CLI Reference

The dashcam CLI is the primary interface for installing, running, and managing Dashcam. Every command is designed to be fast, predictable, and safe — no command modifies your project code, and destructive operations always require explicit flags.

You can run commands directly via npx:

Terminal

npx dashcam <command> [options]

Or install globally:

Terminal

npm install -g dashcam-dev
dashcam <command> [options]

`dashcam init`

Install hooks into Claude Code and initialize the Dashcam data directory.

Terminal

dashcam init [--remote <user@host>]

What it does:

Creates the ~/.dashcam/ directory structure
Initializes the SQLite database (~/.dashcam/dashcam.db) with the full schema
Merges Dashcam hooks into ~/.claude/settings.json (preserves existing hooks)
Creates the captures directory (~/.dashcam/captures/)
Runs a validation check (equivalent to dashcam doctor)

Option	Description
`--remote <user@host>`	Install hooks on a remote server via SSH

Example

dashcam init
# ✓ Created ~/.dashcam/
# ✓ Initialized database
# ✓ Installed hooks into ~/.claude/settings.json
# ✓ All checks passed

Running dashcam init multiple times is safe. It will not duplicate hooks or overwrite existing data.

`dashcam start`

Start the Dashcam daemon and dashboard server.

Terminal

dashcam start [options]

The daemon starts listening for hook events, watching JSONL files, managing windows, and serving the dashboard. Everything runs in a single Bun process.

Option	Description	Default
`--port <number>`	Port for HTTP and WebSocket server	`57580`
`--host <string>`	Bind address	`127.0.0.1`
`--loki`	Enable the Loki Mode bridge	`false`
`--squad`	Enable the Claude Squad bridge	`false`

Examples

dashcam start                          # Default: localhost:57580
dashcam start --port 8080              # Custom port
dashcam start --host 0.0.0.0           # Allow remote connections
dashcam start --loki                   # With Loki Mode bridge
dashcam start --loki --squad           # Multiple bridges

After starting, open http://localhost:57580 in your browser.

The daemon writes a PID file to ~/.dashcam/dashcam.pid for process management.

`dashcam stop`

Stop the running Dashcam daemon.

Terminal

dashcam stop

Performs a clean shutdown:

Closes all WebSocket connections
Stops file watchers and bridges
Checkpoints the SQLite WAL
Removes the PID file

If the daemon is not running, the command exits cleanly with a message.

`dashcam status`

Show the current state of the Dashcam daemon.

Terminal

dashcam status

Displays:

Daemon status (running/stopped)
Port and PID
Active sessions and agent count
Current window state and time remaining
Database size and capture storage usage
Bridge status (if any enabled)

Example output

dashcam status
# Daemon:    running (PID 12345, port 57580)
# Sessions:  2 active, 47 total
# Window:    ACTIVE (3h 12m remaining)
# Agents:    3 active
# Database:  12.4 MB
# Captures:  234 MB (142 screenshots, 8 videos)
# Bridges:   loki (connected)

`dashcam import`

Import historical Claude Code JSONL session files into the Dashcam database.

Terminal

dashcam import [--since <date>]

Scans ~/.claude/projects/ for existing .jsonl files and ingests all events. Duplicate events are detected by ID and skipped, so running import multiple times is safe.

Option	Description	Default
`--since <date>`	Only import sessions after this date (ISO 8601)	Import all

Examples

dashcam import                         # Import everything
dashcam import --since 2026-03-01     # Import recent sessions only

Import runs once and exits. It does not start the daemon or dashboard. Use dashcam start after importing to browse the sessions.

`dashcam export`

Export a session as a portable JSON or HTML report.

Terminal

dashcam export <session-id> [--format json|html]

Option	Description	Default
`--format <type>`	Output format: `json` for raw data, `html` for a self-contained report	`json`

Examples

dashcam export sess_01JQXYZ          # Export as JSON to stdout
dashcam export sess_01JQXYZ --format html > report.html

The HTML export produces a self-contained, single-file report with embedded screenshots and an interactive timeline — useful for sharing with teammates or archiving completed work.

`dashcam prune`

Clean old data and captures to reclaim disk space.

Terminal

dashcam prune [--older-than <duration>]

Option	Description	Default
`--older-than <duration>`	Delete data older than this duration (`7d`, `30d`, `90d`)	`30d`

Examples

dashcam prune                          # Prune data older than 30 days
dashcam prune --older-than 7d         # Prune data older than 7 days
dashcam prune --older-than 90d        # Keep 3 months of history

Prune removes:

Screenshot and video files from ~/.dashcam/captures/
Corresponding captures table rows
Events and sessions older than the threshold
Empty windows with no remaining sessions

Pruned data cannot be recovered. Consider exporting important sessions before pruning.

`dashcam doctor`

Run a health check to verify your Dashcam installation.

Terminal

dashcam doctor

Checks:

Hooks are installed in ~/.claude/settings.json
~/.dashcam/ directory exists with correct permissions
SQLite database is valid and migrations are current
Playwright is available for screenshot capture
Disk space usage for captures directory
Daemon connectivity (if running)

Example output

dashcam doctor
# ✓ Hooks installed in ~/.claude/settings.json
# ✓ Database valid (v3, 47 sessions, 3,241 events)
# ✓ Captures directory exists (234 MB used)
# ✓ Playwright available (chromium)
# ⚠ Captures directory exceeds 200 MB — consider running dashcam prune
# ✓ Daemon running on port 57580

`dashcam uninstall`

Remove Dashcam hooks and optionally delete all data.

Terminal

dashcam uninstall [--delete-data]

Option	Description	Default
`--delete-data`	Also delete `~/.dashcam/` directory (database, captures, config)	`false`

Without --delete-data, only the hooks in ~/.claude/settings.json are removed. Your session history, screenshots, and database are preserved.

Examples

dashcam uninstall                      # Remove hooks only
dashcam uninstall --delete-data       # Remove hooks + all data

--delete-data permanently removes all session history, screenshots, videos, and configuration. This cannot be undone.

`dashcam version`

Display the installed Dashcam version.

Terminal

dashcam version

Example output

dashcam version
# dashcam-dev v0.1.0

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