# Using exit codes in commands
<a name="run-command-handle-exit-status"></a>

In some cases, you might need to manage how your commands are handled by using exit codes.

## Specify exit codes in commands
<a name="command-exit-codes"></a>

Using Run Command, you can specify exit codes to determine how commands are handled. By default, the exit code of the last command run in a script is reported as the exit code for the entire script. For example, you have a script that contains three commands. The first one fails but the following ones succeed. Because the final command succeeded, the status of the execution is reported as `succeeded`.

**Shell scripts**  
To fail the entire script at the first command failure, you can include a shell conditional statement to exit the script if any command before the final one fails. Use the following approach.

```
<command 1>
    if [ $? != 0 ]
    then
        exit <N>
    fi
    <command 2>
    <command 3>
```

In the following example, the entire script fails if the first command fails.

```
cd /test
    if [ $? != 0 ]
    then
        echo "Failed"
        exit 1
    fi
    date
```

**PowerShell scripts**  
PowerShell requires that you call `exit` explicitly in your scripts for Run Command to successfully capture the exit code.

```
<command 1>
    if ($?) {<do something>}
    else {exit <N>}
    <command 2>
    <command 3>
    exit <N>
```

Here is an example:

```
cd C:\
    if ($?) {echo "Success"}
    else {exit 1}
    date
```