CLI command reference

This document provides a complete reference for all Pinecone CLI commands.

Command structure

The Pinecone CLI uses a hierarchical command structure. Each command consists of a primary command followed by one or more subcommands and optional flags.

pc <command> <subcommand> [flags]
pc <command> <subcommand> <subcommand> [flags]

For example:

# Top-level command with flags
pc target -o "organization-name" -p "project-name"

# Command (index) and subcommand (list)
pc index list

# Command (index) and subcommand (create) with flags
pc index create --name my-index --dimension 1536 --metric cosine --cloud aws --region us-east-1

# Command (auth) and nested subcommands (local-keys prune) with flags
pc auth local-keys prune --id proj-abc123 --skip-confirmation

Getting help

The CLI provides help for commands at every level:

# top-level help
pc --help
pc -h

# command help
pc auth --help
pc index --help
pc project --help

# subcommmand help
pc index create --help
pc project create --help
pc auth configure --help

# nested subcommand help
pc auth local-keys prune --help

Exit codes

All commands return exit code 0 for success and 1 for error.

Available commands

This section describes all commands offered by the Pinecone CLI.

Top-level commands

pc login (Authenticate via user login)

DescriptionAuthenticate via a web browser. After login, set a target org and project with pc target before accessing data. This command defaults to an initial organization and project to which you have access (these values display in the terminal), but you can change them with pc target.Usage

pc login

FlagsNoneGlobal Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Log in via browser
pc login

# Then set target context
pc target -o "my-org" -p "my-project"

This is an alias for pc auth login. Both commands perform the same operation.

pc logout (Clear credentials / log out)

DescriptionClears all authentication data from local storage, including:

User login token
Service account credentials (client ID and secret)
Default (manually specified) API key
Locally managed keys (for all projects)
Target organization and project context

Usage

pc logout

FlagsNoneGlobal Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Clear all credentials and context
pc logout

This is an alias for pc auth logout. Both commands perform the same operation. Does not delete managed API keys from Pinecone’s servers. Run pc auth local-keys prune before logging out to fully clean up.

pc target (Set target organization and project)

DescriptionSet the target organization and project for the CLI. Supports interactive organization and project selection or direct specification via flags. For details, see CLI target context.Usage

pc target [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--clear`		Clear target context
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--org`	`-o`	Organization name
`--organization-id`		Organization ID
`--project`	`-p`	Project name
`--project-id`		Project ID
`--show`	`-s`	Display current target context

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Interactive targeting after login
pc login
pc target

# Set specific organization and project
pc target -o "my-org" -p "my-project"

# Show current context
pc target --show

# Clear all context
pc target --clear

pc version (Show CLI version)

DescriptionDisplays version information for the CLI, including the version number, commit SHA, and build date.Usage

pc version

FlagsNoneGlobal Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Display version information
pc version

pc whoami (Show current user)

DescriptionDisplays information about the currently authenticated user. To use this command, you must be authenticated via user login.Usage

pc whoami

FlagsNoneGlobal Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

pc whoami

This is an alias for pc auth whoami. Both commands perform the same operation.

Authentication

pc auth clear (Clear specific credentials)

DescriptionSelectively clears specific authentication data without affecting other credentials. At least one flag is required.Usage

pc auth clear [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--api-key`		Clear only the default (manually specified) API key
`--service-account`		Clear only service account credentials

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Clear only the default (manually specified) API key
pc auth clear --api-key
pc auth status

# Clear service account
pc auth clear --service-account

More surgical than pc auth logout. Does not clear user login token or managed keys. For those, use pc auth logout or pc auth local-keys prune.

pc auth configure (Configure service account or API key)

DescriptionConfigures service account credentials or a default (manually specified) API key.Service accounts automatically target the organization and prompt for project selection, unless there is only one project. A default API key overrides any previously specified target organization/project context. When setting a service account, this operation clears the user login token, if one exists. For details, see CLI target context.Usage

pc auth configure [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--api-key`		Default API key to use for authentication
`--client-id`		Service account client ID
`--client-secret`		Service account client secret
`--client-secret-stdin`		Read client secret from stdin
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--project-id`	`-p`	Target project ID (optional, interactive if omitted)
`--prompt-if-missing`		Prompt for missing credentials

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Service account setup (auto-targets org and prompts for project)
pc auth configure --client-id my-id --client-secret my-secret

# Service account with specific project
pc auth configure --client-id my-id --client-secret my-secret -p proj-123

# Default API key (overrides any target context)
pc auth configure --api-key pcsk_abc123

pc auth configure --api-key "YOUR_API_KEY" does the same thing as pc config set-api-key "YOUR_API_KEY". To learn about targeting a project after authenticating with a service account, see CLI target context.

pc auth local-keys list (List managed keys)

DescriptionDisplays all managed API keys stored locally by the CLI, with various details.Usage

pc auth local-keys list [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--reveal`		Show the actual API key values (sensitive)

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# List all locally managed keys
pc auth local-keys list

# Show key values
pc auth local-keys list --reveal

# After storing a key
pc api-key create -n "my-key" --store
pc auth local-keys list

pc auth local-keys prune (Delete managed keys)

DescriptionDeletes locally stored managed API keys from local storage and Pinecone’s servers. Filters by origin (cli/user/all) or project ID.Usage

pc auth local-keys prune [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--dry-run`		Preview deletions without applying
`--id`		Prune keys for specific project ID only
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--origin`	`-o`	Filter by origin - `cli`, `user`, or `all` (default: `all`)
`--skip-confirmation`		Skip confirmation prompt

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Preview deletions
pc auth local-keys prune --dry-run

# Delete CLI-created keys only
pc auth local-keys prune -o cli --skip-confirmation

# Delete for specific project
pc auth local-keys prune --id proj-abc123

# Before/after check
pc auth local-keys list
pc auth local-keys prune -o cli
pc auth local-keys list

This deletes keys from both local storage and Pinecone servers. Use --dry-run to preview before committing.

pc auth login (Authenticate via user login)

DescriptionAuthenticate via user login in the web browser. After login, set a target org and project.Usage

pc auth login
pc login  # shorthand

FlagsNoneGlobal Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Login and set target
pc auth login
pc target -o "my-org" -p "my-project"
pc index list

Tokens expire after 30 minutes, but they refresh automatically for up to 24 hours. After that point, you must re-authenticate. Logging in clears any existing service account credentials. This command does the same thing as pc login.

pc auth logout (Clear authentication credentials)

DescriptionClears all authentication data from local storage, including:

User login token
Service account credentials (client ID and secret)
Default (manually specified) API key
Locally managed keys (for all projects)
Target organization and project context

Usage

pc auth logout

FlagsNoneGlobal Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Clear all credentials and context
pc auth logout

This command does the same thing as pc logout. Does not delete managed API keys from Pinecone’s servers. Run pc auth local-keys prune before logging out to fully clean up.

pc auth status (Show authentication status)

DescriptionShows details about all configured authentication methods.Usage

pc auth status [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--json`		Output in JSON format

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Check status after login
pc auth login
pc auth status

# JSON output for scripting
pc auth status --json

pc auth whoami (Show current user information)

DescriptionDisplays information about the currently authenticated user. To use this command, you must be authenticated via user login.Usage

pc auth whoami

FlagsNoneGlobal Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

pc auth whoami

This command does the same thing as pc whoami.

Indexes

pc index configure (Update index configuration)

DescriptionModifies the configuration of an existing index.Usage

pc index configure [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--deletion_protection`	`-p`	Enable or disable deletion protection -`enabled` or `disabled`
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--name`	`-n`	Index name (required)

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Enable deletion protection
pc index configure -n my-index -p enabled

# Verify changes
pc index describe -n my-index

Configuration changes may take some time to take effect.

pc index create (Create a new index)

DescriptionCreates a new serverless index in your Pinecone project, with various configuration optons.Usage

pc index create [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--cloud`	`-c`	Cloud provider - `aws`, `gcp`, or `azure` (required for serverless)
`--deletion_protection`		Deletion protection - `enabled` or `disabled`
`--dimension`	`-d`	Vector dimension (required for standard indexes, optional for integrated)
`--field_map`		Field mapping for integrated embedding (JSON map)
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--metric`	`-m`	Similarity metric - `cosine`, `euclidean`, or `dotproduct` (required)
`--model`		Integrated embedding model name
`--name`	`-n`	Index name (required)
`--read_parameters`		Read parameters for embedding model (JSON map)
`--region`	`-r`	Cloud region
`--source_collection`		Name of the source collection from which to create the index
`--tags`		Custom user tags (key=value pairs)
`--vector_type`	`-v`	Vector type - `dense` or `sparse` (serverless only)
`--write_parameters`		Write parameters for embedding model (JSON map)

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Create serverless index
pc index create -n my-index -d 1536 -m cosine -c aws -r us-east-1

# With integrated embedding model
pc index create -n my-index -m cosine -c aws -r us-east-1 --model multilingual-e5-large

# With deletion protection
pc index create -n my-index -d 1536 -m cosine -c aws -r us-west-2 --deletion_protection enabled

# From collection
pc index create -n my-index -d 1536 -m cosine -c aws -r eu-west-1 --source_collection my-collection

For a list of valid regions for a serverless index, see Create a serverless index.

pc index delete (Delete an index)

DescriptionPermanently deletes an index and all its data. This operation cannot be undone.Usage

pc index delete [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--name`	`-n`	Index name (required)

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Delete an index
pc index delete -n my-index

# List before and after
pc index list
pc index delete -n test-index
pc index list

pc index describe (Show index details)

DescriptionDisplays detailed configuration and status information for a specific index.Usage

pc index describe [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--name`	`-n`	Index name (required)

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Describe an index
pc index describe -n my-index

# JSON output
pc index describe -n my-index --json

# Check newly created index
pc index create -n test-index -d 1536 -m cosine -c aws -r us-east-1
pc index describe -n test-index

pc index list (List all indexes)

DescriptionDisplays all indexes in your current target project, including various details.Usage

pc index list [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--json`		Output in JSON format

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# List all indexes
pc index list

# JSON output for scripting
pc index list --json

# After creating indexes
pc index create -n test-1 -d 768 -m cosine -c aws -r us-east-1
pc index list

Projects

pc project create (Create a new project)

DescriptionCreates a new project in your target organization, using the specified configuration.Usage

pc project create [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--force-encryption`		Enable encryption with CMEK
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--name`	`-n`	Project name (required)
`--target`		Automatically target the project in the CLI after it’s created

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Basic project creation
pc project create -n "demo-project"

pc project delete (Delete a project)

DescriptionPermanently deletes a project and all its resources. This operation cannot be undone.Usage

pc project delete [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	Project ID (optional, uses target project if not specified)
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--skip-confirmation`		Skip confirmation prompt

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Delete target project
pc project delete

# Delete specific project
pc project delete -i proj-abc123

# Skip confirmation
pc project delete -i proj-abc123 --skip-confirmation

Must delete all indexes and collections in the project first. If the deleted project is your current target, set a new target after deleting it.

pc project describe (Show project details)

DescriptionDisplays detailed information about a specific project, including various details.Usage

pc project describe [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	Project ID (required)
`--json`		Output in JSON format

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Describe a project
pc project describe -i proj-abc123

# JSON output
pc project describe -i proj-abc123 --json

# Find ID and describe
pc project list
pc project describe -i proj-abc123

pc project list (List all projects)

DescriptionDisplays all projects in your target organization, including various details.Usage

pc project list [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--json`		Output in JSON format

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# List all projects
pc project list

# JSON output
pc project list --json

# List after login
pc auth login
pc auth target -o "my-org"
pc project list

pc project update (Update project settings)

DescriptionModifies the configuration of the target project, or a specific project ID.Usage

pc project update [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--force-encryption`	`-f`	Enable/disable encryption with CMEK
`--id`	`-i`	Project ID (required)
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--name`	`-n`	New project name

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Update name
pc project update -i proj-abc123 -n "new-name"

Organizations

pc organization delete (Delete an organization)

DescriptionPermanently deletes an organization and all its resources. This operation cannot be undone.Usage

pc organization delete [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	Organization ID (required)
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--skip-confirmation`		Skip confirmation prompt

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Delete an organization
pc organization delete -i org-abc123

# Skip confirmation
pc organization delete -i org-abc123 --skip-confirmation

This is a highly destructive action. Deletion is permanent. If the deleted organization is your current target, set a new target after deleting.

pc organization describe (Show organization details)

DescriptionDisplays detailed information about a specific organization, including name, ID, creation date, payment status, plan, and support tier.Usage

pc organization describe [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	Organization ID (required)
`--json`		Output in JSON format

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Describe an organization
pc organization describe -i org-abc123

# JSON output
pc organization describe -i org-abc123 --json

# Find ID and describe
pc organization list
pc organization describe -i org-abc123

pc organization list (List organizations)

DescriptionDisplays all organizations that the authenticated user has access to, including name, ID, creation date, payment status, plan, and support tier.Usage

pc organization list [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--json`		Output in JSON format

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# List all organizations
pc organization list

# JSON output
pc organization list --json

# List after login
pc auth login
pc organization list

pc organization update (Update organization settings)

DescriptionModifies the configuration of the target organization, or a specific organization ID.Usage

pc organization update [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	Organization ID (required)
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--name`	`-n`	New organization name

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Update name
pc organization update -i org-abc123 -n "new-name"

# Verify changes
pc organization update -i org-abc123 -n "Acme Corp"
pc organization describe -i org-abc123

API keys

pc api-key create (Create a new API key)

DescriptionCreates a new API key for the current target project or a specific project ID. Optionally stores the key locally for CLI use.Usage

pc api-key create [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	Project ID (optional, uses target project if not specified)
`--json`		Output in JSON format
`--name`	`-n`	Key name (required)
`--roles`		Roles to assign (default: `ProjectEditor`)
`--store`		Store the key locally for CLI use (automatically replaces any existing CLI-managed key)

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Basic key creation
pc api-key create -n "my-key"

# Create and store locally
pc api-key create -n "my-key" --store

# Create with specific role
pc api-key create -n "my-key" --store --roles ProjectEditor

# Create for specific project
pc api-key create -n "my-key" -i proj-abc123

API keys are scoped to a specific organization and project.

pc api-key delete (Delete an API key)

DescriptionPermanently deletes an API key. Applications using this key immediately lose access.Usage

pc api-key delete [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	API key ID (required)
`--skip-confirmation`		Skip confirmation prompt

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Delete an API key
pc api-key delete -i key-abc123

# Skip confirmation
pc api-key delete -i key-abc123 --skip-confirmation

# Delete and clean up local storage
pc api-key delete -i key-abc123
pc auth local-keys prune --skip-confirmation

Deletion is permanent. Applications using this key immediately lose access to Pinecone.

pc api-key describe (Show API key details)

DescriptionDisplays detailed information about a specific API key, including its name, ID, project ID, and roles.Usage

pc api-key describe [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	API key ID (required)
`--json`		Output in JSON format

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Describe an API key
pc api-key describe -i key-abc123

# JSON output
pc api-key describe -i key-abc123 --json

# Find ID and describe
pc api-key list
pc api-key describe -i key-abc123

Does not display the actual key value.

pc api-key list (List all API keys)

DescriptionDisplays a list of all of the target project’s API keys, as found in Pinecone (regardless of whether they are stored locally by the CLI). Displays various details about each key, including name, ID, project ID, and roles.Usage

pc api-key list [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	Project ID (optional, uses target project if not specified)
`--json`		Output in JSON format

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# List keys for target project
pc api-key list

# List for specific project
pc api-key list -i proj-abc123

# JSON output
pc api-key list --json

Does not display key values.

pc api-key update (Update API key settings)

DescriptionUpdates the name and roles of an API key.Usage

pc api-key update [flags]

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--id`	`-i`	API key ID (required)
`--json`	`-j`	Output in JSON format
`--name`	`-n`	New key name
`--roles`	`-r`	Roles to assign

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Update name
pc api-key update -i key-abc123 -n "new-name"

# Update roles
pc api-key update -i key-abc123 -r ProjectEditor

# Verify changes
pc api-key update -i key-abc123 -n "production-key"
pc api-key describe -i key-abc123

Cannot change the actual key. If you need a different key, create a new one.

Config

pc config get-api-key (Show configured API key)

DescriptionDisplays the currently configured default (manually specified) API key, if set. By default, the full value of the key is not displayed.Usage

pc config get-api-key

Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--reveal`		Show the actual API key value (sensitive)

Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Get current API key
pc config get-api-key

# Verify after setting
pc config set-api-key pcsk_abc123
pc config get-api-key

pc config set-api-key (Set default API key)

DescriptionSets a default API key for the CLI to use for authentication. Provides direct access to control plane operations, but not Admin API operations.Usage

pc config set-api-key "YOUR_API_KEY"

FlagsNone (takes API key as argument)Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Set default API key
pc config set-api-key pcsk_abc123

# Use immediately without targeting
pc config set-api-key pcsk_abc123
pc index list

# Verify it's set
pc auth status

pc config set-api-key "YOUR_API_KEY" does the same thing as pc auth configure --api-key "YOUR_API_KEY". For control plane operations, a default API key implicitly overrides any previously set target context, because Pinecone API keys are scoped to a specific organization and project.

pc config set-color (Enable/disable colored output)

DescriptionEnables or disables colored output in CLI responses. Useful for terminal compatibility or log file generation.Usage

pc config set-color true
pc config set-color false

FlagsNone (takes boolean as argument)Global Flags

Long flag	Short flag	Description
`--help`	`-h`	Show help information
`--quiet`	`-q`	Suppress output

Example

# Enable colored output
pc config set-color true

# Disable colored output for CI/CD
pc config set-color false

# Test the change
pc config set-color false
pc index list

APIs

Database

Inference

Admin

SDKs

CLI

Tools

Command structure

Getting help

Exit codes

Available commands

Top-level commands

Authentication

Indexes

Projects

Organizations

API keys

Config

APIs

Database

Inference

Admin

SDKs

CLI

Tools

​Command structure

​Getting help

​Exit codes

​Available commands

​Top-level commands

​Authentication

​Indexes

​Projects

​Organizations

​API keys

​Config

Command structure

Getting help

Exit codes

Available commands

Top-level commands

Authentication

Indexes

Projects

Organizations

API keys

Config