CLI Usage

CausalIQ Workflow provides the cqflow command (alias for causaliq-workflow) for executing workflows and managing caches.

Commands

Command	Description
cqflow run	Execute a workflow file
cqflow export-cache	Export cache to directory or zip
cqflow import-cache	Import cache from export

Running Workflows

Basic Execution

# Dry-run (validate and preview) - default
cqflow run workflow.yml

# Actually execute the workflow
cqflow run workflow.yml --mode=run

Execution Modes

Mode	Description
dry-run	Validate workflow and preview what would be done (default)
run	Execute workflow with conservative execution
force	Execute workflow, bypassing conservative execution

# Preview what would happen
cqflow run workflow.yml --mode=dry-run

# Execute with conservative execution (skip completed work)
cqflow run workflow.yml --mode=run

# Force re-execution of all steps
cqflow run workflow.yml --mode=force

Logging Levels

Level	Description
none	No output
summary	Summary of execution (default)
all	Detailed per-entry status messages

# Detailed output showing each entry
cqflow run workflow.yml --mode=run --log-level=all

Status Messages

With --log-level=all, each entry displays a status:

Status	Dry-run Equivalent	Description
EXECUTED	WOULD EXECUTE	Entry processed successfully
FORCED	—	Entry processed (force mode)
SKIPPED	WOULD SKIP	Already completed (conservative execution)
IGNORED	WOULD IGNORE	Excluded by filter expression
FAILED	—	Action raised an exception

Example output:

2026-03-15 14:23:01 [evaluate] EXECUTED  eval-step [network=asia]
2026-03-15 14:23:02 [evaluate] EXECUTED  eval-step [network=cancer]
2026-03-15 14:23:02 [evaluate] SKIPPED   eval-step [network=alarm]

Cache Management

Export Cache

Export cache entries to a directory or zip file for sharing or archival:

# Export to directory
cqflow export-cache -i results/graphs.db -o ./exported

# Export to zip file
cqflow export-cache -i results/graphs.db -o results.zip

Import Cache

Restore cache entries from a previous export:

# Import from directory
cqflow import-cache -i ./exported -o results/restored.db

# Import from zip file
cqflow import-cache -i results.zip -o results/restored.db

Workflow File Conventions

Workflow files typically use .yml or .yaml extension:

workflows/
├── learn_graphs.yml
├── evaluate_all.yml
└── generate_tables.yml

Organise related workflows in a directory structure that matches your project.

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
CAUSALIQ_ROOT	Default root directory for workflows
CAUSALIQ_LOG_LEVEL	Default logging level

Exit Codes

Code	Description
0	Success
1	Workflow validation error
2	Workflow execution error

API Reference

For complete CLI details including all options and parameters, see the CLI API Reference.