Command Reference

YouTrack CLI provides a comprehensive set of commands for managing your YouTrack instance. All commands follow a consistent structure and support common options.

Global Options

These options are available for all commands:

Option

Type

Description

--help, -h

flag

Show help message and exit

--verbose, -v

flag

Enable verbose output

--quiet, -q

flag

Suppress all output except errors

--config, -c

path

Path to configuration file

--debug

flag

Enable debug output

--format

choice

Output format: table, json, yaml (default: table)

--help-verbose

flag

Show detailed help information with all options and examples

--no-progress

flag

Disable progress indicators

--secure

flag

Enable enhanced security mode (prevents credential logging)

--version

flag

Show the version and exit

--no-color

flag

Disable colored output

--dry-run

flag

Show what would be done without making changes

Command Categories

Issue Management

The Issues Command Group command group provides comprehensive issue management capabilities:

  • Create, update, and delete issues

  • Search and filter issues

  • Manage issue comments and attachments

  • Handle issue relationships and links

  • Assign issues and manage workflow states

Knowledge Base

The Articles Command Group command group manages YouTrack’s knowledge base:

  • Create and edit articles

  • Manage article hierarchy and organization

  • Handle article comments and attachments

  • Control article publishing and drafts

Project Management

The Projects Command Group command group handles project administration:

  • List and create projects

  • Configure project settings

  • Manage project permissions

  • Archive and restore projects

User Management

The Users Command Group command group provides user administration:

  • List and create users

  • Update user information

  • Manage user permissions and groups

  • Handle user authentication settings

Time Tracking

The Time Tracking Command Group command group handles time tracking operations:

  • Log work time on issues

  • Generate time reports

  • View time summaries and statistics

  • Export time data

Agile Boards

The Boards Command Group command group manages agile boards:

  • List available boards

  • View board configurations

  • Update board settings

  • Manage board columns and swimlanes

Reporting

The Reports Command Group command group generates various reports:

  • Burndown charts

  • Velocity reports

  • Custom report generation

  • Export capabilities

Authentication

The Authentication Command Group command group handles authentication:

  • Login and logout operations

  • Token management

  • Authentication testing

  • Session management

Configuration

The Configuration Command Group command group manages CLI configuration:

  • View and set configuration options

  • Manage connection settings

  • Handle default values

  • Export and import configurations

Administration

The Administrative Command Group command group provides administrative functions:

  • System settings management

  • User and group administration

  • Workflow and field management

  • System maintenance operations

Command Shortcuts and Aliases

The Alias Command Group command group manages command aliases:

  • Create custom shortcuts for frequently used commands

  • List built-in and user-defined aliases

  • Delete user-defined aliases

  • Show alias definitions and mappings

The LS Command command provides a quick shortcut for listing issues:

  • Shortcut for the most common list operation

  • Familiar Unix-style command interface

  • Multiple filtering options for issue discovery

  • Support for various output formats

The New Command command provides a quick shortcut for creating issues:

  • Streamlined interface for rapid issue creation

  • Essential options for type, priority, and assignment

  • Tag support and description capabilities

  • Minimal typing for improved productivity

Security and Audit Management

The Audit Command command provides quick access to audit logs:

  • View command execution history and audit trail

  • Monitor CLI usage patterns and security events

  • Export audit data in multiple formats

  • Track commands for compliance and debugging

The Security Command Group command group offers comprehensive security management:

  • Complete audit log management capabilities

  • Authentication token status monitoring

  • Security maintenance and cleanup functions

  • Comprehensive security reporting features

Setup and Configuration

The Setup Command command provides interactive first-time configuration:

  • Guided setup wizard for new installations

  • YouTrack server connection configuration

  • Authentication setup and credential management

  • Basic preferences and default value configuration

The Completion Command command generates shell completion scripts:

  • Tab completion for commands and options

  • Support for bash, zsh, fish, and PowerShell

  • Automatic installation to system locations

  • Enhanced CLI usability and productivity

Reporting and Analytics

The Burndown Command command generates burndown reports:

  • Project and sprint burndown analysis

  • Work completion tracking over time

  • Sprint goal achievement monitoring

  • Customizable date range analysis

The Velocity Command command generates velocity reports:

  • Team performance analysis across sprints

  • Delivery capacity and consistency tracking

  • Trend analysis for sprint planning

  • Predictive insights for future capacity

User and Group Management

The Groups Command Group command manages user groups and permissions:

  • Create and list user groups

  • Organize team members by roles and projects

  • Simplify permission management at scale

  • Support role-based and project-based access control

Learning and Training

The Tutorial Command Group command provides interactive learning experiences:

  • Step-by-step guided tutorials for CLI features

  • Progress tracking and resume capabilities

  • Real-world examples and best practices

  • Beginner-friendly explanations and workflows

Common Patterns

Filtering and Searching

Most list commands support filtering and searching:

yt issues list --assignee me --state open
yt issues search --query "project:PROJECT and state:open"

Output Formatting

All commands support multiple output formats:

yt issues list --format json
yt projects list --format yaml
yt users list --format table

Batch Operations

Many commands support batch operations:

yt issues update ISSUE-1 ISSUE-2 ISSUE-3 --state "Fixed"
yt users create --from-file users.csv

Interactive Mode

Some commands provide interactive prompts:

yt issues create --interactive
yt projects configure PROJECT-ID --interactive

Examples

Common command combinations and workflows:

# Daily workflow
yt issues list --assignee me --state open
yt issues update ISSUE-123 --state "In Progress"
yt time log ISSUE-123 --duration "2h" --description "Fixed bug"

# Project setup
yt projects create --name "New Project" --key "NP"
yt users create --username "john.doe" --email "john@example.com"
yt projects configure NP --add-user "john.doe"

# Reporting
yt time report --project "PROJECT-ID" --from "2024-01-01"
yt reports generate burndown --project "PROJECT-ID" --sprint "Sprint-1"