great-docs proofread

Check spelling and grammar in documentation files using Harper.

great-docs proofread [OPTIONS] [FILES]...

Harper is a fast, privacy-first grammar checker that runs locally. It checks spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style in a single pass.

• By default, checks all documentation files (.qmd, .md) in the project.
• Uses smart defaults to reduce noise in technical documentation:
• Ignores formatting rules that conflict with code/YAML (unless --strict)
• Includes a built-in dictionary of technical terms (unless --no-builtin-dictionary)

Full --help output

Usage: great-docs proofread [OPTIONS] [FILES]...

  Check spelling and grammar in documentation files using Harper.

  Harper is a fast, privacy-first grammar checker that runs locally. It checks
  spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style in a single pass.

  By default, checks all documentation files (.qmd, .md) in the project.
  Uses smart defaults to reduce noise in technical documentation:
    - Ignores formatting rules that conflict with code/YAML (unless '--strict')
    - Includes a built-in dictionary of technical terms (unless '--no-builtin-dictionary')

  Examples:
    great-docs proofread                         # Check all docs (smart defaults)
    great-docs proofread --strict                # Check everything (no smart defaults)
    great-docs proofread --spelling-only         # Just spelling
    great-docs proofread --dialect=uk            # UK English
    great-docs proofread -d griffe -d quartodoc  # Add custom words
    great-docs proofread --json-output           # JSON output for CI
    great-docs proofread --ignore=SpellCheck     # Skip specific rules
    great-docs proofread README.md user_guide/*.qmd  # Specific files

  Requires harper-cli to be installed:
    brew install harper      # macOS
    cargo install harper-cli # any platform

Options:
  --project-path DIRECTORY    Path to your project root directory (default:
                              current directory)
  --docs-dir TEXT             Path to documentation directory relative to
                              project root
  --include-docstrings        Also check Python docstrings
  --spelling-only             Only check spelling (SpellCheck rule)
  --grammar-only              Exclude spelling, check grammar/style only
  --only TEXT                 Only run these rules (comma-separated)
  --ignore TEXT               Skip these rules (comma-separated)
  -d, --dictionary TEXT       Additional word(s) to consider correct (can be
                              used multiple times)
  --dictionary-file PATH      Path to file with custom words (one per line)
  --dialect [us|uk|au|in|ca]  English dialect (default: us)
  -v, --verbose               Show detailed progress for each file checked
  --json-output               Output results as JSON for CI
  --compact                   One line per issue (GCC-style output)
  --max-issues INTEGER        Exit with error if more than N issues found
  --strict                    Disable smart defaults (check everything, no
                              builtin dictionary)
  --no-builtin-dictionary     Don't add built-in technical terms to dictionary
  --help                      Show this message and exit.

Arguments

FILES: PATH

Optional.

Options

--project-path: DIRECTORY

Path to your project root directory (default: current directory)

--docs-dir: TEXT

Path to documentation directory relative to project root

--include-docstrings

Also check Python docstrings

--spelling-only

Only check spelling (SpellCheck rule)

--grammar-only

Exclude spelling, check grammar/style only

--only: TEXT

Only run these rules (comma-separated)

--ignore: TEXT

Skip these rules (comma-separated)

-d, --dictionary: TEXT

Additional word(s) to consider correct (can be used multiple times)

--dictionary-file: PATH

Path to file with custom words (one per line)

--dialect: CHOICE = us

English dialect (default: us)

-v, --verbose

Show detailed progress for each file checked

--json-output

Output results as JSON for CI

--compact

One line per issue (GCC-style output)

--max-issues: INTEGER

Exit with error if more than N issues found

--strict

Disable smart defaults (check everything, no builtin dictionary)

--no-builtin-dictionary

Don’t add built-in technical terms to dictionary

Examples

  great-docs proofread                         # Check all docs (smart defaults)
  great-docs proofread --strict                # Check everything (no smart defaults)
  great-docs proofread --spelling-only         # Just spelling
  great-docs proofread --dialect=uk            # UK English
  great-docs proofread -d griffe -d quartodoc  # Add custom words
  great-docs proofread --json-output           # JSON output for CI
  great-docs proofread --ignore=SpellCheck     # Skip specific rules
  great-docs proofread README.md user_guide/*.qmd  # Specific files

Requires harper-cli to be installed:
  brew install harper      # macOS
  cargo install harper-cli # any platform