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Prerequisites

Before installing the Nuclei SDK, ensure you have:
  • Go 1.21 or higher installed on your system
  • A Go project initialized with go mod init
  • Basic familiarity with Go programming

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Installation methods

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Using go get

The recommended way to install the Nuclei SDK is using go get: 
go get -u github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3/lib
This command will:
  • Download the latest version of the Nuclei library
  • Add it to your go.mod file
  • Download all required dependencies

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Using import statement

Alternatively, you can add the import to your Go file and let your IDE handle the installation: 
import nuclei "github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3/lib"
Then run: 
go mod tidy

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Verify installation

Create a simple test file to verify the installation:
test.go
package main

import (
	"fmt"
	nuclei "github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3/lib"
)

func main() {
	ne, err := nuclei.NewNucleiEngine()
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error: %v\n", err)
		return
	}
	defer ne.Close()
	fmt.Println("Nuclei SDK initialized successfully!")
}
Run the test: 
go run test.go
If successful, you should see: Nuclei SDK initialized successfully!

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Template installation

Nuclei templates are required to run scans. They can be installed automatically or manually.

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Automatic installation

Templates are automatically downloaded when you first run a scan: 
ne, err := nuclei.NewNucleiEngine()
if err != nil {
	panic(err)
}
defer ne.Close()

// Templates will be auto-downloaded on first execution
ne.LoadTargets([]string{"scanme.sh"}, false)
err = ne.ExecuteWithCallback(nil)

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Manual installation

For concurrent usage or CI/CD environments, pre-install templates: 
import (
	nuclei "github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3/lib"
	"github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3/pkg/installer"
)

func main() {
	// Install templates before creating engine
	tm := installer.TemplateManager{}
	if err := tm.FreshInstallIfNotExists(); err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}

	// Now create and use the engine
	ne, err := nuclei.NewThreadSafeNucleiEngine()
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer ne.Close()
}
Pre-installing templates is recommended when using NewThreadSafeNucleiEngine or in automated environments to avoid race conditions.

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Project structure

A typical project using the Nuclei SDK might look like: 
your-project/
├── go.mod
├── go.sum
├── main.go
└── scanner/
    ├── engine.go
    └── results.go

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Common installation issues

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Module checksum mismatch

If you encounter checksum errors: 
go clean -modcache
go mod tidy

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Version conflicts

Ensure you’re using compatible versions: 
go get -u github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3/lib@latest
go mod tidy

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Build errors

If you encounter build errors, check your Go version: 
go version  # Should be 1.21 or higher

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Environment variables

Optional environment variables for customization:
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NUCLEI_TEMPLATES_PATH
string
Custom path for Nuclei templates directory
​
NUCLEI_CONFIG_PATH
string
Custom path for Nuclei configuration file
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NUCLEI_REPORTING_DB
string
Custom path for Nuclei reporting database

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Next steps

Basic usage

Start using the SDK with simple examples

Configuration options

Explore all available configuration options

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