> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.sonarsource.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-cli/using-sonarqube-cli/output-formats.md).

# Output formats

Guidance on choosing a SonarQube CLI output format for humans, scripts, spreadsheets, and AI agents.

SonarQube CLI commands output their results in different formats. Pick the one that matches what's consuming the output.

## Available formats

| Format  | Best for                               | Notes                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `json`  | Scripts, dashboards, downstream tools. | A JSON array or object. Default for `sonar list issues` and `sonar list projects`. Pass `--format json` for `sonar list orgs`, which defaults to `table`.                                                      |
| `table` | Reading in your terminal.              | A human-friendly aligned table. Adds no headers or borders that would break copy/paste.                                                                                                                        |
| `csv`   | Spreadsheets, BI tools, archives.      | Comma-separated values with a header row.                                                                                                                                                                      |
| `toon`  | AI coding agents and LLM consumption.  | [Token-Oriented Object Notation (TOON)](https://github.com/toon-format/toon), a token-efficient, LLM-friendly serialization. Use it when piping data into Claude Code, Copilot, Codex, Cursor, or Antigravity. |
| `text`  | Reading a status or analysis report.   | Native human-readable output. Used by `sonar analyze`, `sonar analyze agentic`, `sonar auth status`, `sonar system status`, and `sonar update status`.                                                         |

## Which command supports which format

| Command                             | Supported formats              | Default |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------- |
| `sonar list issues`                 | `json`, `toon`, `table`, `csv` | `json`  |
| `sonar list projects`               | `json`, `table`                | `json`  |
| `sonar list orgs`                   | `json`, `table`                | `table` |
| `sonar quality-gate status`         | `json`, `table`                | `table` |
| `sonar analyze` / `analyze agentic` | `text`, `json`                 | `text`  |
| `sonar analyze dependency-risks`    | `json`, `toon`, `table`        | `table` |
| `sonar analyze secrets`             | (no `--format`; text only)     | -       |
| `sonar remediate`                   | (no `--format`; interactive)   | -       |
| `sonar api`                         | Raw response body              | -       |
| `sonar auth status`                 | `text`, `json`                 | `text`  |
| `sonar config get`                  | `text`, `json`                 | `text`  |
| `sonar config list`                 | `text`, `table`, `json`        | `text`  |
| `sonar system status`               | `text`, `json`                 | `text`  |
| `sonar update status`               | `text`, `json`                 | `text`  |

`sonar system status --json` has been deprecated since 1.9. Use `--format json`.

`sonar config get --format json` and `sonar config list --format json` include `value` only for a non-sensitive key that is set. A sensitive key reports `sensitive` and `set`, and omits `value`. `sonar config get` prints one object. `sonar config list` prints an array, and `--only-set` limits that array to keys that have a value. Text output, and `sonar config list --format table`, print `***` for a sensitive key that is set and `(not set)` when nothing is stored. A terminal prints those placeholders in gray.

## Choosing a format

* When you're reading output in your terminal: use `table` for `sonar list issues`, `sonar list projects`, and `sonar list orgs` (`list projects` defaults to `json`; `list orgs` defaults to `table`), or keep the default `text` for analysis, `sonar auth status`, `sonar config get`, `sonar config list`, `sonar system status`, and `sonar update status`. Pass `--format table` when you want a `KEY` and `VALUE` table from `sonar config list`.
* If you're writing a script: use `json`. Every SonarQube CLI command that supports it parses cleanly with `jq` and standard JSON libraries in any language, with no custom parsing logic required. For `sonar analyze`, JSON combines `secrets` and `agentic` results in one object (see [Analyzing local changes](/sonarqube-cli/analysis/analyzing-local-changes.md#output-formats)). For `sonar analyze dependency-risks`, progress prints to stderr and the payload prints to stdout: `jq` and other parsers see only the results.
* When you're piping into a spreadsheet or BI tool: use `csv`.
* When you're piping into an AI agent (Claude Code, Copilot, Codex, Cursor, or Antigravity): use `toon`. It packs the same information into far fewer tokens than JSON, letting the agent see more of the data inside its context window.

## Examples

Human-readable issues list:

```bash
sonar list issues -p my-project --format table
```

Pipe issues into `jq`:

```bash
sonar list issues -p my-project --format json | jq '.issues[] | select(.severity=="BLOCKER")'
```

Export issues to a spreadsheet:

```bash
sonar list issues -p my-project --format csv > issues.csv
```

Feed issues to an AI agent:

```bash
sonar list issues -p my-project --format toon
```

Feed dependency risks to an AI agent:

```bash
sonar analyze dependency-risks -p my-project --format toon
```

Check quality gate status in your terminal:

```bash
sonar quality-gate status -p my-project --format table
```

Pipe quality gate JSON into `jq`:

```bash
sonar quality-gate status -p my-project --format json | jq '.qualityGate.status'
```

When a coverage, duplications, issues, security, or dependency-risks condition fails, JSON includes a `breakdown` on that condition (up to `--top`, default 500). Each breakdown includes a `category` (`coverage`, `duplications`, `issues`, `security`, or `dependency-risks`). Coverage and duplications list the worst files; issues and security list the worst issues (`file`, `line`, `key`, `rule`, `message`). Duplications entries also include `blockCount` and `duplicatesWith` when that detail is available. Dependency-risks entries list unresolved risks (`package`, `version`, `severity`, `type`, `key`, and `vulnerabilityId` when present). An auto-detected analyzed branch uses `qualityGate.branch` the same way an explicit `--branch` does. Auto-detected pull requests use `qualityGate.pullRequest` the same way an explicit `--pull-request` does:

```bash
sonar quality-gate status -p my-project --format json | jq '.qualityGate.conditions[] | select(.breakdown != null)'
```

When you pass a file or directory path, JSON uses `qualityGate.file` instead of `qualityGate.project`. `qualityGate.status` is `OK`, `ERROR`, `NOT_COMPUTED`, or `NOT_APPLICABLE` (no conditions apply to that path):

```bash
sonar quality-gate status src/checkout.ts -p my-project --format json | jq '.qualityGate | {status, file}'
```

Read a project list in the terminal:

```bash
sonar list projects --format table
```

List the organizations you can access as JSON:

```bash
sonar list orgs --format json | jq '.organizations[] | select(.isActive)'
```

Check authentication as JSON:

```bash
sonar auth status --format json
```

Capture system status as JSON:

```bash
sonar system status --format json
```

Check for a CLI update as JSON:

```bash
sonar update status --format json
```

Read a stored config value as JSON:

```bash
sonar config get log.level --format json
```

List every config key as JSON:

```bash
sonar config list --format json
```

## Related pages

* [Commands reference](/sonarqube-cli/using-sonarqube-cli/commands.md)
* [Exit codes](/sonarqube-cli/using-sonarqube-cli/exit-codes.md)


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