---
title: influx - InfluxDB command line interface
description: The influx CLI includes commands to manage many aspects of InfluxDB, including buckets, organizations, users, tasks, etc.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/
estimated_tokens: 5734
product: InfluxDB OSS v2
version: v2
---

# influx - InfluxDB command line interface

This page documents an earlier version of InfluxDB OSS. [InfluxDB 3 Core](/influxdb3/core/) is the latest stable version.

#### API token hashing is enabled by default in InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0

Stronger token security: tokens are stored as hashes on disk, so a copy of the database file doesn’t expose usable tokens. Existing tokens are hashed on first startup and the original strings can’t be recovered afterward — **capture any plaintext tokens you still need before you upgrade**.

For more information, see [Token hashing](/influxdb/v2/admin/tokens/#token-hashing).

The `influx` command line interface (CLI) includes commands to manage many aspects of InfluxDB, including buckets, organizations, users, tasks, etc.

#### InfluxDB OSS v2 and influx CLI versions

Beginning with **InfluxDB 2.1**, the `influx` CLI is packaged and versioned separately from InfluxDB. InfluxDB and `influx` CLI versions may differ, but compatibility is noted for each command.

-   [Download and install the influx CLI](#download-and-install-the-influx-cli)
    -   [Use Homebrew](#use-homebrew)
    -   [Manually download and install](#manually-download-and-install)
        -   [Download from your browser](#download-from-your-browser)
        -   [Download from the command line](#download-from-the-command-line)
-   [Provide required authentication credentials](#provide-required-authentication-credentials)
    -   [Credential precedence](#credential-precedence)
-   [Usage](#usage)
-   [Commands](#commands)
-   [Flags](#flags)
    -   [Flag patterns and conventions](#flag-patterns-and-conventions)
        -   [Mapped environment variables](#mapped-environment-variables)
        -   [Shorthand and longhand flags](#shorthand-and-longhand-flags)
        -   [Flag input types](#flag-input-types)
            -   [string](#string)
            -   [stringArray](#stringarray)
            -   [integer](#integer)
            -   [duration](#duration)

## Download and install the influx CLI

<!-- Tabbed content: Select one of the following options -->

**macOS:**

Do one of the following:

-   [Use Homebrew](#use-homebrew)
-   [Manually download and install](#manually-download-and-install)

### Use Homebrew

```sh
brew install influxdb-cli
```

If you used Homebrew to install **InfluxDB 2.9**, the `influxdb-cli` formula was downloaded as a dependency and should already be installed. If installed, `influxdb-cli` will appear in the output of the following command:

```sh
brew list | grep influxdb-cli
```

### Manually download and install

1. **Download the `influx` CLI package.**
    
    [influx CLI v2.8.0 (macOS)](https://dl.influxdata.com/influxdb/releases/influxdb2-client-2.8.0-darwin-amd64.tar.gz)
    
2. **Unpackage the downloaded package.**
    
    Do one of the following:
    
    -   Double-click the downloaded package file in **Finder**.
        
    -   Run the following command in a macOS command prompt application such **Terminal** or **[iTerm2](https://www.iterm2.com/)**:
        
        ```sh
        # Unpackage contents to the current working directory
        tar zxvf ~/Downloads/influxdb2-client-2.8.0-darwin-amd64.tar.gz
        ```
        
3. **(Optional) Place the binary in your `$PATH`.**
    
    ```sh
    # (Optional) Copy the influx binary to your $PATH
    sudo cp ~/Downloads/influxdb2-client-2.8.0-darwin-amd64/influx /usr/local/bin/
    ```
    
    If you do not move the `influx` binary into your `$PATH`, prefix the executable `./` to run it in place.
    
4. **(macOS Catalina and newer) Authorize the `influx` binary.**
    
    macOS requires downloaded binaries to be signed by registered Apple developers. When you first attempt to run `influx`, macOS will prevent it from running. To authorize the `influx` binary:
    
    1. Attempt to run an `influx` command.
    2. Open **System Preferences** and click **Security & Privacy**.
    3. Under the **General** tab, there is a message about `influx` being blocked. Click **Open Anyway**.

**Linux:**

1. **Download the influx CLI package.**
    
    Download the `influx` CLI package [from your browser](#download-from-your-browser) or [from the command line](#download-from-the-command-line).
    
    #### Download from your browser
    
    [influx CLI v2.8.0 (amd64)](https://dl.influxdata.com/influxdb/releases/influxdb2-client-2.8.0-linux-amd64.tar.gz) [influx CLI v2.8.0 (arm)](https://dl.influxdata.com/influxdb/releases/influxdb2-client-2.8.0-linux-arm64.tar.gz)
    
    #### Download from the command line
    
    ```bash
    # amd64
    curl -O \
    https://dl.influxdata.com/influxdb/releases/influxdb2-client-2.8.0-linux-amd64.tar.gz
    ```
    
    ```bash
    # arm
    curl -O \
    https://dl.influxdata.com/influxdb/releases/influxdb2-client-2.8.0-linux-arm64.tar.gz \
    ```
    
2. **Unpackage the downloaded package.**
    
    ***Note:** The following commands are examples. Adjust the filenames, paths, and utilities if necessary.*
    
    ```bash
    # amd64
    tar xvzf influxdb2-client-2.8.0-linux-amd64.tar.gz
    ```
    
    ```bash
    # arm
    tar xvzf influxdb2-client-2.8.0-linux-arm64.tar.gz
    ```
    
3. **(Optional) Place the unpackaged `influx` executable in your system `$PATH`.**
    
    ```bash
    sudo cp ./influx /usr/local/bin/
    ```
    
    If you do not move the `influx` binary into your `$PATH`, prefix the executable `./` to run it in place.

**Windows:**

#### Use Powershell for Windows

Use Powershell for running `influx` CLI commands. Command Prompt is not fully compatible.

1. **Download the `influx` CLI package.**
    
    [influx CLI v2.8.0 (Windows)](https://dl.influxdata.com/influxdb/releases/influxdb2-client-2.8.0-windows-amd64.zip)
    
2. **Expand the downloaded archive.**
    
    Expand the downloaded archive into `C:\Program Files\InfluxData\` and rename it if desired.
    
    ```powershell
    > Expand-Archive .\influxdb2-client-2.8.0-windows-amd64.zip -DestinationPath 'C:\Program Files\InfluxData\'
    > mv 'C:\Program Files\InfluxData\influxdb2-client-2.8.0-windows-amd64' 'C:\Program Files\InfluxData\influx'
    ```
    
3. **Grant network access to the `influx` CLI.**
    
    When using the `influx` CLI for the first time, **Windows Defender** displays the following message:
    
    > Windows Defender Firewall has blocked some features of this app.
    
    To grant the `influx` CLI the required access, do the following:
    
    1. Select **Private networks, such as my home or work network**.
    2. Click **Allow access**.

<!-- End tabbed content -->

## Provide required authentication credentials

To avoid having to pass your InfluxDB **host**, **API token**, and **organization** with each command, store them in an `influx` CLI configuration (config). `influx` commands that require these credentials automatically retrieve these credentials from the active config.

Use the [`influx config create` command](/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/config/create/) to create an `influx` CLI config and set it as active:

```sh
influx config create --config-name CONFIG_NAME \
  --host-url http://localhost:8086 \
  --org ORG_NAME \
  --token API_TOKEN \
  --active
```

For more information about managing CLI configurations, see the [`influx config` documentation](/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/config/).

### Credential precedence

Provide credentials using any of the following supported methods. The `influx` CLI uses the following precedence when retrieving credentials:

1. Command line flags (`--host`, `--org -o`, `--token -t`)
2. Environment variables (`INFLUX_HOST`, `INFLUX_ORG`, `INFLUX_TOKEN`)
3. CLI configuration file

Command line flags override environment variables, which override configuration file values.

## Usage

```
influx [flags]
influx [command]
```

## Commands

| Command | Description |
| --- | --- |
| apply | Apply an InfluxDB template |
| auth | API token management commands |
| backup | Back up data (InfluxDB OSS only) |
| bucket | Bucket management commands |
| bucket-schema | Manage InfluxDB bucket schemas (InfluxDB Cloud only) |
| completion | Generate completion scripts |
| config | Configuration management commands |
| dashboards | List dashboards |
| delete | Delete points from InfluxDB |
| export | Export resources as a template |
| help | Help about any command |
| org | Organization management commands |
| ping | Check the InfluxDB /health endpoint |
| query | Execute a Flux query |
| restore | Restore backup data (InfluxDB OSS only) |
| scripts | Scripts management commands (InfluxDB Cloud only) |
| secret | Manage secrets |
| setup | Create default username, password, org, bucket, etc. (InfluxDB OSS only) |
| stacks | Manage InfluxDB stacks |
| task | Task management commands |
| telegrafs | Telegraf configuration management commands |
| template | Summarize and validate an InfluxDB template |
| user | User management commands |
| v1 | Work with the v1 compatibility API |
| version | Print the influx CLI version |
| write | Write points to InfluxDB |

## Flags

| Flag |  | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| -h | --help | Help for the influx command |

### Flag patterns and conventions

The `influx` CLI uses the following patterns and conventions:

-   [Mapped environment variables](#mapped-environment-variables)
-   [Shorthand and longhand flags](#shorthand-and-longhand-flags)
-   [Flag input types](#flag-input-types)

#### Mapped environment variables

`influx` CLI flags mapped to environment variables are listed in the **Mapped to** column of the Flags table in each command documentation. Mapped flags inherit the value of the environment variable. To override environment variables, set the flag explicitly in your command.

[](#view-mapped-environment-variables)

View mapped environment variables

Some `influx` CLI commands may not support all mapped environment variables. For more information about what mapped environment variables each command supports, see the command documentation.

| Environment variable | Description |
| --- | --- |
| INFLUX_ACTIVE_CONFIG | CLI configuration to use for commands |
| INFLUX_BUCKET_ID | Bucket ID |
| INFLUX_BUCKET_NAME | Bucket name |
| INFLUX_CONFIGS_PATH | Path to influx CLI configurations (default ~/.influxdbv2/configs) |
| INFLUX_HIDE_HEADERS | Hide table headers in command output (default false) |
| INFLUX_HOST | HTTP address of InfluxDB (default http://localhost:8086) |
| INFLUX_NAME | InfluxDB Username |
| INFLUX_ORG | InfluxDB Organization name |
| INFLUX_ORG_DESCRIPTION | Organization description |
| INFLUX_ORG_ID | InfluxDB Organization ID |
| INFLUX_OUTPUT_JSON | Return command output JSON |
| INFLUX_SKIP_VERIFY | Skip TLS certificate verification |
| INFLUX_TOKEN | InfluxDB API token |

#### Shorthand and longhand flags

Many `influx` CLI flags support both shorthand and longhand forms.

-   **shorthand:** a shorthand flag begins with a single hyphen followed by a single letter (for example: `-c`).
-   **longhand:** a longhand flag starts with two hyphens followed by a multi-letter, hyphen-spaced flag name (for example: `--active-config`).

Commands can use both shorthand and longhand flags in a single execution.

#### Flag input types

`influx` CLI flag input types are listed in each the table of flags for each command. Flags support the following input types:

##### string

Text string, but the flag can be used **only once** per command execution.

##### stringArray

Single text string, but the flag can be used **multiple times** per command execution.

##### integer

Sequence of digits representing an integer value.

##### duration

Length of time represented by an integer and a duration unit (`1ns`, `1us`, `1µs`, `1ms`, `1s`, `1m`, `1h`, `1d`, `1w`).

#### Related

-   [Install and use the influx CLI](/influxdb/v2/tools/influx-cli/)

[cli](/influxdb/v2/tags/cli/)