A CLI issue tracker for AI Agents
# Add to your Claude Code skills
git clone https://github.com/dollspace-gay/chainlinkA simple, lean issue tracker CLI designed for AI-assisted development. Track tasks across sessions with context preservation.

.chainlink/issues.db)session action survives context resetschainlink quick creates, labels, and starts work in one commandNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
chainlink next suggests what to work on based on priority and progresschainlink tree--json flag for structured, machine-readable output--quiet flag for minimal, pipe-friendly outputclose-all with label/priority filtering.chainlink/rules/ markdown files# Install from crates.io
cargo install chainlink-tracker
The binary is named chainlink and will be available in your PATH after install.
git clone https://github.com/dollspace-gay/chainlink.git
cd chainlink/chainlink
cargo install --path .
# The binary will be at ~/.cargo/bin
# Or build without installing
cargo build --release
# The binary will be at target/release/chainlink
# Initialize in any project
chainlink init
# Start a session when you begin work
chainlink session start
# Create issues
chainlink create "Fix login bug" -p high
chainlink create "Add dark mode" -d "Support light/dark theme toggle"
# Quick create + label + start working in one command
chainlink quick "Fix login bug" -p high -l bug
# Use a template for structured issues
chainlink create "Login fails on refresh" --template bug
# Set what you're working on
chainlink session work 1
# Record breadcrumbs before context compression
chainlink session action "Investigating token refresh logic"
# End session with handoff notes
chainlink session end --notes "Fixed auth bug, dark mode is next"
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink create <title> | Create a new issue |
| chainlink create <title> -p high | Create with priority (low/medium/high/critical) |
| chainlink create <title> -d "desc" | Create with description |
| chainlink create <title> --template bug | Create from template (bug/feature/refactor/research/audit/continuation/investigation) |
| chainlink create <title> --work -l bug | Create, label, and start working on it |
| chainlink quick <title> [-p high] [-l label] | Shorthand: create + label + set as active work item |
| chainlink subissue <parent_id> <title> | Create a subissue under a parent |
| chainlink subissue <parent_id> <title> -p high | Subissue with priority |
| chainlink list | List open issues |
| chainlink list -s all | List all issues |
| chainlink list -s closed | List closed issues |
| chainlink list -l bug | Filter by label |
| chainlink list -p high | Filter by priority |
| chainlink show <id> | Show issue details |
| chainlink show <id> --json | Show issue details as JSON |
| chainlink update <id> --title "New" | Update title |
| chainlink update <id> -d "desc" | Update description |
| chainlink update <id> -p critical | Update priority |
| chainlink close <id> | Close an issue |
| chainlink close <id> --no-changelog | Close without adding a changelog entry (e.g. internal scaffolding subissues) |
| chainlink close-all | Close all open issues |
| chainlink close-all --no-changelog | Close all without changelog entries (e.g. internal scaffolding subissues) |
| chainlink close-all -l bug | Close all issues with a specific label |
| chainlink close-all -p low | Close all issues with a specific priority |
| chainlink reopen <id> | Reopen a closed issue |
| chainlink delete <id> | Delete an issue (with confirmation) |
| chainlink delete <id> -f | Delete without confirmation |
Tip: Add
--quiet/-qto any command for minimal output (just the ID), useful for scripting and piping.
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink comment <id> "text" | Add a comment to an issue |
| chainlink label <id> <label> | Add a label to an issue |
| chainlink unlabel <id> <label> | Remove a label from an issue |
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink block <id> <blocker_id> | Mark issue as blocked by another |
| chainlink unblock <id> <blocker_id> | Remove blocking relationship |
| chainlink blocked | List all blocked issues |
| chainlink ready | List issues ready to work on (no blockers) |
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink relate <id1> <id2> | Link two related issues together |
| chainlink unrelate <id1> <id2> | Remove relationship between issues |
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink milestone create <name> | Create a new milestone |
| chainlink milestone create <name> -d "desc" | Create with description |
| chainlink milestone list | List all milestones |
| chainlink milestone show <id> | Show milestone details and progress |
| chainlink milestone add <milestone_id> <issue_id> | Add an issue to a milestone |
| chainlink milestone remove <milestone_id> <issue_id> | Remove an issue from a milestone |
| chainlink milestone close <id> | Close a milestone |
| chainlink milestone reopen <id> | Reopen a closed milestone |
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink archive <id> | Archive a closed issue |
| chainlink unarchive <id> | Restore an archived issue |
| chainlink archived | List all archived issues |
| chainlink archive-older <days> | Archive issues closed more than N days ago |
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink export | Export all issues to JSON (stdout) |
| chainlink export -o backup.json | Export to a file |
| chainlink import backup.json | Import issues from JSON file |
| chainlink import backup.json --merge | Merge with existing issues |
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink next | Recommend the next issue to work on (by priority/progress) |
| chainlink tree | Show all issues in a tree hierarchy |
| chainlink tree -s open | Show only open issues in tree view |
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink start <id> | Start a timer for an issue |
| chainlink stop | Stop the current timer |
| chainlink timer | Show current timer status |
Sessions preserve context across AI assistant restarts. Stale sessions (idle >4 hours) are auto-ended on the next startup.
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink session start | Start a session, shows previous handoff notes |
| chainlink session work <id> | Set the issue you're currently working on |
| chainlink session action "..." | Record a breadcrumb (survives context compression) |
| chainlink session status | Show current session info and last action |
| chainlink session end | End the current session |
| chainlink session end --notes "..." | End with handoff notes for next session |
| chainlink session last-handoff | Retrieve handoff notes from the previous session |
The daemon auto-flushes session state every 30 seconds.
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| chainlink daemon start | Start background daemon |
| chainlink daemon status | Check if daemon is running |
| chainlink daemon stop | Stop the daemon |
$ chainlink session start
Previous session ended: 2026-01-15 09:00
Handoff notes:
Working on auth bug. Found issue in token refresh.
Session #5 started.
# Quick create + label + start working in one step
$ chainlink quick "Fix token refresh" -p high -l bug
Created issue #3
Now working on: #3 Fix token refresh
# Record breadcrumbs as you work (survives context compression)
$ chainlink session action "Found root cause in refresh_token()"
$ chainlink comment 3 "Fixed the token refresh issue"
Added comment to issue #3
$ chainlink close 3
Closed issue #3
$ chainlink ready
Ready issues (no blockers):
#2 medium Add dark m