> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.octoparse.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Octoparse CLI

> Use Octoparse CLI to create, run, manage, schedule, and inspect Octoparse tasks from your terminal.

Octoparse CLI is a command-line tool for creating, running, managing, scheduling, inspecting, and exporting Octoparse tasks from a terminal.

Unlike the desktop app, Octoparse CLI is designed for scripted workflows, CI/CD pipelines, server environments, and automated data pipelines.

## What Octoparse CLI does

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create tasks from a URL" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="./cli/guides/detect">
    Inspect any URL and generate a local task file automatically, manually, or through an AI agent workflow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Find and inspect tasks" icon="magnifying-glass" href="./cli/reference/command-cheatsheet#tasks">
    List cloud tasks, search by keyword, inspect task details, and work with task groups.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage templates" icon="table-cells" href="./cli/reference/command-cheatsheet#templates">
    View and search templates, create template tasks, and modify template tasks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run tasks locally" icon="play" href="./cli/reference/command-cheatsheet#local-extraction">
    Run Octoparse tasks with the embedded local engine and independent Chrome.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Control task runs" icon="sliders" href="./cli/reference/command-cheatsheet#local-run-control">
    Start or stop cloud extraction, and pause, resume, stop, or clean up local runs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Schedule cloud tasks" icon="calendar" href="./cli/reference/command-cheatsheet#cloud-scheduling">
    Configure cloud schedules for recurring task runs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Inspect and export data" icon="file-export" href="./cli/reference/command-cheatsheet#data-history-preview-and-export">
    Check record counts, preview rows, review unexported data, and export local or cloud results.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Automate with agents" icon="robot" href="./cli/reference/output-and-exit-codes">
    Use JSON output, JSONL event streams, and exit codes to integrate CLI into scripts and AI agents.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How it works

Octoparse CLI runs the embedded Octoparse engine directly for local extraction. It uses independent Chrome and does not require the Electron desktop client.

Cloud extraction is controlled through backend APIs. Local extraction is controlled by the local engine.

<Note>
  Local run status is tracked by this CLI and is not synchronized with the Octoparse desktop client status.
</Note>

## Requirements

Before using Octoparse CLI, make sure you have:

* Node.js 20 or newer
* npm 8 or newer
* An Octoparse account (API key or OAuth)
* Access to the tasks you want to run or export

See [Installation](./cli/quick-start/installation) for platform requirements and setup steps, including Linux arm64 limitations.

Functional commands require authentication, including local `--task-file` and `.otd` runs. Setup and diagnostic commands such as `--help`, `--version`, `doctor`, `browser doctor`, `capabilities`, and `auth` can run without it.

## Common workflow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install Octoparse CLI">
    Install the CLI globally with npm.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Authenticate">
    Log in with OAuth or an Octoparse API key. For CI, use the `OCTO_ENGINE_API_KEY` environment variable.

    <Warning>
      Do not commit API keys to Git, scripts, docs, screenshots, shared logs, or CI output.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create or find a task">
    Use `octoparse detect <url>` to generate a task file from a URL, create a task from a template, or use `octoparse task list` to find an existing task ID.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run or control the task">
    Run the task locally, start or stop a cloud run, configure a cloud schedule, or check run status.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Inspect and export data">
    Check data status, preview rows, review unexported data, or export collected data from local or cloud results.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Quick command examples

Replace `<taskId>` with your actual task ID and `<url>` with the page you want to scrape.

```bash theme={null}
octoparse --help
octoparse doctor
octoparse auth login
octoparse detect <url> --auto --goal "Extract product titles and prices" --output task.json
octoparse task list
octoparse task inspect <taskId>
octoparse capabilities --json
octoparse run <taskId>
octoparse cloud start <taskId>
octoparse local status <taskId>
octoparse data export <taskId> --source local --format xlsx
```

## Current limitations

Octoparse CLI v1 does not support kernel browser or legacy workflow.

Kernel browser refers to the browser mode used by older Octoparse runtime workflows. Legacy workflow refers to tasks created with older Octoparse task definitions that are not supported by the current CLI runtime.

If a task is not supported, rebuild or update the task in the current Octoparse desktop app, then run it again with the CLI.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Install Octoparse CLI" icon="download" href="./cli/quick-start/installation">
    Set up Node.js, install the CLI with npm, and verify the local runtime.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create tasks from a URL" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="./cli/guides/detect">
    Use detect to generate a task file from any URL.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Browse all commands" icon="list-check" href="./cli/reference/command-cheatsheet">
    Review task, template, schedule, detect, local run, cloud run, authentication, and export commands.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>