ae-kb

name	ae-kb
version	1.0.0
description	AE/TE knowledge base CLI manual for creating, querying, LLM-powered ask, listing accessible knowledge bases, deterministic index/grep/read retrieval, checking status, uploading, compiling, schema generation, URL sources, source deletion, and knowledge base deletion. Use when the user asks to manage TE/AE/ThinkingEngine knowledge bases, upload documents or URLs to a knowledge base, query knowledge, ask knowledge bases with an LLM, list accessible knowledge bases, inspect knowledge base indexes, search knowledge base pages, read a specific knowledge base page, check knowledge base status, generate schemas, compile knowledge, remove sources, or delete a knowledge base. Must use ae-cli kb commands and must not guess knowledge base names, scopes, page paths, source display names, JSON payload shapes, or URL formats.

ae-kb

AE CLI (ae-cli) knowledge base commands are invoked through:

ae-cli kb +<command> [options]

Global Rules

• Use this skill for TE/AE knowledge base tasks: create, query, ask with LLM, list accessible knowledge bases, inspect indexes, grep pages, read pages, check status, upload sources, add URL sources, generate schema, compile, remove source files, and delete knowledge bases.
• Read operations can run directly after required inputs are known. Write operations require explicit user intent and normally keep the confirmation prompt unless the user asks to bypass it.
• Prefer --dry-run before destructive or broad writes when the user has not already validated the target.
• Do not invent knowledge base names, scopes, source display names, or JSON payloads. Ask the user or query known context when values are missing.
• JSON flags must be valid JSON strings, usually wrapped in single quotes in shell commands.
• Successful commands return JSON by default. Use --format table only when a table is easier for a human to scan. Envelope may include optional _notice.host_compat.
• --host <url> overrides the active AE host. It is available on every command and may be placed after the subcommand, e.g. ae-cli kb +<command> --host <url>.
• CRITICAL — Host compat (do this first): After each ae-cli run, check stderr and _notice.host_compat. If either is present, open the user reply with a short ⚠️ version warning and quote the npm i -g / npx skills add (or update-cluster) lines verbatim, then present the business result. Soft tip; ok: true can still carry the notice.
• For external-agent retrieval, prefer the deterministic flow +index -> +grep -> +read: inspect navigation, locate candidate pages, then open the exact page or line window. Use +ask only when the user wants an LLM-synthesized answer and accepts token consumption.

Commands

Command	Risk	Purpose
+query	read	Query one or more knowledge bases with a natural-language question.
+ask	read	LLM-powered Q&A over knowledge bases. Consumes platform tokens.
+list	read	List accessible knowledge bases filtered by buildStatus (default: compiled).
+index	read	List accessible knowledge bases and their index.md navigation maps.
+grep	read	Keyword-search knowledge base pages and return matched lines with context.
+read	read	Read a full knowledge base page or a line window.
+new	write	Create a new personal or company knowledge base.
+add	write	Upload local files, a non-recursive directory, or HTTP(S) pages converted to markdown.
+url	write	Upload a URL source directly with optional display name and parsing instruction.
+schema	write	Generate the compile schema for a knowledge base.
+compile	write	Compile a knowledge base in incremental or full mode.
+status	read	Query the current status of a knowledge base.
+rm-source	write	Delete one source file from a knowledge base by display name.
+remove	write	Delete an entire knowledge base.

Common Workflows

Create a Knowledge Base

Use +new with name. --scope is optional and defaults to company; valid scopes are personal and company.

ae-cli kb +new \
  --scope company \
  --name engineering-handbook \
  --description "Engineering handbook" \
  --tags '["engineering","handbook"]'

Optional fields:

• --scope: scope, defaults to company.
• --description: description, up to 200 characters.
• --tags: JSON array, max 2 tags, each up to 15 characters.
• --project-id: optional project ID to bind.
• --project-name: optional project display name.

Upload Files or Directories

Use +add when sources are local files, local directories, or pages that should be fetched and converted to markdown before upload.

ae-cli kb +add \
  --name engineering-handbook \
  --files '["./README.md","./docs","https://example.com/guide"]'

Input rules:

• --files must be a JSON array of strings.
• Local directory reading is non-recursive.
• URL entries must start with http:// or https://.
• Supported extensions include markdown/text, office documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations, and common images. Local files are uploaded as multipart file blobs; HTTP(S) pages are fetched and converted to markdown before upload.
• Duplicate filenames are automatically suffixed as name-1.ext, name-2.ext, etc.

Add a URL Source

Use +url when adding one URL source and optionally passing a display name or parsing instruction.

ae-cli kb +url \
  --name engineering-handbook \
  --url https://example.com/guide \
  --display-name guide \
  --parse-instruction "Keep headings and code blocks"

--url must be http(s).

Generate Schema and Compile

Generate the schema first when the knowledge base needs a compile schema.

ae-cli kb +schema --name engineering-handbook

Use --force only to recover a stuck generating status. Use --model only when the user provides the model display name.

Compile after sources and schema are ready:

ae-cli kb +compile --name engineering-handbook --mode incremental

Valid compile modes are incremental and full; default is incremental.

Check Knowledge Base Status

Use +status to inspect the current status of a knowledge base.

ae-cli kb +status --name engineering-handbook

Query Knowledge

Use +query with a natural-language question. Optionally scope to specific knowledge bases or tune result count and locale.

ae-cli kb +query \
  --query "How do we release a dashboard?" \
  --sources '[{"scope":"company","name":"engineering-handbook"}]' \
  --top-k 10 \
  --locale zh

When --sources is provided, each entry requires:

• scope: knowledge base scope such as personal or company.
• name: knowledge base name.

Ask Knowledge (LLM)

Use +ask when the user wants an LLM-synthesized answer. This endpoint calls a large language model and consumes platform tokens. Prefer +index -> +grep -> +read when deterministic retrieval is enough.

ae-cli kb +ask \
  --question "How do we troubleshoot payment alerts?" \
  --sources '[{"scope":"company","name":"engineering-handbook"}]' \
  --model-id claude-sonnet-4-6 \
  --max-turns 50 \
  --locale zh

• --question, alias -q: required natural-language question (1-2000 characters).
• --sources: optional JSON array of knowledge base refs. Omit to search all accessible knowledge bases.
• --model-id: optional LLM model ID. Omit to use the platform default.
• --max-turns: optional agent turn limit (1-100, server default 50).
• --locale: optional locale: zh, en, ja, or ko.

List Accessible Knowledge Bases

Use +list when you only need accessible knowledge base metadata without loading index.md navigation maps. By default it returns knowledge bases with buildStatus: compiled:

ae-cli kb +list
ae-cli kb +list --locale zh
ae-cli kb +list --build-status compiled

Explore Knowledge Base Pages

Use the deterministic retrieval primitives when an agent needs to explore knowledge base content like a code repository. These endpoints do not call an LLM on the server side.

Start with +list or +index to discover accessible knowledge bases. Use +index when you also need navigation maps:

ae-cli kb +list

ae-cli kb +index \
  --sources '[{"scope":"company","name":"engineering-handbook"}]'

Then use +grep to locate likely pages and line numbers:

ae-cli kb +grep \
  --query "sandbox configuration" \
  --sources '[{"scope":"company","name":"engineering-handbook"}]' \
  --top-k 10

Finally use +read to open the exact page, optionally with a line window:

ae-cli kb +read \
  --source '{"scope":"company","name":"engineering-handbook"}' \
  --path "wiki/sandbox.md" \
  --offset 1 \
  --limit 200

Retrieval rules:

• +list accepts optional --build-status (default compiled) and --locale. Returns accessible knowledge base metadata including buildStatus, without index.md navigation maps.
• +index accepts optional --sources and --locale; omit --sources to list all accessible knowledge bases.
• +grep requires --query / -q; optional --sources, --top-k (1-50, default 10), and --locale.
• +read requires --source pointing to exactly one knowledge base and --path relative to the knowledge base root; optional --offset, --limit (1-10000), and --locale.
• Do not guess a --path; get it from +index or +grep results.

Remove One Source

Use +rm-source only when the source display name is known exactly.

ae-cli kb +rm-source \
  --name engineering-handbook \
  --display-name kb-1780046712-guide.md

If the user only gives a loose source name, do not guess. Ask for the exact uploaded display name.

Delete a Knowledge Base

Use +remove for deleting the entire knowledge base. Confirm the target name with the user if there is any ambiguity.

ae-cli kb +remove --name engineering-handbook

Command Reference

+query

ae-cli kb +query --query "<question>" [--sources '[{"scope":"company","name":"kb-name"}]'] [--top-k 10] [--locale zh|en|ja|ko]

• --query, alias -q: required natural-language question.
• --sources: optional JSON array of knowledge base refs. Omit to search all accessible knowledge bases.
• --top-k: optional max number of hits, 1-50, default 10.
• --locale: optional locale: zh, en, ja, or ko.

+ask

ae-cli kb +ask --question "<question>" [--sources '[{"scope":"company","name":"kb-name"}]'] [--model-id claude-sonnet-4-6] [--max-turns 50] [--locale zh|en|ja|ko]

• --question, alias -q: required natural-language question (1-2000 characters).
• --sources: optional JSON array of knowledge base refs. Omit to search all accessible knowledge bases.
• --model-id: optional LLM model ID. Omit to use the platform default.
• --max-turns: optional agent turn limit (1-100, server default 50).
• --locale: optional locale: zh, en, ja, or ko.
• Token cost: this command invokes an LLM on the server and consumes platform tokens. Prefer +index -> +grep -> +read for token-free deterministic retrieval.

+list

ae-cli kb +list [--build-status compiled] [--locale zh|en|ja|ko]

• --build-status: optional build status filter (default: compiled).
• --locale: optional locale: zh, en, ja, or ko.
• Response items include buildStatus.

+index

ae-cli kb +index [--sources '[{"scope":"company","name":"kb-name"}]'] [--locale zh|en|ja|ko]

• --sources: optional JSON array of knowledge base refs. Omit to list all accessible knowledge bases.
• --locale: optional locale: zh, en, ja, or ko.

+grep

ae-cli kb +grep --query "<keywords>" [--sources '[{"scope":"company","name":"kb-name"}]'] [--top-k 10] [--locale zh|en|ja|ko]

• --query, alias -q: required keywords to search across knowledge bases.
• --sources: optional JSON array of knowledge base refs. Omit to search all accessible knowledge bases.
• --top-k: optional max number of hits, 1-50, default 10.
• --locale: optional locale: zh, en, ja, or ko.

+read

ae-cli kb +read --source '{"scope":"company","name":"kb-name"}' --path "index.md" [--offset 1] [--limit 200] [--locale zh|en|ja|ko]

• --source: required JSON object pointing to exactly one knowledge base.
• --path: required page path relative to the knowledge base root, such as index.md or wiki/concepts/data-model.md.
• --offset: optional 1-based start line.
• --limit: optional max line count, 1-10000.
• --locale: optional locale: zh, en, ja, or ko.

+new

ae-cli kb +new --name "<name>" [--scope personal|company] [--description "..."] [--tags '["t1","t2"]'] [--project-id "..."] [--project-name "..."]

+add

ae-cli kb +add --name "<name>" --files '["./a.md","./docs","https://example.com/page"]'

+url

ae-cli kb +url --name "<name>" --url "https://example.com/page" [--display-name "..."] [--parse-instruction "..."]

+schema

ae-cli kb +schema --name "<name>" [--force] [--model "<model displayName>"]

+compile

ae-cli kb +compile --name "<name>" [--mode incremental|full]

+status

ae-cli kb +status --name "<name>"

+rm-source

ae-cli kb +rm-source --name "<name>" --display-name "<uploaded source display name>"

+remove

ae-cli kb +remove --name "<name>"