Exit codes

Code	Meaning
0	Command succeeded; all selected quality gates passed.
1	A quality gate failed, detect found no supported project, or loop ended without passing.
2	Ward could not run: bad usage, missing/invalid configuration, no project, no enabled gates, an integration conflict, or a doctor error.

Command	0	1	2
check	All selected gates passed	At least one gate failed	Could not run
detect	Project detected	No supported project	Could not run
init	Configuration created	—	Invalid usage, cancelled, or could not initialize
integrate	Installed or removed	—	Conflict or invalid usage
doctor	No ERROR findings	—	At least one ERROR finding
loop	PASSED	Any other terminal state	Invalid usage
spec validate	Nothing to report	Findings or an unsuccessful spec validation	Could not run
spec guard	Allowed	Refused; the reason is on stdout	Could not decide
hook claude-code	Gates passed and no spec findings; always for Stop events	—	Gates failed, spec findings, or could not run (reported to the agent on stderr)

For scripts, combine the exit status with check --format json to inspect individual results. JSON mode keeps stdout machine-readable; diagnostics are written to stderr.

UNAVAILABLE means an enabled gate could not start its configured executable; it is still a reported gate failure and therefore exits 1. EXECUTION_ERROR means a process started but was interrupted or its output could not be captured; it also exits 1. Exit 2 is reserved for configuration or Ward setup errors that prevent a normal report.