---
title: influx write
description: The influx write command writes data to InfluxDB via stdin or from a specified file. Write data using line protocol, annotated CSV, or extended annotated CSV.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/cli/influx/write/
estimated_tokens: 6525
product: InfluxDB Cloud Serverless
version: cloud-serverless
---

# influx write

-   influx CLI 2.0.0+
-   Updated in CLI v2.0.5

The `influx write` command writes data to InfluxDB via stdin or from a specified file. Write data using [line protocol](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/line-protocol), [annotated CSV](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/annotated-csv), or [extended annotated CSV](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/annotated-csv/extended/). If you write CSV data, CSV annotations determine how the data translates into line protocol.

## Usage

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

### Required data

To write data to InfluxDB, you must provide the following for each row:

-   **measurement**
-   **field**
-   **value**

#### Line protocol

In **line protocol**, the [structure of the line data](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/line-protocol/#elements-of-line-protocol) determines the measurement, field, and value.

#### Annotated CSV

In **annotated CSV**, measurements, fields, and values are represented by the `_measurement`, `_field`, and `_value` columns. Their types are determined by CSV annotations. To successfully write annotated CSV to InfluxDB, include all [annotation rows](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/annotated-csv/#annotations).

#### Extended annotated CSV

In **extended annotated CSV**, measurements, fields, and values and their types are determined by [CSV annotations](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/annotated-csv/extended/#csv-annotations).

## Subcommands

| Subcommand | Description |
| --- | --- |
| dryrun | Write to stdout instead of InfluxDB |

## Flags

| Flag |  | Description | Input type | Maps to ? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| -c | --active-config | CLI configuration to use for command | string |  |
| -b | --bucket | Bucket name (mutually exclusive with --bucket-id) | string | INFLUX_BUCKET_NAME |
|  | --bucket-id | Bucket ID (mutually exclusive with --bucket) | string | INFLUX_BUCKET_ID |
|  | --configs-path | Path to influx CLI configurations (default ~/.influxdbv2/configs) | string | INFLUX_CONFIGS_PATH |
|  | --compression | Input compression (none or gzip, default is none unless input file ends with .gz.) | string |  |
|  | --debug | Output errors to stderr |  |  |
|  | --encoding | Character encoding of input (default UTF-8) | string |  |
|  | --errors-file | Path to a file used for recording rejected row errors | string |  |
| -f | --file | File to import | stringArray |  |
|  | --format | Input format (lp or csv, default lp) | string |  |
|  | --header | Prepend header line to CSV input data | string |  |
| -h | --help | Help for the write command |  |  |
|  | --host | HTTP address of InfluxDB (default http://localhost:8086) | string | INFLUX_HOST |
|  | --max-line-length | Maximum number of bytes that can be read for a single line (default 16000000) | integer |  |
| -o | --org | Organization name (mutually exclusive with --org-id) | string | INFLUX_ORG |
|  | --org-id | Organization ID (mutually exclusive with --org) | string | INFLUX_ORG_ID |
| -p | --precision | Precision of the timestamps (default ns) | string | INFLUX_PRECISION |
|  | --rate-limit | Throttle write rate (examples: 5MB/5min or 1MB/s). | string |  |
|  | --skip-verify | Skip TLS certificate verification |  | INFLUX_SKIP_VERIFY |
|  | --skipHeader | Skip first n rows of input data | integer |  |
|  | --skipRowOnError | Output CSV errors to stderr, but continue processing |  |  |
| -t | --token | API token | string | INFLUX_TOKEN |
| -u | --url | URL to import data from | stringArray |  |

## Examples

#### Authentication credentials

The examples below assume your InfluxDB **host**, **organization**, and **token** are provided by either the [active `influx` CLI configuration](/influxdb/cloud-serverless/reference/cli/influx/#provide-required-authentication-credentials) or by environment variables (`INFLUX_HOST`, `INFLUX_ORG`, and `INFLUX_TOKEN`). If you do not have a CLI configuration set up or the environment variables set, include these required credentials for each command with the following flags:

-   `--host`: [InfluxDB host](/influxdb/cloud-serverless/reference/urls/)
-   `-o, --org` or `--org-id`: InfluxDB organization name or ID
-   `-t, --token`: InfluxDB API token

###### Write line protocol

-   [via stdin](#write-line-protocol-via-stdin)
-   [from a file](#write-line-protocol-from-a-file)
-   [and skip header lines](#skip-header-lines-in-a-file)
-   [from multiple files](#write-line-protocol-from-multiple-files)
-   [from a URL](#write-line-protocol-from-a-url)
-   [from multiple URLs](#write-line-protocol-from-multiple-urls)
-   [from multiple sources](#write-line-protocol-from-multiple-sources)
-   [from a compressed file](#write-line-protocol-from-a-compressed-file)

###### Write CSV data

-   [annotated CSV via stdin](#write-annotated-csv-data-via-stdin)
-   [extended annotated CSV via stdin](#write-extended-annotated-csv-data-via-stdin)
-   [from a file](#write-annotated-csv-data-from-a-file)
-   [from multiple files](#write-annotated-csv-data-from-multiple-files)
-   [from a URL](#write-annotated-csv-data-from-a-url)
-   [from multiple URLs](#write-annotated-csv-data-from-multiple-urls)
-   [from multiple sources](#write-annotated-csv-data-from-multiple-sources)
-   [and prepend annotation headers](#prepend-csv-data-with-annotation-headers)
-   [from a compressed file](#write-annotated-csv-data-from-a-compressed-file)
-   [using rate limiting](#write-annotated-csv-data-using-rate-limiting)

### Line protocol

##### Write line protocol via stdin

```sh
influx write --bucket example-bucket "
m,host=host1 field1=1.2,field2=5i 1640995200000000000
m,host=host2 field1=2.4,field2=3i 1640995200000000000
"
```

##### Write line protocol from a file

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/line-protocol.txt
```

##### Skip header lines in a file

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/line-protocol.txt
  --skipHeader 8
```

##### Write line protocol from multiple files

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/line-protocol-1.txt \
  --file path/to/line-protocol-2.txt
```

##### Write line protocol from a URL

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --url https://example.com/line-protocol.txt
```

##### Write line protocol from multiple URLs

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --url https://example.com/line-protocol-1.txt \
  --url https://example.com/line-protocol-2.txt
```

##### Write line protocol from multiple sources

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/line-protocol-1.txt \
  --url https://example.com/line-protocol-2.txt
```

##### Write line protocol from a compressed file

```sh
# The influx CLI assumes files with the .gz extension use gzip compression 
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/line-protocol.txt.gz

# Specify gzip compression for gzipped files without the .gz extension
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/line-protocol.txt.comp \
  --compression gzip
```

### CSV

##### Write annotated CSV data via stdin

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --format csv \
  "#group,false,false,false,false,true,true
#datatype,string,long,dateTime:RFC3339,double,string,string
#default,_result,,,,,
,result,table,_time,_value,_field,_measurement
,,0,2020-12-18T18:16:11Z,72.7,temp,sensorData
,,0,2020-12-18T18:16:21Z,73.8,temp,sensorData
,,0,2020-12-18T18:16:31Z,72.7,temp,sensorData
,,0,2020-12-18T18:16:41Z,72.8,temp,sensorData
,,0,2020-12-18T18:16:51Z,73.1,temp,sensorData
"
```

##### Write extended annotated CSV data via stdin

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --format csv \
  "#constant measurement,sensorData
#datatype dateTime:RFC3339,double
time,temperature
2020-12-18T18:16:11Z,72.7
2020-12-18T18:16:21Z,73.8
2020-12-18T18:16:31Z,72.7
2020-12-18T18:16:41Z,72.8
2020-12-18T18:16:51Z,73.1
"
```

##### Write annotated CSV data from a file

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/data.csv
```

##### Write annotated CSV data from multiple files

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/data-1.csv \
  --file path/to/data-2.csv
```

##### Write annotated CSV data from a URL

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --url https://example.com/data.csv
```

##### Write annotated CSV data from multiple URLs

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --url https://example.com/data-1.csv \
  --url https://example.com/data-2.csv
```

##### Write annotated CSV data from multiple sources

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/data-1.csv \
  --url https://example.com/data-2.csv
```

##### Prepend CSV data with annotation headers

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --header "#constant measurement,birds" \
  --header "#datatype dateTime:2006-01-02,long,tag" \
  --file path/to/data.csv
```

##### Write annotated CSV data from a compressed file

```sh
# The influx CLI assumes files with the .gz extension use gzip compression 
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/data.csv.gz

# Specify gzip compression for gzipped files without the .gz extension
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/data.csv.comp \
  --compression gzip
```

##### Write annotated CSV data using rate limiting

```sh
influx write \
  --bucket example-bucket \
  --file path/to/data.csv \
  --rate-limit 5MB/5min
```

#### Related

-   [Write data to InfluxDB](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/write-data/)
-   [Line protocol](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/line-protocol/)
-   [Annotated CSV](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/annotated-csv/)
-   [Extended annotated CSV](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/syntax/annotated-csv/extended/)
-   [influx CLI—Provide required authentication credentials](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/cli/influx/#provide-required-authentication-credentials)
-   [influx CLI—Provide required authentication credentials](/influxdb3/cloud-serverless/reference/cli/influx/#provide-required-authentication-credentials)