Install runpodctl
Runpod CLI is an open-source command-line interface (CLI) for managing Pods and Runpod projects.
When you create a Pod, it comes with runpodctl installed and configured with a Pod-scoped API key. You can also install and run runpodctl locally.
Step 1: Install Runpod CLI locally
To install runpodctl on your local machine, run one of the commands below based on your operating system:
This installs Runpod CLI globally on your system, so you can run runpodctl commands from any directory.
Step 2: Create an API key
Before you can use runpodctl, you must configure it with an API key. Follow these steps to create a new API key:
- In the web interface, go to the Settings page.
- Expand the API Keys section and click the Create API Key button.
- Give your key a name and set its permissions. If you want to manage Pods locally, your key will need READ/WRITE permissions (or ALL).
- Click Create, then click on your newly-generated key to copy it to your clipboard.
Runpod does not store your API key, so you may wish to save it elsewhere. Treat your API key like a password and don’t share it with anyone.
Step 3: Add your API key to runpodctl
Now that you’ve created an API key, run the following command to add it to runpodctl, replacing [API_KEY] with the key you just created:
After running the command, you should see a confirmation message similar to this:
Step 4: Verify installation
Now that you’ve added your API key, verify that runpodctl installed successfully by running this command:
You should see which version is installed.
Next steps
Now that you have successfully installed and configured runpodctl, you can:
- Manage your Pods from the command line.
- Transfer files between your local machine and Pods.
- Use projects to streamline endpoint development.