CLI Reference
Commands accept either DAG names (from YAML name field) or file paths.
- Both formats:
start,stop,status,retry - File path only:
dry,enqueue - DAG name only:
restart
Global Options
dagu [global options] command [command options] [arguments...]--config, -c- Config file (default:~/.config/dagu/config.yaml)--dagu-home- Override DAGU_HOME for this command invocation--quiet, -q- Suppress output--cpu-profile- Enable CPU profiling--help, -h- Show help--version, -v- Print version
Commands
exec
Run a command without writing a YAML file.
dagu exec [options] -- <command> [args...]Options:
--name, -N- DAG name (default:exec-<command>)--run-id, -r- Custom run ID--env KEY=VALUE- Set environment variable (repeatable)--dotenv <path>- Load dotenv file (repeatable)--workdir <path>- Working directory--shell <path>- Shell binary--base <file>- Custom base config file (default:~/.config/dagu/base.yaml)--worker-label key=value- Set worker selector labels (repeatable)
# Basic usage
dagu exec -- python script.py
# With environment variables
dagu exec --env DB_HOST=localhost -- python etl.pySee the exec guide for detailed documentation.
start
Run a DAG workflow.
dagu start [options] DAG_NAME_OR_FILE [-- PARAMS...]Interactive Mode:
- If no DAG file is specified, opens an interactive selector
- Only available in terminal (TTY) environments
- Shows enhanced progress display during execution
Options:
--params, -p- Parameters as JSON--name, -N- Override the DAG name (default: name from DAG definition or filename)--run-id, -r- Custom run ID--from-run-id- Re-run using the DAG snapshot and parameters captured from a historic run
Note:
--from-run-idcannot be combined with--params,--parent, or--root. Provide exactly one DAG name or file so the command can look up the historic run.
# Basic run
dagu start my-workflow.yaml
# Interactive mode (no file specified)
dagu start
# With parameters (note the -- separator)
dagu start etl.yaml -- DATE=2024-01-01 ENV=prod
# Custom run ID
dagu start --run-id batch-001 etl.yaml
# Override DAG name
dagu start --name my_custom_name my-workflow.yaml
# Clone parameters from a historic run
dagu start --from-run-id 20241031_235959 example-dag.yamlstop
Stop a running DAG.
dagu stop [options] DAG_NAME_OR_FILEOptions:
--run-id, -r- Specific run ID (optional)
dagu stop my-workflow # Stop current run
dagu stop --run-id=20240101_120000 etl # Stop specific runrestart
Restart a DAG run with a new ID.
dagu restart [options] DAG_NAMEOptions:
--run-id, -r- Run to restart (optional)
dagu restart my-workflow # Restart latest
dagu restart --run-id=20240101_120000 etl # Restart specificretry
Retry a failed DAG execution.
dagu retry [options] DAG_NAME_OR_FILEOptions:
--run-id, -r- Run to retry (required)
dagu retry --run-id=20240101_120000 my-workflowstatus
Display current status of a DAG.
dagu status [options] DAG_NAME_OR_FILEOptions:
--run-id, -r- Check specific run (optional)
dagu status my-workflow # Latest run statusOutput:
Status: running
Started: 2024-01-01 12:00:00
Steps:
✓ download [completed]
⟳ process [running]
○ upload [pending]history
Display execution history of DAG runs with filtering and pagination.
Usage:
dagu history [flags] [DAG_NAME]Flags:
--from- Start date/time in UTC (formats:2006-01-02or2006-01-02T15:04:05Z)--to- End date/time in UTC (formats:2006-01-02or2006-01-02T15:04:05Z)--last- Relative time period (examples:7d,24h,1w,30d). Cannot combine with--from/--to--status- Filter by status:running,succeeded,failed,aborted,queued,waiting,rejected,not_started,partially_succeeded- Aliases:
success(succeeded),failure(failed),canceled/cancelled/cancel(aborted)
- Aliases:
--run-id- Filter by run ID (partial match supported)--tags- Filter by tags, comma-separated with AND logic (e.g.,prod,critical)--format,-f- Output format:table(default),json, orcsv--limit,-l- Max results (default:100, max:1000)
Default Behavior:
- Shows last 30 days of runs
- Table format with columns: DAG NAME, RUN ID, STATUS, STARTED (UTC), DURATION, PARAMS
- Sorted newest first
- Limit 100 results
- Run IDs are never truncated
Examples:
# All runs from last 30 days
dagu history
# Specific DAG runs
dagu history my-workflow
# Recent failures for debugging
dagu history my-workflow --status failed --last 7d
# Date range query
dagu history --from 2026-01-01 --to 2026-01-31
# JSON export for analysis
dagu history --format json --limit 500 > history.json
# CSV export for spreadsheets
dagu history --format csv --limit 500 > history.csv
# Tag filtering (AND logic)
dagu history --tags "prod,critical"
# Combined filters
dagu history my-workflow --status failed --last 24h --limit 10Output (table):
DAG NAME RUN ID STATUS STARTED (UTC) DURATION PARAMS
my-workflow 019c1ca4-ba96-7599-80c9-773862801abc Succeeded 2026-02-02 04:38:03 2m30s -
my-workflow 019c1ca3-f123-4567-89ab-cdef01234567 Failed 2026-02-01 14:22:15 45s env=prodOutput (JSON):
[
{
"name": "my-workflow",
"dagRunId": "019c1ca4-ba96-7599-80c9-773862801abc",
"status": "succeeded",
"startedAt": "2026-02-02T04:38:03Z",
"finishedAt": "2026-02-02T04:40:33Z",
"duration": "2m30s",
"params": "",
"tags": ["prod", "backend"],
"workerId": "",
"error": ""
}
]Output (CSV):
DAG NAME,RUN ID,STATUS,STARTED (UTC),DURATION,PARAMS
my-workflow,019c1ca4-ba96-7599-80c9-773862801abc,Succeeded,2026-02-02 04:38:03,2m30s,-
my-workflow,019c1ca3-f123-4567-89ab-cdef01234567,Failed,2026-02-01 14:22:15,45s,env=prodNote: CSV output follows RFC 4180. Fields containing commas, quotes, or newlines are automatically quoted and escaped.
Error Examples:
# Conflicting flags
$ dagu history --last 7d --from 2026-01-01
Error: cannot use --last with --from or --to
# Invalid status
$ dagu history --status invalid
Error: invalid status 'invalid'. Valid values: running, succeeded, failed, ...
# Date validation
$ dagu history --from 2026-02-01 --to 2026-01-01
Error: --from date (2026-02-01) must be before --to date (2026-01-01)See Also:
server
Start the web UI server.
dagu server [options]Options:
--host, -s- Host (default: localhost)--port, -p- Port (default: 8080)--dags, -d- DAGs directory
dagu server # Default settings
dagu server --host=0.0.0.0 --port=9000 # Custom host/portscheduler
Start the DAG scheduler daemon.
dagu scheduler [options]Options:
--dags, -d- DAGs directory
dagu scheduler # Default settings
dagu scheduler --dags=/opt/dags # Custom directorystart-all
Start scheduler, web UI, and optionally coordinator service.
dagu start-all [options]Options:
--host, -s- Host (default: localhost)--port, -p- Port (default: 8080)--dags, -d- DAGs directory--coordinator.host- Coordinator bind address (default: 127.0.0.1)--coordinator.advertise- Address to advertise in service registry--coordinator.port- Coordinator gRPC port (default: 50055)
# Single instance mode (coordinator disabled)
dagu start-all
# Distributed mode with coordinator enabled
dagu start-all --coordinator.host=0.0.0.0 --coordinator.port=50055
# Production mode
dagu start-all --host=0.0.0.0 --port=9000 --coordinator.host=0.0.0.0Note: The coordinator service is only started when --coordinator.host is set to a non-localhost address (not 127.0.0.1 or localhost). By default, start-all runs in single instance mode without the coordinator.
validate
Validate a DAG specification for structural correctness.
dagu validate [options] DAG_FILEChecks structural correctness and references (e.g., step dependencies) without evaluating variables or executing the DAG. Returns validation errors in a human-readable format.
dagu validate my-workflow.yamlOutput when valid:
DAG spec is valid: my-workflow.yaml (name: my-workflow)Output when invalid:
Validation failed for my-workflow.yaml
- Step 'process' depends on non-existent step 'missing_step'
- Invalid cron expression in schedule: '* * * *'dry
Validate a DAG without executing it.
dagu dry [options] DAG_FILE [-- PARAMS...]Options:
--params, -p- Parameters as JSON--name, -N- Override the DAG name (default: name from DAG definition or filename)
dagu dry my-workflow.yaml
dagu dry etl.yaml -- DATE=2024-01-01 # With parameters
dagu dry --name my_custom_name my-workflow.yaml # Override DAG nameenqueue
Add a DAG to the execution queue.
dagu enqueue [options] DAG_FILE [-- PARAMS...]Options:
--run-id, -r- Custom run ID--params, -p- Parameters as JSON--name, -N- Override the DAG name (default: name from DAG definition or filename)--queue, -u- Override DAG-level queue name for this enqueue
dagu enqueue my-workflow.yaml
dagu enqueue --run-id=batch-001 etl.yaml -- TYPE=daily
# Enqueue to a specific queue (override)
dagu enqueue --queue=high-priority my-workflow.yaml
# Override DAG name
dagu enqueue --name my_custom_name my-workflow.yamldequeue
Remove a DAG from the execution queue.
dagu dequeue <queue-name> --dag-run=<dag-name>:<run-id> # remove specific run
dagu dequeue <queue-name> # pop the oldest itemExample:
dagu dequeue default --dag-run=my-workflow:batch-001
dagu dequeue defaultversion
Display version information.
dagu versioncleanup
Remove old DAG run history for a specified DAG.
dagu cleanup [options] DAG_NAMEOptions:
--retention-days- Number of days to retain (default:0= delete all)--dry-run- Preview what would be deleted without actually deleting--yes, -y- Skip confirmation prompt
Active runs (running, queued) are never deleted for safety.
# Delete all history (with confirmation prompt)
dagu cleanup my-workflow
# Keep last 30 days of history
dagu cleanup --retention-days 30 my-workflow
# Preview what would be deleted
dagu cleanup --dry-run my-workflow
# Delete without confirmation (for scripts)
dagu cleanup -y my-workflow
# Combine options
dagu cleanup --retention-days 7 -y my-workflowOutput:
# Dry run output
Dry run: Would delete 5 run(s) for DAG "my-workflow":
- 019b1c4b-1b1e-7232-b12d-e822dac72613
- 019b1c4b-13e1-7251-a713-aaad60dfa88c
...
# Actual deletion output
Successfully removed 5 run(s) for DAG "my-workflow"sync
Manage Git sync operations.
dagu sync <subcommand>Requires git_sync.enabled: true in configuration. See Git Sync for full documentation.
sync status
Show current sync status.
dagu sync statusDisplays repository URL, branch, last sync info, status counts per state, and a table of non-synced items.
sync pull
Pull changes from remote repository.
dagu sync pullsync publish
Publish local changes to remote.
dagu sync publish <item-id> [options]
dagu sync publish --all [options]Options:
-m, --message- Commit message--all- Publish all modified and untracked items-f, --force- Force publish even with conflicts
Provide either an item ID or --all, not both.
dagu sync publish my-dag -m "Update dag"
dagu sync publish memory/MEMORY -m "Update global memory"
dagu sync publish --all -m "Batch update"
dagu sync publish my-dag --force -m "Overwrite remote"sync discard
Discard local changes for an item.
dagu sync discard <item-id> [options]Options:
-y, --yes- Skip confirmation prompt
dagu sync discard my-dag
dagu sync discard memory/dags/my-dag/MEMORY -ysync forget
Remove state entries for missing, untracked, or conflict items.
dagu sync forget <item-id> [item-id...] [options]Options:
-y, --yes- Skip confirmation prompt
Does not touch files on disk or remote. Rejects synced and modified items. Accepts multiple item IDs.
dagu sync forget missing-dag
dagu sync forget item-a item-b item-c -ysync cleanup
Remove all missing entries from sync state.
dagu sync cleanup [options]Options:
--dry-run- Show what would be cleaned without making changes-y, --yes- Skip confirmation prompt
Does not touch files on disk or remote.
dagu sync cleanup --dry-run
dagu sync cleanup -ysync delete
Delete items from remote repository, local disk, and sync state.
dagu sync delete <item-id> [options]
dagu sync delete --all-missing [options]Options:
-m, --message- Commit message--force- Force delete even with local modifications--all-missing- Delete all missing items--dry-run- Show what would be deleted without making changes-y, --yes- Skip confirmation prompt
Provide either an item ID or --all-missing, not both. Untracked items cannot be deleted (use forget instead).
dagu sync delete my-dag -m "Remove old dag"
dagu sync delete my-dag --force -m "Remove despite modifications"
dagu sync delete --all-missing -m "Clean up missing"
dagu sync delete my-dag --dry-run
dagu sync delete --all-missing --dry-runsync mv
Atomically rename an item across local filesystem, remote repository, and sync state.
dagu sync mv <old-id> <new-id> [options]Options:
-m, --message- Commit message--force- Force move even with conflicts--dry-run- Show what would be moved without making changes-y, --yes- Skip confirmation prompt
Both source and destination must be of the same kind (both DAGs, both memory, etc.).
dagu sync mv old-dag new-dag -m "Rename workflow"
dagu sync mv old-dag new-dag --force -m "Move despite conflict"
dagu sync mv old-dag new-dag --dry-runai
AI coding tool integrations.
ai install
Install the Dagu DAG authoring skill into detected AI coding tools. The skill teaches AI tools (Claude Code, Codex, etc.) how to write correct Dagu DAG YAML files — covering executor types, schema, CLI commands, environment variables, and common pitfalls.
The command auto-detects which tools are installed by checking for their configuration files, then copies the skill files into each tool's skill directory.
dagu ai install [options]Options:
--yes, -y- Install to all detected tools without prompting--skills-dir- Install only into the specified skills directory. Repeatable. Skips auto-detection when provided.
Supported tools and detection:
| Tool | Detection | Install location |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | ~/.claude/.claude.json exists | ~/.claude/skills/dagu/SKILL.md |
| Codex | $AGENTS_HOME or ~/.agents or $CODEX_HOME or ~/.codex directory exists | <dir>/skills/dagu/SKILL.md |
| OpenCode | ~/.config/opencode directory exists | ~/.config/opencode/skills/dagu/SKILL.md |
| Gemini CLI | ~/.gemini/GEMINI.md exists | ~/.gemini/skills/dagu/SKILL.md |
| Copilot CLI | ~/.copilot/config.json or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/.copilot/config.json exists | <dir>/copilot-instructions.md (appended between <!-- BEGIN DAGU --> / <!-- END DAGU --> markers) |
For skill-based tools, the installer copies a SKILL.md file and a references/ directory containing cli.md, schema.md, executors.md, env.md, and pitfalls.md. For Copilot CLI, the content is concatenated (without YAML frontmatter) and injected into copilot-instructions.md between marker comments. Re-running dagu ai install overwrites existing skill files or replaces the marked section.
If you provide one or more --skills-dir values, Dagu skips auto-detection and installs only into those skills roots. Each skills directory receives the Dagu skill under <dir>/dagu/SKILL.md.
# Interactive — prompts for each detected tool
dagu ai install
# Non-interactive — installs to all detected tools
dagu ai install --yes
# Explicit — installs only into the specified skills directory
dagu ai install --skills-dir ~/.agents/skills
# Multiple explicit skills directories
dagu ai install --skills-dir ~/.agents/skills --skills-dir ~/.config/opencode/skillsExample output:
Found 3 installation target(s)
Claude Code ✓ installed ~/.claude/skills/dagu/SKILL.md
Codex ✓ installed ~/.agents/skills/dagu/SKILL.md
Gemini CLI skippedmigrate
Migrate legacy data to new format.
dagu migrate history # Migrate v1.16 -> v1.17+ formatcoordinator
Start the coordinator gRPC server for distributed task execution.
dagu coordinator [options]Options:
--coordinator.host- Host address to bind (default:127.0.0.1)--coordinator.advertise- Address to advertise in service registry (default: auto-detected hostname)--coordinator.port- Port number (default:50055)--coordinator.health-port- HTTP health check port (default:8091,0disables)--peer.cert-file- Path to TLS certificate file for peer connections--peer.key-file- Path to TLS key file for peer connections--peer.client-ca-file- Path to CA certificate file for client verification (mTLS)--peer.insecure- Use insecure connection (h2c) instead of TLS (default:true)--peer.skip-tls-verify- Skip TLS certificate verification (insecure)
# Basic usage
dagu coordinator --coordinator.host=0.0.0.0 --coordinator.port=50055
# Bind to all interfaces and advertise service name (for containers/K8s)
dagu coordinator \
--coordinator.host=0.0.0.0 \
--coordinator.advertise=dagu-server \
--coordinator.port=50055 \
--coordinator.health-port=8091
# With TLS
dagu coordinator \
--peer.insecure=false \
--peer.cert-file=server.pem \
--peer.key-file=server-key.pem
# With mutual TLS
dagu coordinator \
--peer.insecure=false \
--peer.cert-file=server.pem \
--peer.key-file=server-key.pem \
--peer.client-ca-file=ca.pemThe coordinator service enables distributed task execution by:
- Automatically registering in the service registry system
- Accepting task polling requests from workers
- Matching tasks to workers based on labels
- Tracking worker health via heartbeats (every 10 seconds)
- Providing task distribution API with automatic failover
- Managing worker lifecycle through file-based registry
When run directly, the coordinator also exposes GET /health on --coordinator.health-port for per-instance liveness checks. dagu start-all does not expose this dedicated coordinator health port.
worker
Start a worker that polls the coordinator for tasks.
dagu worker [options]Options:
--worker.id- Worker instance ID (default:hostname@PID)--worker.max-active-runs- Maximum number of active runs (default:100)--worker.health-port- HTTP health check port (default:8092,0disables)--worker.labels, -l- Worker labels for capability matching (format:key1=value1,key2=value2)--peer.insecure- Use insecure connection (h2c) instead of TLS (default:true)--peer.cert-file- Path to TLS certificate file for peer connections--peer.key-file- Path to TLS key file for peer connections--peer.client-ca-file- Path to CA certificate file for server verification--peer.skip-tls-verify- Skip TLS certificate verification (insecure)
# Basic usage
dagu worker
# With custom configuration
dagu worker \
--worker.id=worker-1 \
--worker.max-active-runs=50 \
--worker.health-port=8092
# With labels for capability matching
dagu worker --worker.labels gpu=true,memory=64G,region=us-east-1
dagu worker --worker.labels cpu-arch=amd64,instance-type=m5.xlarge
# With TLS connection
dagu worker \
--peer.insecure=false
# With mutual TLS
dagu worker \
--peer.insecure=false \
--peer.cert-file=client.pem \
--peer.key-file=client-key.pem \
--peer.client-ca-file=ca.pem
# With self-signed certificates
dagu worker \
--peer.insecure=false \
--peer.skip-tls-verifyWorkers automatically register in the service registry system, send regular heartbeats, and poll the coordinator for tasks matching their labels to execute them locally. Each worker also exposes GET /health on --worker.health-port for per-instance liveness checks.
Configuration
Priority: CLI flags > Environment variables > Config file
Using Custom Home Directory
The --dagu-home flag allows you to override the application home directory for a specific command invocation. This is useful for:
- Testing with different configurations
- Running multiple Dagu instances with isolated data
- CI/CD scenarios requiring custom directories
# Use a custom home directory for this command
dagu --dagu-home=/tmp/dagu-test start my-workflow.yaml
# Start server with isolated data
dagu --dagu-home=/opt/dagu-prod start-all
# Run scheduler with specific configuration
dagu --dagu-home=/var/lib/dagu schedulerWhen --dagu-home is set, it overrides the DAGU_HOME environment variable and uses a unified directory structure:
$DAGU_HOME/
├── dags/ # DAG definitions
├── logs/ # All log files
├── data/ # Application data
├── suspend/ # DAG suspend flags
├── config.yaml # Main configuration
└── base.yaml # Shared DAG defaultsKey Environment Variables
DAGU_HOME- Set all directories to this pathDAGU_HOST- Server host (default:127.0.0.1)DAGU_PORT- Server port (default:8080)DAGU_DAGS_DIR- DAGs directoryDAGU_LOG_DIR- Log directoryDAGU_DATA_DIR- Data directoryDAGU_AUTH_BASIC_USERNAME- Basic auth usernameDAGU_AUTH_BASIC_PASSWORD- Basic auth password
