Vibgrate CLI can present scan results in several formats so they fit wherever you need them — a terminal, a script, a security dashboard, or a pull-request comment. This article explains each format and when to choose it, for developers and pipeline authors.
Overview
A scan computes the same underlying results regardless of format; the format only changes presentation. Select one with --format:
vg scan --format sarif
The formats
Text (human-readable)
The default when you run a scan in a terminal. It prints the DriftScore and a readable breakdown of what's contributing. Best for interactive use and quick checks:
vg
JSON
Structured, machine-readable output for scripts and custom tooling. Use it when another program needs to consume the results — parsing the DriftScore, iterating findings, or feeding a dashboard of your own:
vg scan --format json
SARIF
The Static Analysis Results Interchange Format, the standard understood by code-scanning tools and CI security tabs. Choose SARIF to surface drift findings alongside other analysis in your platform's security view:
vg scan --format sarif
This is the format to upload to GitHub code scanning and similar systems.
Markdown
Formatted for humans to read in pull requests, wikis, and chat. Ideal for posting a scan summary as a PR comment or sharing a readable snapshot:
vg scan --format markdown
Generating reports
For richer, shareable reports from scan artifacts, use the report command, which can produce Markdown, text, or JSON:
vg report
Choosing a format
- Local triage — text.
- Scripts and integrations — JSON.
- Security dashboards / code scanning — SARIF.
- PR comments and docs — Markdown.
Related
- See the Output Formats reference and
vg reportdocs. - See Exit codes explained to gate CI on scan results.
- See Drift in CI vs local for combining formats with gates.