Exit Codes

Device Cloud uses standard exit codes to indicate the status of command execution. Understanding these codes is useful for CI/CD integration and automation.

Standard Exit Codes

Success

0    # Command completed successfully

General Errors

1    # CLI or infrastructure error (bad workspace, network failure, dcd bug)
2    # Test run explicitly failed

A run the API refuses to start also exits 1. That includes HTTP 402 refusals, when a run would take you over your Overage Limit or a subscription payment is overdue.

A run fails if any of its tests fails or is cancelled, so a run you cancel from the console also exits 2. With --async, dcd cloud exits 0 as soon as the run is submitted, whatever the outcome.

JSON Output

The two JSON flags behave differently around test failures:

• --json — prints results as JSON to stdout but still signals the outcome through the exit code: 0 on success, 2 on test failure, 1 on CLI/infrastructure errors.
• --json-file — writes results to a file and exits 0 even when the test run fails, so a failing test won't stop your pipeline. CLI/infrastructure errors still exit 1.

INFO

Use --json-file when you want to inspect the result yourself rather than have a non-zero exit code fail the build. Use --json when you still want the exit code to gate your pipeline.

dcd status --json exits 0 whenever it prints a result. That includes a FAILED run and a failed lookup, which is also reported as FAILED but with an error field (see dcd status).

Superseded Runs

A run superseded by a newer run through --cancel-previous exits 0, even if one of its tests had already failed. With --json or --json-file, its status is SUPERSEDED.

Live Sessions

• dcd live run exits 2 if the flow fails, or if it's still running when --timeout is reached.
• dcd live exec exits 0 even when the commands fail — check the printed result.

See dcd live for the full reference.