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The dlt command-line interface provides tools for creating, managing, inspecting, and deploying data pipelines. All commands are accessed through the dlt executable installed with the dlt Python package.

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Installation

The CLI is installed automatically when you install dlt: 
pip install dlt
For deployment commands, install the CLI extras: 
pip install "dlt[cli]"

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Global Options

These options are available for all dlt commands:
OptionDescription
--versionDisplay the installed dlt version
--disable-telemetryDisable telemetry before command execution
--enable-telemetryEnable telemetry before command execution
--non-interactiveRun in non-interactive mode with default choices for all prompts
--debugDisplay full stack traces on exceptions for debugging
--no-pwdDo not add current working directory to sys.path

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Available Commands

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Core Commands

dlt init

Initialize a new pipeline from a source and destination

dlt pipeline

Inspect and manage local pipeline working directories

dlt deploy

Deploy pipelines to GitHub Actions or Airflow

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Additional Commands

  • dlt schema - Load, validate, and display schema files
  • dlt dashboard - Launch the interactive workspace dashboard
  • dlt telemetry - View and manage telemetry settings
  • dlt workspace - Manage workspace configuration and data
  • dlt profile - Manage workspace profiles
  • dlt ai - Configure AI-powered development tools

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Quick Start

Create a new pipeline from a verified source: 
# List available sources
dlt init --list-sources

# Initialize a pipeline
dlt init github bigquery

# List local pipelines
dlt pipeline --list-pipelines

# Inspect pipeline state
dlt pipeline my_pipeline info

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Getting Help

Get help for any command: 
# General help
dlt --help

# Command-specific help
dlt init --help
dlt pipeline --help

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Exit Codes

The CLI uses standard exit codes:
  • 0 - Success
  • -1 - General error
  • -2 - Git-related error or pipeline restore failure
  • -3 - Pipeline not run locally (deploy command)
  • -4 - Git repository not found (deploy command)
  • -5 - Pipeline script not found (deploy command)

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Environment

The CLI respects virtual environments and will warn if dlt is installed globally while a virtual environment is activated.

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