> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://tashfiq.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# fix
> Preview and apply safe, diff-first auto-fixes for supported Charter findings.
`charter fix` is Charter's repair command. It is intentionally narrow: it only applies safe, explicit fixes to a small set of supported rules, always shows you a unified diff before writing anything, and backs up existing files before replacing them.
**The guarantee: Charter always shows you a diff before writing. No silent mutation.**
## Fixable Rules
| Rule | What the fixer does |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [`AE-CTX-001`](/rules/AE-CTX-001) | Creates `AGENTS.md` from a minimal template |
| [`AE-CTX-004`](/rules/AE-CTX-004) | Creates or appends `.gitignore` with agent artifact patterns |
| [`AE-CI-002`](/rules/AE-CI-002) | Creates the Charter CI workflow at `.github/workflows/charter.yaml` |
| [`AE-MCP-001`](/rules/AE-MCP-001) | Bumps an MCP server package to the catalog's stable version |
Secrets ([`AE-SEC-001`](/rules/AE-SEC-001), [`AE-SEC-002`](/rules/AE-SEC-002)) and dangerous-command findings ([`AE-CC-001`](/rules/AE-CC-001)) are never auto-fixed. Charter shows evidence and remediation guidance for these but requires manual action. If you target a rule with no registered fixer, Charter reports that it is not auto-fixable.
## Usage
```bash Dry run — preview all diffs theme={null}
charter fix --dry-run
```
```bash Apply all fixes theme={null}
charter fix
```
```bash Fix a specific rule theme={null}
charter fix --rule AE-MCP-001
```
```bash Preview a specific rule theme={null}
charter fix --rule AE-CTX-004 --dry-run
```
## Recommended Workflow
```bash theme={null}
charter fix --dry-run
```
Read each unified diff carefully before accepting it. The dry-run output is identical to what `fix` would apply.
```bash theme={null}
charter fix
```
Originals are backed up to `.charter/backups//` before any write. Pure creates (new files) have no prior content to back up.
```bash theme={null}
charter doctor
```
Confirm the fixed rules no longer appear as active findings and the score moved in the expected direction.
## Flags
Explicit repository root. Defaults to the current working directory.
Limit the repair to a single rule ID such as `AE-MCP-001`. When omitted, all fixable findings are planned.
Print unified diffs without writing any files. Safe to run repeatedly.
Plan every fixable rule. This is already the default behavior; the flag is accepted for explicitness.
Skip per-fix confirmation prompts. Because `fix` is already non-interactive in normal use, this flag is accepted for scripting compatibility.
## Backup Mechanism
Before replacing or updating an existing file, Charter copies the previous version into `.charter/backups//`, where `` is a compact UTC timestamp such as `20260610T074200Z`. The original file's relative path is preserved inside the backup directory.
Pure creates — fixes that write a brand new file where none existed — do not produce a backup because there is no prior content to save.
Charter never deletes backup directories automatically. They accumulate across runs and serve as a local audit trail of every mutation `fix` has applied.
To recover a backed-up file:
```bash theme={null}
cp .charter/backups/20260610T074200Z/AGENTS.md ./AGENTS.md
```
## Exit codes
| Code | Meaning | When |
| ---- | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `0` | Pass | Fixes applied successfully, or a `--dry-run` preview rendered without error |
| `1` | Fail | `--rule` matched a finding that has no registered fixer |
| `2` | Error | Invalid flags, an unknown rule ID, a write failure, or a malformed `charter.yaml` |
## Related
The diff-first workflow and what fix will never touch.
How fixers are registered and how backups are written.
Re-score the repo to confirm the fixed rules cleared.