The CVAT CLI (Command-Line Interface) is a Python-based tool that allows you to interact with CVAT from your terminal. It provides commands for managing projects, tasks, datasets, and more.
Requirements
Before installing CVAT CLI, ensure you have:
- Python 3.10 or higher
- pip (Python package installer)
- Access to a CVAT server (local or remote)
Installation
Install the CVAT CLI using pip:
This will install:
cvat-cli - The CLI toolcvat-sdk - The underlying Python SDK- Required dependencies (attrs, Pillow)
Install from Source
To install the latest development version from source:
git clone https://github.com/cvat-ai/cvat.git
cd cvat/cvat-cli
pip install -e .
Verifying Installation
After installation, verify that the CLI is properly installed:
This should display the installed version number.
Check Available Commands
To see all available commands and options:
To get help on a specific resource (e.g., tasks):
To get help on a specific action:
cvat-cli task create --help
Command Structure
All CVAT CLI commands follow this general pattern:
cvat-cli <common options> <resource> <action> <options>
<common options> - Global options like authentication and server settings<resource> - The CVAT resource (e.g., task, project)<action> - The operation to perform (e.g., create, ls, delete)<options> - Action-specific options and arguments
Upgrading
To upgrade to the latest version:
pip install --upgrade cvat-cli
Uninstalling
To remove the CVAT CLI:
Troubleshooting
Command Not Found
If cvat-cli is not recognized after installation:
- Ensure pip’s binary directory is in your PATH
- Try using
python -m cvat_cli instead
- Restart your terminal session
SSL Certificate Errors
If you encounter SSL certificate verification errors when connecting to a server:
cvat-cli --insecure <resource> <action>
Only use --insecure with trusted servers, as it disables SSL certificate verification.
Version Conflicts
If you have dependency conflicts, consider using a virtual environment:
python -m venv cvat-env
source cvat-env/bin/activate # On Windows: cvat-env\Scripts\activate
pip install cvat-cli
Next Steps
Now that you have installed the CLI, learn how to:
