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VectorLint runs from the command line. This page is the complete reference for every command, flag, output format, and exit code.

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Basic usage

The default command reviews one or more files and prints findings to standard output. You must pass at least one path; without one, VectorLint prints help. 
vectorlint [flags] <file> [files...]
Review a single file: 
vectorlint doc.md
Review multiple files or a glob pattern: 
vectorlint content/docs/**/*.md

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Commands

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vectorlint <paths>

The default command. Reviews the given files against the rules that apply to them and prints findings. Accepts the flags below.

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vectorlint init

Generates configuration files for a project. The flags control which files are created; a global config is always ensured.
FlagEffect
(none)Creates .vectorlint.ini (project) and ensures ~/.vectorlint/config.toml (global)
--quickZero-config mode: creates only VECTORLINT.md. No .vectorlint.ini
--fullCreates both .vectorlint.ini and VECTORLINT.md, and ensures the global config
--forceOverwrite configuration files that already exist
vectorlint init          # project config + global config
vectorlint init --quick  # VECTORLINT.md only (zero-config)
vectorlint init --full   # project config + VECTORLINT.md + global config
If a target file already exists, init exits with an error unless you pass --force.

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vectorlint validate

Validates rule and prompt files without running evaluations. Checks YAML frontmatter structure, schema compliance, and prompt completeness, then prints a per-file report and a summary line. 
vectorlint validate
By default, validate uses RulesPath from your project configuration. Override the rules directory: 
vectorlint validate --rules .github/rules
Exits with code 1 if any validation errors are found; 0 otherwise. Use this to catch malformed rules before they reach a review.

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vectorlint --help and vectorlint --version

vectorlint --help     # list commands and flags
vectorlint --version  # print the installed version

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Flags

The default command (vectorlint <paths>) accepts these flags:
FlagDescription
-v, --verboseEnable verbose logging. Prints what VectorLint loads (directive, user instructions, rule packs) and extra detail during the review
--show-promptPrint the full prompt and injected content that is sent to the LLM
--show-prompt-truncPrint truncated prompt and content previews (first 500 characters). Useful for a quick check without the full payload
--debug-jsonWrite a debug JSON artifact per evaluation under .vectorlint/runs/ (see below)
--output <format>Output format. One of line (default), json, vale-json, rdjson. See Output formats
--config <path>Path to a custom .vectorlint.ini instead of the one in the project root

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--debug-json artifacts

With --debug-json, VectorLint writes one JSON artifact per evaluation to .vectorlint/runs/<model-tag>/<run-id>.json. Each artifact contains:
  • raw_model_output: exact JSON the model returned, including all evidence fields
  • filter_decisions: the deterministic surface/hide decision for each candidate, with reasons
  • surfaced_violations: the candidates that passed all confidence checks
Use these to compare how different models respond to the same rules and content, or to tune CONFIDENCE_THRESHOLD. The .vectorlint/runs/ directory is gitignored.

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Output formats

Control the output shape with --output <format>. The default line format is for humans; the others are for tooling and CI integration.

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line (default)

Human-readable terminal output. Each finding shows the rule, its location in the file, the violation, and a suggested fix. The run ends with a global summary and token usage. Findings are colored by severity.

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json

Native VectorLint JSON. Use this when you process VectorLint output yourself. The top-level object is: 
{
  "files": {
    "doc.md": {
      "issues": [
        {
          "line": 12,
          "column": 1,
          "severity": "error",
          "message": "Passive voice weakens the opening.",
          "rule": "Acme.PassiveVoice",
          "suggestion": "Rewrite in active voice."
        }
      ],
      "evaluationScores": []
    }
  },
  "summary": { "files": 1, "errors": 1, "warnings": 0 },
  "metadata": { "version": "2.5.0", "timestamp": "2026-03-04T15:14:49Z" }
}
Each issue includes message (the user-facing summary) and, when the model produced it, analysis (internal model reasoning). evaluationScores carries the per-rule score breakdown.

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vale-json

Compatible with tools that consume Vale’s JSON output. The shape is: 
{
  "files": { "doc.md": [ /* ValeIssue[] */ ] },
  "summary": { "files": 1, "errors": 1, "warnings": 0, "suggestions": 0 }
}
Use this to plug VectorLint into an existing Vale-based pipeline.

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rdjson

reviewdog-compatible JSON (also used by GitHub Actions annotations). The shape is: 
{
  "source": { "name": "vectorlint", "url": "..." },
  "diagnostics": [
    {
      "message": "Passive voice weakens the opening.",
      "location": { "path": "doc.md", "range": { "start": { "line": 12 } } },
      "severity": "ERROR",
      "code": { "value": "Acme.PassiveVoice" },
      "suggestions": []
    }
  ]
}
Use this when running VectorLint in reviewdog or a reviewdog-compatible CI setup.

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Exit codes

The default command exits non-zero only when a finding surfaces at error severity, not for warning-severity findings. This lets warnings pass through CI while errors block a merge.
CodeMeaning
0No error-severity findings. (warning findings may still be present)
1One or more error-severity findings, or an operational error (for example, a provider request failure or invalid configuration)
A check rule surfaces at error severity when its density score is 1.0 or below, and at warning severity otherwise. A rule may also set severity: error in its frontmatter to force the error level. See CI Integration for gating examples.

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Environment variables

VectorLint reads configuration from environment variables in addition to config files. Project-level .env values take precedence over the global config.toml.
VariableDefaultDescription
LLM_PROVIDER(none)LLM provider to use: openai, anthropic, azure-openai, gemini, amazon-bedrock
OPENAI_API_KEY(none)API key for OpenAI
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY(none)API key for Anthropic
GEMINI_API_KEY(none)API key for Google Gemini
AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY(none)API key for Azure OpenAI
SEARCH_PROVIDER(none)Search provider for the technical-accuracy evaluator: perplexity
PERPLEXITY_API_KEY(none)API key for Perplexity search
CONFIDENCE_THRESHOLD0.75Confidence gate. Lower surfaces more findings; higher surfaces fewer.
For the full environment variable reference, including Azure OpenAI and Amazon Bedrock variables, see Environment variables.