> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://graph.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Plan inputs

> Schemas, JSON documents, and layered overrides

## Declaring inputs

A plan declares its inputs as a JSON Schema; steps and solver templates reference them as `{{input.<name>}}`:

```yaml theme={null}
input_schema:
  type: object
  required: [project]
  properties:
    project: { type: string, description: The Linear project name }
```

Inputs validate **before any step runs** — missing or mistyped fields fail fast with per-field messages.

## Supplying inputs

All of these are equivalent; they compose by layering:

```bash theme={null}
# inline JSON
graph plan run project_status '{"project":"New Relic"}'

# key=value flags (values parse as JSON when possible: a=19 is a number)
graph plan run project_status --input project="New Relic"

# from a file (curl-style @)
graph plan run project_status @inputs.json

# from stdin (explicit -, never auto-detected)
echo '{"project":"New Relic"}' | graph plan run project_status -

# layered: document as base, flags override individual keys
graph plan run report @base.json --input window="-P7D"
```

The layering (document first, `--input` overrides on top) is the CI pattern: a checked-in fixture plus per-run overrides.

<Note>
  Stdin is read only on an explicit `-`. Auto-detection is a hang risk in automation (a job whose stdin never closes would block forever), so it costs one character instead.
</Note>

## When inputs are missing

**`plan run`**: exit code `3`, with the problems and the input schema printed to stderr — a calling script knows exactly what to send:

```
plan 'project_status' needs inputs:
  - "project" is a required property
input schema:
{ "type": "object", "required": ["project"], … }
```

**In chat**: the plan tool returns the same information as a tool error; the agent asks you for the missing values and re-invokes with complete inputs. No special resume machinery — just a conversation.

## Same API on `graph tools test`

Direct tool invocation uses the identical input model:

```bash theme={null}
graph tools test linear__list_issues '{"team":"Core","limit":5}'
graph tools test user__git_log @fixture.json --input count=3
```


## Related topics

- [Authoring plans](/plans/authoring.md)
- [Built-ins](/tools/builtins.md)
- [Scripting contract](/reference/scripting-contract.md)
- [Branching](/plans/branching.md)
- [Iteration](/plans/iteration.md)