> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://zerv.wisl.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> zerv is a CLI tool that generates version strings from Git state. It is not a service or platform.
> Examples on this site are backed by integration tests; copy them verbatim.
> Flag names are exact: use --output-template, and --dirty takes no value.

# Conflicting options

> zerv error: Conflicting options — two flags that cannot combine, such as --output-template with --output-prefix. Pick one or fold the prefix into the template.

```
Error: Conflicting options: Cannot use --output-template with --output-prefix. ...
```

Two flags that say incompatible things about the same output. zerv refuses the combination
rather than guessing which one wins.

## Reproduce

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
zerv render "1.2.3" --output-template "v{{major}}" --output-prefix "v"
# Error: Conflicting options: Cannot use --output-template with --output-prefix. ...
```

## The common pairs

* `--output-prefix` with `--output-template`: put the prefix inside the template instead,
  `--output-template "v{{ major }}.{{ minor }}"`
* `--clean` with `--dirty`: pick one state

See [formats and templates](/concepts/formats-and-templates) for how templates and prefixes
actually compose. Not this error? Every fix lives on
[zerv errors and troubleshooting](/troubleshooting).