comet native is the command entry point for the Native workflow. The Native workflow splits a requirement into four phases — Shape, Build, Verify, Archive — and these commands create and manage each change, advance phases, save progress, and archive.
Most users never need to type these directly — when you enter /comet in your Agent platform, the Skill calls them automatically. This page helps you understand what each command does, and how to use them for troubleshooting or automation.
Command overview
All commands support
--json to output structured results for scripts and CI.
Create and view changes
When starting a new requirement, create a change.new sets up the change directory, captures a snapshot of the project’s current files, and selects it as the current change:
status without a change name lists all active changes; with a change name it shows the phase, verification status, and recovery hints. Add --details for more detailed checks and acceptance progress.
show reads the brief and target specs written for a change:
Save progress
A change may take several rounds to complete.checkpoint saves what you’ve done so far and what’s next, along with any files produced, without advancing the phase:
status rather than relying on chat history.
Check and verify
check runs Comet’s built-in read-only check to see whether the code satisfies the target specs of this change. It does not run your test commands or modify any files; it only produces a check report during the Verify phase:
receipt records a concrete verification action. There are two kinds: manual records steps and observations you performed by hand; automated records a real command and its exit result:
Advance phases
next advances a change to the next phase. It verifies that the current phase has all required evidence before allowing the advance:
A verification failure automatically returns to Build and tells you which checks didn’t pass; fix them and verify again.
Archive
When a change is done, archive it witharchive. Archiving is a two-step process — first a dry run to confirm there are no conflicts, then the actual commit:
Diagnose and repair
When the state looks off, start withdoctor. Without arguments it only checks and modifies no files:
--repair. It only handles items it can prove are safe, such as clearing stale locks or recovering interrupted transactions — it never rewrites your brief, specs, or code:
Configure the artifact directory
init configures where Native stores its artifacts (change directories, state, evidence) — by default under docs/comet/ in the project. Usually the default config is generated automatically when you first create a change, so you don’t need to run it manually:
root move for a transactional migration — don’t edit the config file directly:
When the comet command isn’t available
If your environment doesn’t have thecomet CLI installed (only the Skill files), you can call the bundled Runtime directly. It takes the same arguments and exit codes as comet native: