single private scratchpad — one per person, no id, nothing to list.
Before your first write it renders empty rather than 404ing. setreplaces
the whole note (it does not append) and takes content from an argument or
--file — either accepts - to read stdin (cat notes.md | basecamp notes set -);
a pipe without - is not consumed. Markdown is converted to HTML.
Calendars
basecamp calendars show <id-or-url> --json
basecamp calendars update <id-or-url> --color blue --json
There is no calendars list — the API has no index endpoint, so address a
calendar by id or by pasting its URL. Colors: white, red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, aqua, purple, gray, pink, brown.
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
basecamp notifications bubbleups --json # All bubble-ups (BC5)
basecamp notifications list --limit-bubble-ups --json # Cap inline bubble-ups at 2
Note:read resolves notification IDs from the specified page. Use --page to match the page you listed.
Bubble Ups (BC5):bubbleups lists all current and scheduled bubble-ups
(paginated; --page fetches a single page). list --limit-bubble-ups keeps the
notification feed compact: at most 2 inline bubble-ups, scheduled ones omitted,
with the uncapped counts still reported.
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 update <line_id> "edited content" --in <project> # Edit existing message in place
basecamp chat delete <line_id> --in <project> --force # Delete line (permanent, not trashable; --force required)
Pings (Direct Messages)
Pings are Basecamp's 1-on-1 and small-group direct messages. They are stored as chat transcripts in Circle buckets and use the same line API shape as Campfires.
Use notifications to discover active ping threads, then use the generic api command to read or post lines.
# Find ping threads visible in notifications.# circle_id is the Circle bucket ID from the UI URL; chat_id identifies the Chat::Transcript.
basecamp notifications --json \
--jq '.data.reads[]? | select(.section == "pings") | {bucket_name, app_url, circle_id: (.subscription_url | capture("/buckets/(?<id>[0-9]+)/").id), chat_id: (.subscription_url | capture("/recordings/(?<id>[0-9]+)/").id)}'# Read a ping thread. Lines are returned newest first.
basecamp api get "/buckets/<circle_id>/chats/<chat_id>/lines.json" --agent
# Post a ping line.
basecamp api post "/buckets/<circle_id>/chats/<chat_id>/lines.json" \
--data '{"content":"<p>Hey, quick question.</p>"}' --json
Ping line records include creator.name, created_at, content HTML, type, bucket.type: "Circle", and attachment fields when files or voice notes are present.
Ping URLs use /circles/<circle_id> and may include a line anchor after @:
echo"https://app.basecamp.com/<account_id>/circles/44024535@9927050443" \
| sed -E 's|.*/circles/([0-9]+)(@([0-9]+))?.*|circle:\1 line:\3|'# circle:44024535 line:9927050443
Pings are not returned by basecamp recordings <type>. Use notifications for discovery and the chat lines API for the conversation.
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 (capped at 20; --all for every match)
basecamp search "query" --sort recency --limit 20
basecamp search "query" --project Marketing # Scope to one project (--in also works)
basecamp search "query" --type todo # Filter by type: todo, message, document, comment,# card, file, ping, chat, check-in, event, folder,# forward, client
basecamp search "query" --creator me # Filter by creator (name, email, ID, or 'me')
basecamp search "query" --since last_30_days # last_7_days|last_30_days|last_90_days|last_12_months|forever
basecamp search "query" --file-type pdf # Filter attachments: image, audio, video, pdf
basecamp search "query" --exclude-chat # Drop chat/campfire results
basecamp search metadata --json # Recording and file types the API accepts as filters
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 # Obsolete (former dev-only client registration; safe to delete)
└── 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
setup agents installs the baseline skill and connects coding agents without
prompting. Selection is driven by BASECAMP_SETUP_AGENT (claude, codex,
all, or none); unset auto-detects — one detected agent is connected, several
leave the skill only and surface the per-agent basecamp setup <id> commands.
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 (the default; ignored by Launchpad)
basecamp auth login --scope read# Read-only access (ignored by Launchpad)
basecamp auth login --device-code # Headless authentication with manual browser instructions
Network errors / localhost URLs:
# Check for dev configcat ~/.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 workingcat ~/.config/basecamp/accounts.json # Check available accounts
--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:
The error field names the missing <arg> — use it to prompt the user for the specific value.
Retryable errors (retryable): every error envelope carries a boolean retryable —
true when the CLI classified the failure transient (network, timeout, rate limit,
circuit open, most 5xx/gateway responses — not all: 507 and some 500s are verdicts) and
a retry can change the outcome, false for a verdict (usage, not found, auth, forbidden,
validation, account limit) and for any error nothing classified. Key on it rather than
on code or error when deciding whether to retry — false means no known reason a
retry would help, not a guarantee of permanence; it is never present on a success
envelope.
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)
