# Core commands
Day-to-day commands you'll use most. For the exhaustive list of every command, subcommand, and flag, see the [full reference](reference.md).
## Stack view and creation
| `st` | Launch the interactive TUI |
| `st ls` | Show stack with PR, rebase, and metadata-repair status |
| `st ll` | Like `st ls` plus PR URLs and detail |
| `st create <name>` / `st add <name>` | Create a branch stacked on current |
| `st create --ai -a --yes` | Generate branch name + first commit message |
| `st create <name> --below` | Insert a new branch below current, carrying tracked/untracked prepared changes with it |
| `st get <branch>` | Fetch a remote branch, create a local upstream-tracking branch, track it in stax as imported, and check it out |
If you discover a hotfix while working upstack, keep the edits in place:
```bash
st create cve-hotfix --below
st create --below -am "fix: patch CVE-2026-0001"
```
`--below` auto-stashes prepared tracked and untracked changes before moving to the lower base, then reapplies them on the inserted branch. With `-am`, those changes are staged and committed on the new lower branch.
When `-m` or `--ai` derives a branch name that already exists, Stax stops instead of creating a suffixed duplicate; pass an explicit different name or checkout/reparent the existing branch.
## Submit and merge
| `st ss` | Submit the whole stack — open or update linked PRs |
| `st draft [branch]` | Convert the current (or named) branch's PR to draft |
| `st undraft [branch]` | Mark the current (or named) branch's PR as ready for review |
| `st ready` | Open the interactive PR readiness dashboard for all tracked PRs: merge, ping, fix, wait, or draft |
| `st merge` | Cascade-merge from stack bottom up to current branch |
| `st merge --when-ready` | Wait for CI + approvals, then merge (alias: `st mwr`) |
| `st merge --downstack-only` / `--ds` | Merge ancestors below current, then rebase current branch |
| `st merge --stack` | Validate the selected tip PR once, retarget it to trunk, and merge through current by default (`--full` includes descendants; GitHub only) |
| `st merge --remote` | Merge remotely via the GitHub API while you keep working |
| `st merge --all` | Merge the entire stack regardless of where you are |
| `st cascade` | Restack, push, and create/update PRs in one shot |
## Sync, restack, update
| `st rs` | Pull trunk, clean merged branches, reparent children |
| `st rs --restack` | `rs` **plus** rebase the current stack onto updated trunk |
| `st rs --delete-upstream-gone` | Also delete local branches whose upstream is gone |
| `st restack` | Rebase current stack onto parents locally (no fetch) |
| `st update` | Sync trunk without merged-branch cleanup, restack, then push and update PRs |
| `st update --force --yes --no-prompt` | Full update flow without sync or submit prompts |
| `st update --verbose` | Same as `st update`, with detailed sync/restack/submit timing |
## Branch housekeeping
| `st sweep` | Classify all local branches: merged, upstream-gone, stale, active (read-only) |
| `st sweep --delete` | Delete merged branches (including tracked merged PRs) and upstream-gone branches with no unique work after confirmation |
| `st sweep --delete --include-stale` | Also delete stale branches (older than threshold) |
| `st sweep --delete --force` | Skip confirmation prompt |
| `st sweep --stale-days 60` | Override stale threshold (default 30, or `branch.stale_days` in config) |
| `st sweep --json` | Machine-readable output of all classified branches |
## Navigation and recovery
| `st init` | Initialize stax or reconfigure the trunk |
| `st undo` / `st redo` | Rescue or reapply the last risky operation |
| `st resolve` | AI-resolve an in-progress rebase conflict and continue |
| `st abort` | Abort an in-progress rebase or conflict resolution |
| `st detach` | Remove a branch from the stack, reparent its children |
## Reporting and utility
| `st standup` | Summarize recent activity (`--ai` for AI version, `--ai --style slack` for Slack-ready bullets) |
| `st pr` / `st pr body` / `st pr list` / `st pr list --ready` | Open current PR in browser · view/edit PR body · list open PRs · show stack PR readiness |
| `st issue list` | List open issues |
| `st changelog` | Generate changelog between refs or fuzzy-find commits with `find` / `--find` |
| `st open` | Open the repository in the browser |
| `st run <cmd>` | Run a command on each branch in the stack (alias: `st test <cmd>`) |
| `st doctor` / `st doctor --fix` | Check repo/config health; `--fix` applies safe local repairs after one confirmation |
| `st demo` | Interactive tutorial — no auth or repo required |
See also: [Navigation](navigation.md) · [Stack health](stack-health.md) · [Full reference](reference.md)
`st ready` and `st pr list --ready` launch a TUI in an interactive terminal and default to all tracked PRs, ordered newest changed PR first. Use `--current` or `--stack` for only the current stack. Use Up/Down or `j`/`k` to move, Enter or `o` to open the selected PR, `r` to refresh, `?` for help, and `q`/Esc to quit. Use `--plain` for the static table and `--json` for machine-readable output.