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CLI Reference
The provided CLI (Command Line Interface) allows you to start, stop, and manage your Kong instances. The CLI manages your local node (as in, on the current machine).
If you haven’t yet, we recommend you read the configuration reference.
Global flags
All commands take a set of special, optional flags as arguments:
-
--help: print the command’s help message -
--v: enable verbose mode -
--vv: enable debug mode (noisy)
Available commands
kong check
Usage: kong check <conf>
Check the validity of a given Kong configuration file.
<conf> (default /etc/kong/kong.conf) configuration file
Options:
--lts-34-compatibility Perform a conf check for upgrading to version 3.4.x.x.
kong config
Usage: kong config COMMAND [OPTIONS]
Use declarative configuration files with Kong.
The available commands are:
init [<file>] Generate an example config file to
get you started. If a filename
is not given, ./kong.yml is used
by default.
db_import <file> Import a declarative config file into
the Kong database.
db_export [<file>] Export the Kong database into a
declarative config file. If a filename
is not given, ./kong.yml is used
by default.
parse <file> Parse a declarative config file (check
its syntax) but do not load it into Kong.
Options:
-c,--conf (optional string) Configuration file.
-p,--prefix (optional string) Override prefix directory.
Note:
db_exportis only supported with open-source Kong Gateway packages.
kong health
Usage: kong health [OPTIONS]
Check if the necessary services are running for this node.
Options:
-p,--prefix (optional string) prefix at which Kong should be running
kong hybrid
Usage: kong hybrid COMMAND [OPTIONS]
Hybrid mode utilities for Kong.
The available commands are:
gen_cert [<cert> <key>] Generate a certificate/key pair that is suitable
for use in hybrid mode deployment.
Cert and key will be written to
'./cluster.crt' and './cluster.key' inside
the current directory unless filenames are given.
Options:
-d,--days (optional number) Override certificate validity duration.
Default: 1095 days (3 years)
kong migrations
Usage: kong migrations COMMAND [OPTIONS]
Manage database schema migrations.
The available commands are:
bootstrap Bootstrap the database and run all
migrations.
up Run any new migrations.
finish Finish running any pending migrations after
'up'.
list List executed migrations.
reset Reset the database.
The `reset` command erases all of the data
in Kong's database and deletes all of the schemas.
migrate-community-to-enterprise Migrates Kong Community entities to
Kong Enterprise in the default
workspace.
upgrade-workspace-table Outputs a script to be run on the db to
upgrade the entity for 2.x workspaces
implementation.
reinitialize-workspace-entity-counters Resets the entity counters from the
database entities.
Options:
-y,--yes Assume "yes" to prompts and run
non-interactively.
-q,--quiet Suppress all output.
-f,--force Run migrations even if database reports
as already executed.
With 'migrate-community-to-enterprise' it
disables the workspace entities check.
--db-timeout (default 60) Timeout, in seconds, for all database
operations (including schema consensus for
Cassandra).
--lock-timeout (default 60) Timeout, in seconds, for nodes waiting on
the leader node to finish running
migrations.
-c,--conf (optional string) Configuration file.
-p,--prefix (optional string) Override prefix directory.
--v verbose
--vv debug
kong prepare
This command prepares the Kong prefix folder, with its sub-folders and files.
Usage: kong prepare [OPTIONS]
Prepare the Kong prefix in the configured prefix directory. This command can
be used to start Kong from the nginx binary without using the 'kong start'
command.
Example usage:
kong migrations up
kong prepare -p /usr/local/kong -c kong.conf
nginx -p /usr/local/kong -c /usr/local/kong/nginx.conf
Options:
-c,--conf (optional string) configuration file
-p,--prefix (optional string) override prefix directory
--nginx-conf (optional string) custom Nginx configuration template
kong quit
Usage: kong quit [OPTIONS]
Gracefully quit a running Kong node (Nginx and other
configured services) in given prefix directory.
This command sends a SIGQUIT signal to Nginx, meaning all
requests will finish processing before shutting down.
If the timeout delay is reached, the node will be forcefully
stopped (SIGTERM).
Options:
-p,--prefix (optional string) prefix Kong is running at
-t,--timeout (default 10) timeout before forced shutdown
-w,--wait (default 0) wait time before initiating the shutdown
kong reload
Usage: kong reload [OPTIONS]
Reload a Kong node (and start other configured services
if necessary) in given prefix directory.
This command sends a HUP signal to Nginx, which will spawn
new workers (taking configuration changes into account),
and stop the old ones when they have finished processing
current requests.
Options:
-c,--conf (optional string) configuration file
-p,--prefix (optional string) prefix Kong is running at
--nginx-conf (optional string) custom Nginx configuration template
kong restart
Usage: kong restart [OPTIONS]
Restart a Kong node (and other configured services like Serf)
in the given prefix directory.
This command is equivalent to doing both 'kong stop' and
'kong start'.
Options:
-c,--conf (optional string) configuration file
-p,--prefix (optional string) prefix at which Kong should be running
--nginx-conf (optional string) custom Nginx configuration template
--run-migrations (optional boolean) optionally run migrations on the DB
--db-timeout (default 60)
--lock-timeout (default 60)
kong runnerAvailable with Kong Gateway Enterprise subscription - Contact Sales
Usage: kong runner [file] [args]
Execute a lua file in a kong node. the `kong` variable is available to
reach the DAO, PDK, etc. The variable `args` can be used to access all
arguments (args[1] being the lua filename being run).
Example usage:
kong runner file.lua arg1 arg2
echo 'print("foo")' | kong runner
kong start
Usage: kong start [OPTIONS]
Start Kong (Nginx and other configured services) in the configured
prefix directory.
Options:
-c,--conf (optional string) Configuration file.
-p,--prefix (optional string) Override prefix directory.
--nginx-conf (optional string) Custom Nginx configuration template.
--run-migrations (optional boolean) Run migrations before starting.
--db-timeout (default 60) Timeout, in seconds, for all database
operations (including schema consensus for
Cassandra).
--lock-timeout (default 60) When --run-migrations is enabled, timeout,
in seconds, for nodes waiting on the
leader node to finish running migrations.
kong stop
Usage: kong stop [OPTIONS]
Stop a running Kong node (Nginx and other configured services) in given
prefix directory.
This command sends a SIGTERM signal to Nginx.
Options:
-p,--prefix (optional string) prefix Kong is running at
kong vault
Usage: kong vault COMMAND [OPTIONS]
Vault utilities for Kong.
Example usage:
TEST=hello kong vault get env/test
The available commands are:
get <reference> Retrieves a value for <reference>
kong version
Usage: kong version [OPTIONS]
Print Kong's version. With the -a option, will print
the version of all underlying dependencies.
Options:
-a,--all get version of all dependencies
