> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.interactive.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.interactive.ai/cli/iai_stacks_diff.md).

# iai stacks diff

Show differences between local config and live stack

## Synopsis

Compare a local stack configuration file against the live state of a stack and show creates, updates, deletes, and field-level changes.

Use --file or --cfg-file for the local configuration. --stack-id overrides the stack ID in that file.

Existing resources are validated as replacements; rejected replacements fail the diff. Agent plans depending on changing MCPs are deferred until those changes are applied. Supplied remote MCP credentials count as updates but are never displayed.

Use --json for machine-readable output in CI pipelines.

```
iai stacks diff [flags]
```

## Examples

```
  iai stacks diff --file stack.yaml --stack-id my-stack
  iai stacks diff --file stack.yaml --stack-id my-stack --json
  iai stacks diff --file stack.yaml --stack-id my-stack -o my-org -p my-project
```

## Options

```
  -f, --file string           Path to local stack configuration file
  -h, --help                  help for diff
      --json                  Output diff as JSON; agents.deferred maps unplanned agents to their changing mcp dependencies
  -o, --organization string   Organization name
  -p, --project string        Project name
      --stack-id string       Stack ID to compare against live
```

## Options inherited from parent commands

```
      --api-key string               API key for authentication
      --cfg-file string              Path to YAML config file with organization, project, and optional service definitions
      --deployment-hostname string   Hostname for the deployment API (default "https://deployment.interactive.ai")
      --hostname string              Hostname for the API (default "https://app.interactive.ai")
```

## SEE ALSO

* [iai stacks](/cli/iai_stacks.md) - Declarative resource sync from config files


---

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