---
title: "schema"
description: "Dump machine-readable method schemas as JSON so an agent can self-serve the CLI surface at runtime."
canonical: https://wavelength.lightning.engineering/cli/schema/
---

> Docs index: https://wavelength.lightning.engineering/llms.txt

# schema

Returns the full method signature for a CLI command as machine-readable JSON: parameters, types, required fields, enum values, and the request and response proto type names. Agents use this to self-serve API documentation at runtime rather than relying on static docs baked into a system prompt.

Called with no arguments it lists the available method names. Pass a method name to dump one schema, or `--all` to dump every method schema at once.

```bash
wavecli schema
wavecli schema balance
wavecli schema --all
```

## Flags

| Flag    | Default | Description              |
| ------- | ------- | ------------------------ |
| `--all` | `false` | Dump all method schemas. |

## Example

```bash
wavecli schema balance
```

```json
{
  "method": "balance",
  "description": "Display wallet balance",
  "params": null,
  "request_type": "BalanceRequest",
  "response_type": "BalanceResponse",
  "json_input": false,
  "mcp_tool": true
}
```

Each schema entry reports whether the command supports `--dry-run` / `--dry_run`, whether it accepts `--json` raw input (`json_input`), and whether it is exposed as an MCP tool (`mcp_tool`). An unknown method name exits `1` with a `METHOD_NOT_FOUND` envelope.

## Underlying RPC

`schema` reads from an in-process method registry; it makes no RPC call. The [`dev`](/cli/dev/) command tree exposes the equivalent per-method schema for the generated low-level RPC surface via its `--describe` flag.