---
title: "Custom Instructions"
description: "Guide Strix with custom testing instructions"
---

Use instructions to provide context, credentials, or focus areas for your scan.

## Inline Instructions

```bash
strix --target https://app.com --instruction "Focus on authentication vulnerabilities"
```

## File-Based Instructions

For complex instructions, use a file:

```bash
strix --target https://app.com --instruction-file ./pentest-instructions.md
```

## Common Use Cases

### Authenticated Testing

```bash
strix --target https://app.com \
  --instruction "Login with email: test@example.com, password: TestPass123"
```

### Focused Scope

```bash
strix --target https://api.example.com \
  --instruction "Focus on IDOR vulnerabilities in the /api/users endpoints"
```

### Exclusions

```bash
strix --target https://app.com \
  --instruction "Do not test /admin or /internal endpoints"
```

### API Testing

```bash
strix --target https://api.example.com \
  --instruction "Use API key header: X-API-Key: abc123. Focus on rate limiting bypass."
```

## Instruction File Example

```markdown instructions.md
# Penetration Test Instructions

## Credentials
- Admin: admin@example.com / AdminPass123
- User: user@example.com / UserPass123

## Focus Areas
1. IDOR in user profile endpoints
2. Privilege escalation between roles
3. JWT token manipulation

## Out of Scope
- /health endpoints
- Third-party integrations
```

<Tip>
Be specific. Good instructions help Strix prioritize the most valuable attack paths.
</Tip>

## Workspace files

Instructions become part of the prompt. To give Strix a file to work with, such
as a wordlist, an API specification, or notes, use `--workspace-file`. Strix
places the file into the sandbox workspace before the scan starts.

```bash
strix --target https://app.com --workspace-file ./wordlist.txt
```

The file lands at `/workspace/<file name>`. To choose the destination, write
`PATH:DEST`. `DEST` is a path inside `/workspace`.

```bash
strix --target https://app.com \
  --workspace-file ./openapi.yaml:specs/openapi.yaml \
  --workspace-file ./notes.md
```

Repeat the option for every file you want to place. Strix lists the files in the
agent task, so the agent knows where to read them.

Rules that apply to every workspace file:

- The file is read-only inside the sandbox.
- The destination must stay inside `/workspace`.
- The destination must not fall inside a target directory, because target files
  come from the target itself. Strix skips such a file and logs a warning.
- Two files cannot claim the same destination.

<Note>
A workspace file is data for the agent to use. It is not a scan target, and its
contents do not change the instructions.
</Note>

<Warning>
Do not place secrets in a workspace file. The sandbox runs untrusted target
code, so treat anything you place there as readable by the target.
</Warning>
