---
title: "CLI overview"
description: "The eliza command-line interface — runtime control, configuration, and maintenance."
---

# CLI overview

The `eliza` binary (also published as `eliza-ai` / `elizaai`) is the primary way to start the API server, run setup wizards, and manage local configuration from a terminal.

## Requirements

- **Node.js 22+** or **Bun** as documented in [Installation](/installation).
- Config and state live under the Eliza state directory (by default `~/.eliza/` when `ELIZA_NAMESPACE=eliza`).

## Global Flags

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--verbose` | Enable informational runtime logs |
| `--debug` | Enable debug-level runtime logs |
| `--version` | Print version and exit |
| `--help` | Show help for any command |

## Command map

| Command | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| [`eliza start`](/cli/start) | Run the API server (embedded runtime). `eliza run` is an alias. |
| [`eliza setup`](/cli/setup) | First-time wizard (keys, workspace) |
| [`eliza configure`](/cli/configure) | Configuration guidance (prints env-var help) |
| [`eliza config`](/cli/config) | Read config values (`get`, `path`, `show`) |
| [`eliza dashboard`](/cli/dashboard) | Open the Control UI in your browser |
| [`eliza models`](/cli/models) | Show configured model providers |
| [`eliza plugins`](/cli/plugins) | Plugin listing, search, install, and management |
| [`eliza update`](/cli/update) | Check for and install updates |
| [`eliza doctor`](/cli/doctor) | Health and environment checks |
| [`eliza db`](/cli/db) | Database utilities (reset) |
| `eliza benchmark` | Run a benchmark task headlessly against the agent |

## Global options

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `-v, --version` | Print version |
| `--verbose` | Enable informational runtime logs |
| `--debug` | Enable debug-level runtime logs |
| `--dev` | Dev profile: isolate state under `~/.eliza-dev` with separate config and ports |
| `--profile <name>` | Use a named profile (isolates state and config under `~/.eliza-<name>`) |
| `--no-color` | Disable ANSI colors |

### Config subcommands

```bash
eliza config get <key>   # read a config value
eliza config path        # print resolved config file path
eliza config show        # display all config values grouped by section
```

### Plugin subcommands

```bash
eliza plugins list            # browse registry plugins
eliza plugins installed       # show installed plugins
eliza plugins install <name>  # install a plugin from the registry
eliza plugins uninstall <name>  # remove an installed plugin
eliza plugins search <query>  # search plugins by keyword
```

## Global flags

| Flag | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `--help` | Show help for any command |
| `--version` | Print the installed version |
| `--verbose` | Enable informational runtime logs |
| `--debug` | Enable debug-level runtime logs |

```bash
eliza --version
eliza --debug start
eliza plugins --help
```

## Help

Run `eliza --help` or `eliza <command> --help` for the exact flags in your build. Implementation lives under `eliza/packages/app-core/src/cli/` in the elizaOS submodule (run `bun run setup:upstreams` to initialize it for development).

## Environment

See [CLI environment](/cli/environment) for variables that affect bind addresses, ports, and state paths.