---
title: influxd-ctl CLI
description: Use the influxd-ctl CLI to manage your InfluxDB Enterprise v1 cluster.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/
estimated_tokens: 1739
publisher: InfluxData
canonical: https://docs.influxdata.com/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/
date: '2026-03-31T20:37:45-05:00'
lastmod: '2026-03-31T20:37:45-05:00'
---

The `influxd-ctl` CLI provides commands for managing your InfluxDB Enterprise cluster.
The `influxd-ctl` utility is available on all InfluxDB Enterprise[meta nodes](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/concepts/glossary/#meta-node).

## Usage

```
influxd-ctl [global-flags] <command> [command-flags] [arguments]
```

## Commands

|                                     Command                                     |          Description           |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|         [add-data](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/add-data/)         |        Add a data node         |
|         [add-meta](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/add-meta/)         |        Add a meta node         |
|           [backup](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/backup/)           |       Back up a cluster        |
|       [copy-shard](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/copy-shard/)       |Copy a shard between data nodes |
|[copy-shard-status](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/copy-shard-status/)|Show all active copy shard tasks|
|          [entropy](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/entropy/)          |  Manage entropy in a cluster   |
|             [join](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/join/)             |    Join a meta or data node    |
|  [kill-copy-shard](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/kill-copy-shard/)  |Abort an in-progress shard copy |
|             [ldap](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/ldap/)             |    Manage LDAP in a cluster    |
|            [leave](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/leave/)            |   Remove a meta or data node   |
|      [remove-data](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/remove-data/)      |       Remove a data node       |
|      [remove-meta](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/remove-meta/)      |       Remove a meta node       |
|     [remove-shard](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/remove-shard/)     |Remove a shard from a data node |
|          [restore](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/restore/)          | Restore a backup of a cluster  |
|             [show](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/show/)             |      Show cluster members      |
|      [show-shards](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/show-shards/)      |   Shows shards in a cluster    |
|      [node-labels](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/node-labels/)      |       Manage node labels       |
|            [token](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/token/)            |  Generates a signed JWT token  |
|  [truncate-shards](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/truncate-shards/)  |    Truncate current shards     |
|      [update-data](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/tools/influxd-ctl/update-data/)      |       Update a data node       |

## Global flags

|    Flag    |                                        Description                                        |
|------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|`-auth-type`|               Authentication type to use (`none` *default*, `basic`, `jwt`)               |
|  `-bind`   |                Meta node HTTP bind address *(default is `localhost:8091`)*                |
|`-bind-tls` |                                          Use TLS                                          |
| `-config`  |                                  Configuration file path                                  |
|    `-k`    |               Skip certificate verification *(ignored without `-bind-tls`)*               |
|   `-pwd`   |         Password for basic authentication *(ignored without `-auth-type basic`)*          |
| `-secret`  |                  JWT shared secret *(ignored without `-auth-type jwt`)*                   |
| `-timeout` |Override the default timeout of 10s for operations *(for example, `30s`, `1m`)*. *v1.12.3+*|
|  `-user`   |                 Username *(ignored without `-auth-type basic` or `jwt`)*                  |

## Examples

* [Bind to a remote meta node](#bind-to-a-remote-meta-node)
* [Authenticate with JWT](#authenticate-with-jwt)
* [Authenticate with basic authentication](#authenticate-with-basic-authentication)
* [Override the default timeout](#override-the-default-timeout)

### Bind to a remote meta node

```sh
influxd-ctl -bind meta-node-02:8091
```

### Authenticate with JWT

```sh
influxd-ctl -auth-type jwt -secret oatclusters
```

### Authenticate with basic authentication

```sh
influxd-ctl -auth-type basic -user admin -pwd passw0rd
```

### Override the default timeout

```sh
influxd-ctl -timeout 30s show-shards
```

[](#troubleshoot-influxd-ctl-authentication)

Troubleshoot `influxd-ctl` authentication

If authentication is enabled in the cluster’s[meta node configuration files](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/administration/configure/config-meta-nodes/#auth-enabled)and [data node configuration files](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/administration/configure/config-data-nodes/#meta-auth-enabled)and the `influxd-ctl` command does not include authentication details, the system returns:

```bash
Error: unable to parse authentication credentials.
```

If authentication is enabled and the `influxd-ctl` command provides the incorrect
username or password, the system returns:

```bash
Error: authorization failed.
```
| Command | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Command | Description |
| add-data | Add a data node |
| add-meta | Add a meta node |
| backup | Back up a cluster |
| copy-shard | Copy a shard between data nodes |
| copy-shard-status | Show all active copy shard tasks |
| entropy | Manage entropy in a cluster |
| join | Join a meta or data node |
| kill-copy-shard | Abort an in-progress shard copy |
| ldap | Manage LDAP in a cluster |
| leave | Remove a meta or data node |
| remove-data | Remove a data node |
| remove-meta | Remove a meta node |
| remove-shard | Remove a shard from a data node |
| restore | Restore a backup of a cluster |
| show | Show cluster members |
| show-shards | Shows shards in a cluster |
| node-labels | Manage node labels |
| token | Generates a signed JWT token |
| truncate-shards | Truncate current shards |
| update-data | Update a data node |

| Flag | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Flag | Description |
| -auth-type | Authentication type to use ( none   default ,  basic ,  jwt ) |
| -bind | Meta node HTTP bind address  (default is  localhost:8091 ) |
| -bind-tls | Use TLS |
| -config | Configuration file path |
| -k | Skip certificate verification  (ignored without  -bind-tls ) |
| -pwd | Password for basic authentication  (ignored without  -auth-type basic ) |
| -secret | JWT shared secret  (ignored without  -auth-type jwt ) |
| -timeout | Override the default timeout of 10s for operations  (for example,  30s ,  1m ) .  v1.12.3+ |
| -user | Username  (ignored without  -auth-type basic  or  jwt ) |