--- title: "Output formats" description: "Render BankSync CLI output as a table, JSON, NDJSON, CSV, YAML, or TOON, with a TTY-aware default and column control via --fields and --sort." section: "CLI" canonical: "https://banksync.io/docs/cli/output-formats" --- Every command that returns data can render it in six formats. The CLI picks a sensible default based on where the output is going, so a human at a terminal gets a readable table and a pipeline gets clean JSON, both with no flag. ## Formats at a glance Choose a format with `-o` (or `--output`). `--json` is a shorthand for `-o json`. | Format | Flag | Best for | | ------ | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | Table | `-o table` | Humans at a terminal (the default on a TTY) | | JSON | `-o json` or `--json` | Scripts, jq, agents (the default when piped) | | NDJSON | `-o ndjson` | Streaming large pulls, one entity per line | | CSV | `-o csv` | Spreadsheets and data tools | | YAML | `-o yaml` | Config-style, human-readable structured output | | TOON | `-o toon` | Token-efficient tabular output for LLMs and agents | ## The TTY-aware default The default format depends only on whether stdout is a terminal: - Interactive terminal: `table`. - Piped or redirected (not a terminal): `json`. So these two commands render differently even though neither passes a format flag: ```bash banksync banks list # prints a table banksync banks list | jq . # emits JSON, because stdout is a pipe ``` This means `banksync tx list --bank amex | jq` and agent invocations "just work" without a flag. An explicit `-o`/`--json` always wins over the default. > **Color and notices are for humans only:** ANSI color, spinners, footers, and empty-state hints appear only in table output on a terminal. In > any machine format, when piped, under --quiet, or in CI, stdout carries data and nothing else, > so it stays safe to parse. NO\_COLOR and --no-color disable color too. ## Table The table renderer is the only one designed for reading. Text columns are left-aligned, numeric and amount columns are right-aligned, and a single status taxonomy renders the same glyph everywhere: a bank connection, a feed state, and a job status all map onto one set of symbols. ```text ID STATUS TYPE WRITTEN COMPLETED job_9f2a ● completed transactions 412 2m ago job_7c1b ◐ syncing transactions - - job_4d8e ✗ failed balances 0 1h ago 3 jobs · feed fed_123 ``` The glyphs carry meaning even without color: `●` active or ok, `◐` in progress, `○` paused, `✗` failed. On terminals without Unicode they fall back to `*`, `~`, `o`, and `x`. ## JSON and the invariant envelope Every read renders the same top-level shape in `-o json`, whatever the command. Your code can always rely on `.data` and page with `meta`: ```json { "data": [ { "id": "bnk_a1b2", "name": "Chase", "source": "plaid" }, { "id": "bnk_c3d4", "name": "Amex", "source": "plaid" } ], "meta": { "count": 2, "cursor": null, "has_more": null, "schema_version": "1", "api_version": "v1" } } ``` - `data` is the entity or array of entities, with raw API fields (ISO dates, unformatted numbers). It is never humanized: no relative time, glyphs, or color. - `meta.count` is the number of items, `meta.cursor` and `meta.has_more` drive pagination (null when the endpoint does not paginate), `meta.schema_version` is the output-contract version, and `meta.api_version` is the API the CLI speaks. - An empty result is `{"data":[], ...}`, never a human "No banks yet" sentence. Pipe it straight into jq: ```bash banksync banks list --json | jq '.data[] | select(.source == "plaid") | .name' ``` ## NDJSON NDJSON emits one raw entity per line with no envelope, which is ideal for streaming large transaction pulls and for agents consuming incrementally: ```bash banksync tx list --bank amex --all -o ndjson ``` ```text {"id":"txn_1","date":"2026-03-01","description":"UBER","amount":-24.5,"currency":"USD"} {"id":"txn_2","date":"2026-03-01","description":"WHOLE FOODS","amount":-88.12,"currency":"USD"} ``` Each line is a complete JSON object, so it flows into `jq -c`, log processors, or a line-by-line reader without buffering the whole response. ## CSV and YAML CSV writes a header row and one row per entity (nested values are JSON-encoded in the cell), which drops straight into a spreadsheet: ```bash banksync tx list --bank amex -o csv > transactions.csv ``` YAML renders the same envelope as JSON in a config-style layout: ```bash banksync feeds get fed_123 -o yaml ``` ## TOON TOON (Token-Oriented Object Notation) is a compact format built for LLMs and agents. A uniform array of objects becomes a tabular block where the field names appear once in a header and the row count is explicit, which both cuts token usage (roughly 30 to 40 percent versus JSON for tabular data) and makes the schema unambiguous to a model. ```bash banksync feeds list -o toon ``` ```text data[2]{id,name,source,dataType}: fed_1,ANZ Everyday,fiskil,transactions fed_2,Amex,plaid,transactions meta: count: 2 cursor: null has_more: null schema_version: "1" api_version: v1 ``` JSON stays the default machine format; reach for TOON when you are optimizing an agent's token budget over tabular reads. ## Pick your columns with --fields Every renderer accepts `--fields` to select columns by dot-path (arrays support indexing like `errors[0].message`). Discover the default columns for an entity with `banksync schema `. ```bash banksync tx list --bank amex --fields date,description,amount,category banksync banks get bnk_a1b2 --fields id,name,connectionStatus.status ``` ## Sort rows with --sort `--sort` orders rows client-side. Prefix a field with `-` for descending, and pass several comma-separated keys for tie-breaks: ```bash banksync tx list --bank amex --sort -amount banksync jobs list fed_123 --sort -completedAt,status ``` ## Related flags `--no-truncate` keeps wide table cells from being clipped, `--utc` and `--tz` control timestamp display (for example `--tz Australia/Sydney`), and `--locale` sets number formatting. These affect the table renderer only; machine formats always emit raw ISO timestamps and numbers. ## Next steps - [Scripting and CI](/docs/cli/scripting-and-ci): exit codes and non-interactive output. - [For agents](/docs/cli/for-agents): the JSON contract and runtime discovery. - [Syncing and jobs](/docs/cli/syncing-and-jobs): trigger and watch syncs.