rig-cli

An orchestration layer on top of Claude Code, GitHub, and Git. You plan features with Claude Code, then rig-cli handles the grunt work — filing issues, implementing code, running tests, opening PRs, and reviewing changes.

Workflow

plan → create-issue → ship → review

1. Plan with Claude Code in your editor. Hash out the feature, agree on an approach.
2. rig create-issue — paste your plan, AI structures it into a GitHub issue.
3. rig ship — picks the issue, creates a branch, implements, tests, and opens a PR.
4. rig review --pr 47 — AI reviews the diff, you triage findings, selected fixes are applied and pushed.

Install

Requirements: Node.js 20+, GitHub CLI (gh), Claude CLI (claude), Git.

npm install -g rig-cli

Configuration

Create .rig.yml in your project root:

agent:
  provider: binary        # 'binary' (Claude CLI, default) or 'sdk' (API key)
  max_turns: 80
  permission_mode: bypassPermissions  # default | bypassPermissions | acceptEdits | dontAsk | plan | auto

queue:
  default_phase: null      # e.g. "Phase 1: MVP"
  default_component: null  # e.g. "backend"

test:
  require_new_tests: true

pr:
  draft: false
  reviewers: []            # ["username1", "username2"]

components:
  frontend:
    path: ./frontend
    test_command: npm test
  backend:
    path: ./backend
    test_command: go test ./...

verbose: false

All fields are optional. Missing values use defaults.

Commands

rig ship

Full pipeline: pick issue → branch → implement → test → PR → review. Resumes from last stage if interrupted.

rig ship
rig ship --issue 42
rig ship --phase "Phase 1: MVP" --component backend

rig next

Pick the next issue from the priority queue and create a feature branch.

rig next
rig next --phase "Phase 2" --component frontend

rig implement

Run the implementation agent for the current or specified issue.

rig implement
rig implement --issue 42
rig implement --dry-run

rig test

Run the test suite. Auto-retries with a fix agent on failures (up to 3 attempts).

rig test
rig test --issue 42 --component backend

rig pr

Create or update a pull request. Use -c to post feedback and auto-fix.

rig pr
rig pr --issue 42
rig pr -c              # interactive feedback → AI fixes → push
rig pr -c --pr 123

rig review

AI code review with interactive triage and auto-fix.

rig review
rig review --issue 42
rig review --pr 100
rig review --dry-run

rig create-issue

Describe an issue in plain text. AI structures it into a proper GitHub issue with title and body.

rig create-issue

rig queue

Display the prioritized issue backlog.

rig queue
rig queue --phase "Phase 1: MVP" --component backend --limit 20

rig status

Show current pipeline state (issue, stage, branch, progress).

rig reset

Clear pipeline state. Keeps the branch and code intact.

rig rollback

Undo everything: close PR, delete branch (local + remote), clear state.

rig rollback
rig rollback --no-close-pr

rig bootstrap

Set up test infrastructure (Vitest, Testing Library, MSW).

rig bootstrap
rig bootstrap --component frontend

Agent Providers

Binary (default): Spawns the official claude CLI binary. Works with a Claude Max subscription. No API key needed.

SDK: Uses the Anthropic API directly. Requires ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. Set provider: sdk in .rig.yml.

Disclaimer

rig-cli is an unofficial third-party tool created by Zach Stecko. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic. You must have your own Claude subscription or API key and comply with Anthropic's Terms of Service.

License

MIT