> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/usestrix/strix/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# strix

> Run Strix penetration testing scans from the command line

The `strix` command is the main entry point for running AI-powered penetration tests. You can scan web applications, GitHub repositories, local code, domains, and IP addresses.

## Usage

```bash theme={null}
strix [OPTIONS]
```

## Quick Examples

```bash theme={null}
# Web application penetration test
strix --target https://example.com

# GitHub repository analysis
strix --target https://github.com/user/repo

# Local code analysis
strix --target ./my-project

# Multiple targets (white-box testing)
strix --target ./my-project --target https://staging.example.com
```

## Options

<ParamField path="-t, --target" type="string" required>
  Target to test. Can be:

  * URL (e.g., `https://example.com`)
  * GitHub repository (e.g., `https://github.com/user/repo` or `git@github.com:user/repo.git`)
  * Local directory path (e.g., `./my-project`)
  * Domain name (e.g., `example.com`)
  * IP address (e.g., `192.168.1.42`)

  You can specify this option multiple times for multi-target scans.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--instruction" type="string">
  Custom instructions for the penetration test. Use this to:

  * Focus on specific vulnerability types (e.g., "Focus on IDOR and XSS")
  * Specify testing approaches (e.g., "Perform thorough authentication testing")
  * Provide test credentials (e.g., "Use credentials: admin:password123")
  * Highlight areas of interest (e.g., "Check login API endpoint for security issues")

  Cannot be used with `--instruction-file`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--instruction-file" type="string">
  Path to a file containing detailed custom instructions for the penetration test.

  Use this when you have lengthy or complex instructions saved in a file.

  Example: `--instruction-file ./detailed_instructions.txt`

  Cannot be used with `--instruction`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-n, --non-interactive" type="boolean" default="false">
  Run in non-interactive mode (no TUI, exits on completion).

  By default, Strix runs in interactive mode with a text-based user interface (TUI). Use this flag for CI/CD pipelines or automated scanning.

  In non-interactive mode:

  * No TUI is displayed
  * Vulnerabilities are printed to stdout in real-time
  * Process exits automatically when scan completes
  * Exit code 2 is returned if vulnerabilities are found
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-m, --scan-mode" type="string" default="deep">
  Scan mode controlling depth and thoroughness.

  Options:

  * `quick` - Fast CI/CD checks with basic coverage
  * `standard` - Routine testing with balanced speed/depth
  * `deep` - Thorough security reviews (default)

  See [Scan Modes](/cli/scan-modes) for detailed comparison.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--config" type="string">
  Path to a custom config file (JSON) to use instead of `~/.strix/cli-config.json`.

  This allows you to maintain multiple configuration profiles for different environments.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-v, --version" type="boolean">
  Display the Strix version and exit.
</ParamField>

## Environment Variables

Strix requires certain environment variables to be configured. See the [Configuration](/configuration/environment-variables) guide for details.

### Required

* `STRIX_LLM` - Model name to use with litellm (e.g., `openai/gpt-4`)

### Optional

* `LLM_API_KEY` - API key for the LLM provider (not needed for local models, Vertex AI, AWS, etc.)
* `LLM_API_BASE` - Custom API base URL for local models (e.g., Ollama, LMStudio)
* `PERPLEXITY_API_KEY` - API key for Perplexity AI web search (enables real-time research)
* `STRIX_REASONING_EFFORT` - Reasoning effort level: `none`, `minimal`, `low`, `medium`, `high`, `xhigh` (default: `high`)

## Output

Strix creates a timestamped directory in `strix_runs/` containing:

* Vulnerability reports in JSON and Markdown formats
* Tool execution logs
* Agent activity traces
* Scan metadata and statistics

See [Reports](/cli/reports) for details on output format.

## Exit Codes

In non-interactive mode, Strix uses exit codes to indicate scan results:

* `0` - Scan completed successfully, no vulnerabilities found
* `1` - Error occurred during execution
* `2` - Scan completed successfully, vulnerabilities were found

See [Exit Codes](/cli/exit-codes) for integration with CI/CD pipelines.

## See Also

* [Interactive Mode](/cli/interactive-mode) - Using the TUI interface
* [Non-Interactive Mode](/cli/non-interactive-mode) - Automation and CI/CD integration
* [Examples](/cli/examples) - Common use cases and workflows