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The veto init command sets up Veto in your project by creating the configuration directory and default policy files.

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Syntax

veto init [options]

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Description

Initializes Veto by creating: 
veto/
  veto.config.yaml    # Main configuration file
  rules/
    defaults.yaml     # Default rules template
  .env.example        # Example environment variables
Also updates .gitignore to exclude sensitive Veto files.

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Options

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Force Overwrite

--force, -f
Overwrite existing files if Veto is already initialized. Example: 
veto init --force

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Policy Pack

--pack <name>
Start with a built-in policy pack:
  • @veto/financial - Financial transaction policies
  • @veto/communication - Email/messaging policies
  • @veto/browser-automation - Browser automation policies
  • @veto/data-access - Database/API access policies
  • @veto/coding-agent - Filesystem/shell command policies
  • @veto/deployment - Deployment/release policies
Example: 
veto init --pack @veto/financial

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Quiet Mode

--quiet, -q
Suppress output messages. Example: 
veto init --quiet

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Skip Confirmation

--yes, -y
Skip confirmation prompts (useful for automation). Example: 
veto init --yes

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Examples

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Basic Initialization

veto init
Output: 
Initializing Veto...

  Created veto/
  Created veto/rules/
  Created veto/veto.config.yaml
  Created veto/rules/defaults.yaml
  Created veto/.env.example
  Updated .gitignore

Veto initialized successfully!

Next steps:
  1. Add your validation rules in veto/rules/
  2. Use Veto in your application (local mode is default):
  3. Optional: set VETO_API_KEY to switch to cloud mode

     import { Veto } from "veto-sdk";

     const veto = await Veto.init();
     const tools = veto.wrapTools(myTools);

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Initialize with Policy Pack

veto init --pack @veto/financial
Creates veto/rules/defaults.yaml that extends the financial policy pack: 
# Extends built-in financial policy pack
extends: '@veto/financial'

rules:
  # Customize inherited rules or add new ones
  - id: block-large-transfers
    name: Block Large Transfers
    description: Block transfers over $10,000
    enabled: true
    severity: critical
    action: block
    tools:
      - transfer_funds
    conditions:
      - field: arguments.amount
        operator: greater_than
        value: 10000

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Force Reinitialize

veto init --force
Overwrites existing configuration files. Useful for resetting to defaults.

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Automated Setup (CI)

veto init --yes --quiet
echo $?  # Check exit code: 0 = success, 1 = failure

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Created Files

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veto/veto.config.yaml

Main configuration file: 
# Veto Configuration
version: 1

# Rules configuration
rules:
  directory: rules
  recursive: true

# Validation mode
mode: local  # local, cloud, kernel, or custom

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veto/rules/defaults.yaml

Default rules template: 
rules:
  # Example: Block dangerous shell commands
  - id: block-rm-rf
    name: Block rm -rf
    description: Prevent destructive filesystem operations
    enabled: true
    severity: critical
    action: block
    tools:
      - execute_shell_command
    conditions:
      - field: arguments.command
        operator: contains
        value: 'rm -rf'

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veto/.env.example

Example environment variables: 
# Veto Cloud (optional)
VETO_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
VETO_API_URL=https://api.veto.so

# Local mode (default)
# No environment variables needed for local mode

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.gitignore Updates

Adds these entries to your .gitignore: 
# Veto
veto/.env
veto/logs/

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Validation

Check if Veto is initialized: 
veto doctor
Output: 
Veto Doctor
===========

✓ Runtime: Node.js v20.11.0
✓ Veto directory: /path/to/project/veto
✓ Config file: veto.config.yaml
✓ Rules loaded: 1 rule from 1 file

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Common Issues

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Already Initialized

If Veto is already initialized: 
veto init
Output: 
Veto is already initialized in this directory.
Use --force to overwrite existing files.
Solution: 
veto init --force

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Invalid Policy Pack

If you specify an invalid pack: 
veto init --pack @veto/invalid
Output: 
Invalid --pack value: Policy pack '@veto/invalid' not found.
Available packs:
  @veto/financial
  @veto/communication
  @veto/browser-automation
  @veto/data-access
  @veto/coding-agent
  @veto/deployment

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Permission Errors

If you get permission errors: 
Error: EACCES: permission denied, mkdir 'veto'
Solution: 
# Check directory permissions
ls -la

# Run with appropriate permissions
sudo veto init  # (not recommended)

# Or fix directory ownership
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER .

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Best Practices

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1. Initialize Early

Run veto init when starting a new agent project: 
mkdir my-agent-app
cd my-agent-app
npm init -y
npm install veto-sdk
veto init

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2. Choose the Right Pack

Select a policy pack that matches your agent’s domain: 
# Financial agent
veto init --pack @veto/financial

# Browser automation agent
veto init --pack @veto/browser-automation

# General-purpose agent
veto init  # No pack, start from scratch

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3. Commit Configuration

Commit veto/ to version control: 
git add veto/
git commit -m "Initialize Veto policies"

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4. Keep Secrets Separate

Never commit .env files: 
# Copy example to .env
cp veto/.env.example veto/.env

# Edit with your keys
vim veto/.env

# .env is already in .gitignore

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Next Steps

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