Package discovery mode
Reference for the four package discovery modes a Seal Project can use.
Package discovery mode is a per-Seal-Project setting that controls how the Seal Platform learns about the packages in your codebase. A Seal Project uses exactly one mode at a time. There are four:
Source code: Seal's SCM integration reads your dependency manifests directly from the connected repository.
CLI: the Seal CLI runs in your CI/CD pipeline, scans the manifest, and reports the result to the Seal Platform.
Artifact server: the Seal Artifact Server records each sealed package your build pulls.
Imported manifest: a one-shot upload of a manifest, lockfile, or SBOM.
Each sub-page covers one mode in detail: what it sees, when to choose it, and how to set it up.
For the high-level orientation and trade-offs across the four modes, see How Seal discovers your packages.
Discovery mode is not deployment method or fix mode
Package discovery mode answers "how does Seal see my packages?". Two adjacent settings answer different questions and should not be confused:
Deployment method answers "how is Seal integrated into my environment?". Five values: Automatic Remediation, Remote, Local, Artifact Server, Manual.
CLI fix mode answers "what does the Seal CLI do when it runs?". Three values: local, remote, all.
A single Seal Project has all three settings, and they interact. Most commonly, a Seal Project in CLI discovery mode runs the Seal CLI in remote fix mode under the Remote deployment method.
Mode changes
The mode is set automatically when a Seal Project first sees signal. It moves up the reliability hierarchy automatically (imported manifest → artifact server → CLI → source code) when a more reliable signal source produces signal, but it never moves back. Signals from a less reliable source than the project's current mode are dropped silently rather than recorded under the project. The full mechanics live under Mode changes in Creating a Seal Project.
Related
How Seal discovers your packages: the orientation page with the trade-off table.
Creating a Seal Project: where a project's mode is set, and the rules for changing it later.
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