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System requirements

Nuclei requires Go 1.24.2 or later when installing from source. For binary installations, no additional dependencies are required.
Before installing Nuclei, ensure your system meets the following requirements:
  • Go 1.24.2+ (for installation from source)
  • Operating system: Linux, macOS, or Windows
  • Network access to download templates

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Installation methods

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Install with Go

The recommended way to install Nuclei is using Go. This ensures you always have the latest version.
1

Install Go

If you don’t have Go installed, download it from go.dev
2

Install Nuclei

Run the following command to install Nuclei:
go install -v github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3/cmd/nuclei@latest
This will download, compile, and install the Nuclei binary to your $GOPATH/bin directory.
3

Verify installation

Verify that Nuclei is installed correctly:
nuclei -version
You should see output similar to:
Nuclei Engine Version: v3.x.x
Make sure $GOPATH/bin is in your system’s PATH to run Nuclei from anywhere.

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Post-installation setup

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Download templates

After installation, download the community templates: 
nuclei -update-templates
This command downloads the latest Nuclei templates from the nuclei-templates repository to your local system.
Templates are automatically updated when you run Nuclei, unless you disable automatic updates with the -duc flag.

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Check template version

To see which version of templates you have installed: 
nuclei -templates-version
Example output: 
Public nuclei-templates version: v10.2.3 (/home/user/nuclei-templates)

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Configure API authentication (optional)

To use cloud features and AI-powered template generation, configure your ProjectDiscovery API key: 
nuclei -auth
Follow the prompts to authenticate with your ProjectDiscovery account.
Cloud features are optional. Nuclei works fully offline without authentication.

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Update Nuclei

Keep Nuclei up to date to get the latest features and bug fixes: 
# Update Nuclei engine
nuclei -update

# Update templates
nuclei -update-templates
Important: This project is in active development. Always review the release changelog before updating to avoid breaking changes.

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Verify your installation

Run a quick test scan to verify everything is working: 
nuclei -u https://scanme.sh -tags ssl
If you see output showing template execution, your installation is successful!

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Troubleshooting

If you get a “command not found” error, ensure that:
  • The binary is in your PATH
  • For Go installations, $GOPATH/bin is in your PATH
  • You have execute permissions on the binary
If you encounter permission errors:
chmod +x /path/to/nuclei
Or use sudo when moving the binary to system directories.
If template downloads fail:
  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify you can access GitHub (templates are hosted there)
  • Try using a proxy if needed: nuclei -proxy http://proxy:port
If you see Go version errors during installation:
  • Update Go to version 1.24.2 or later
  • Download from go.dev/dl

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Next steps

Now that you have Nuclei installed, continue to the quickstart guide:

Quickstart guide

Learn how to run your first scan and master the basics

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