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Using status --why

drwn status --why <query> answers a provenance question: which layer (card, project overlay, machine default, packaged registry, extension registry) is putting this skill, server, extension, target, or card into the effective harness. It is the right command to reach for when something is active and you cannot tell why, or when something is missing and you want to know which layer would normally provide it.

The query is either kind:name (typed) or a bare name (untyped, ambiguous-resolution allowed).

drwn status --why skill:<name>
drwn status --why server:<name>
drwn status --why extension:<name>
drwn status --why target:<name>
drwn status --why card:<name>
drwn status --why <name>

Per-Form Output​

Each typed form returns a one-line provenance message.

--why skill:<name>​

drwn status --why skill:reviewer

Possible answers:

  • skill:reviewer is active or available from card @your-handle/[email protected].
  • skill:reviewer is active or available from project config.
  • skill:reviewer is active or available from machine curation.
  • skill:reviewer is active or available from repo or installed skill library.
  • not found: skill:reviewer

The order reflects resolution precedence at write time: card-bundled skills win over project-config inclusion, which wins over machine-curated skills, which win over baseline inventory.

--why server:<name>​

drwn status --why server:context7

Possible answers:

  • server:context7 is active from card @your-handle/[email protected].
  • server:context7 is available from project config.
  • server:context7 is active from registry or machine library.

active means the server is included in the effective mcpServers after merging toggles. available means it is registered somewhere but currently disabled.

--why extension:<name>​

drwn status --why extension:parallel

Possible answers:

  • extension:parallel is known from project config.
  • extension:parallel is known from extension registry.

Project-config presence means <project>/.agents/drwn/config.json has an extensions.parallel block. Extension-registry presence means drwn knows the extension type but no project has opted into it.

--why target:<name>​

drwn status --why target:claude
drwn status --why target:codex
drwn status --why target:cursor

Answers report enabled/disabled state and which layer is responsible:

  • target:claude is enabled by machine config.
  • target:cursor is disabled by project config.

--why card:<name>​

drwn status --why card:@your-handle/backend

Returns the locked version and the requested ref:

  • card:@your-handle/backend is locked at 0.2.0 from @your-handle/backend@^0.2.0.

If the project does not consume the card, returns not found: card:@your-handle/backend.

Disambiguating Untyped Queries​

A bare name searches every category. If more than one kind matches the same name, drwn refuses to guess:

drwn status --why parallel
ambiguous: parallel matched extension:parallel, server:parallel-web-search

Re-run with the typed form (drwn status --why extension:parallel) to pick the layer you mean.

Common Workflows​

Before a write, when an unexpected item is about to be materialized:

drwn status
drwn status --why skill:<unexpected-skill>
drwn write --dry-run

After drwn doctor flags a projectConfigIssues entry, trace where the reference is coming from:

drwn doctor --json
drwn status --why skill:<the-unresolved-name>

When a card update changes effective state, compare before and after:

drwn card outdated
drwn status --why card:@your-handle/backend
drwn card update --dry-run

Cross-References​