{"id":346,"date":"2026-10-13T18:01:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T18:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scmgalaxy.com\/tutorials\/2014\/02\/10\/know-about-jenkins-cli\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T18:01:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T18:01:06","slug":"know-about-jenkins-cli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/know-about-jenkins-cli\/","title":{"rendered":"Jenkins CLI Guide: Download, Authenticate, and Automate Jobs from the Terminal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jenkins CLI lets you run Jenkins operations from a terminal, which is useful for automation scripts, repeatable admin tasks, and quick troubleshooting. This guide shows how to get the correct CLI JAR, authenticate against secured Jenkins, trigger parameterized builds, and work with high-value commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally published on 2014-02-10; fully revised and updated.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jenkins<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Get the matching jenkins-cli.jar from your Jenkins server<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The safest way to get jenkins-cli.jar<\/code> is from your own Jenkins instance so the CLI version matches the server. Open your Jenkins \/cli<\/code> page (for example, http:\/\/yourserver.com\/cli<\/code>) and download the JAR from the link it provides (typically under \/jnlpJars\/jenkins-cli.jar<\/code>).<\/p>\n\n\n

java<\/span> -jar<\/span> jenkins-cli<\/span>.jar<\/span> [-s JENKINS_URL]<\/span> command<\/span> [options...]<\/span> [arguments...]<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Run help and discover commands on your server<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Command availability can vary by Jenkins version and installed plugins, so always query your own server.<\/p>\n\n\n
java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http:\/\/yourserver.com help<\/span>\njava -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http:\/\/yourserver.com help build<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
You can also browse command documentation from http:\/\/yourserver.com\/cli<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authenticate to a secured Jenkins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The original guide shows two common approaches for secured Jenkins: pass username\/password each time, or use an SSH private key with -i<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authentication method<\/th>Example<\/th>Best for<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Username and password flags<\/td>--username me --password mypassword<\/code><\/td>Quick manual checks<\/td><\/tr>
SSH private key<\/td>-i ~\/.ssh\/id_rsa<\/code><\/td>Reusable automation with key-based auth<\/td><\/tr>
Saved CLI credential<\/td>login<\/code> and logout<\/code> commands<\/td>Reducing repeated credential flags in interactive usage<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n
java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http:\/\/myjenkins help --username me --password mypassword<\/span>\njava -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http:\/\/myjenkins help -i ~\/.ssh\/id_rsa<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Trigger parameterized builds from the CLI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For parameterized jobs, pass each build parameter with -p key=value<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n
java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http:\/\/myjenkins build 'Deploy XYZ App' -i ~\/.ssh\/id_rsa -s -v -p target_env=api.cloudfoundry.com -p branch=master<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Jenkins CLI workflow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nflowchart TD\n    A[Open Jenkins cli endpoint] --> B[Download matching jenkins cli jar]\n    B --> C[Run help command]\n    C --> D{Server secured}\n    D -- yes --> E[Authenticate with user pass or ssh key]\n    D -- no --> F[Run command directly]\n    E --> G[Execute build or admin command]\n    F --> G\n    G --> H[Review output and build logs]\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Commonly used Jenkins CLI commands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The original post listed many commands. The table below highlights practical commands teams use frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Command<\/th>What it does<\/th>Typical use<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
build<\/code><\/td>Triggers a job build<\/td>CI\/CD automation from scripts<\/td><\/tr>
console<\/code><\/td>Gets build console output<\/td>Triage failed runs quickly<\/td><\/tr>
list-jobs<\/code><\/td>Lists jobs in a view or group<\/td>Inventory and audit scripts<\/td><\/tr>
get-job<\/code> \/ update-job<\/code><\/td>Exports or updates job XML<\/td>Bulk job maintenance<\/td><\/tr>
create-job<\/code> \/ delete-job<\/code><\/td>Creates or removes jobs<\/td>Provisioning and cleanup<\/td><\/tr>
list-plugins<\/code> \/ install-plugin<\/code><\/td>Inspects or installs plugins<\/td>Plugin management<\/td><\/tr>
quiet-down<\/code>, safe-restart<\/code>, safe-shutdown<\/code><\/td>Controls server state safely<\/td>Maintenance windows<\/td><\/tr>
who-am-i<\/code><\/td>Shows identity and permissions<\/td>Auth and RBAC troubleshooting<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n
java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http:\/\/yourserver.com get-job my-job > my-job.xml<\/span>\njava -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http:\/\/yourserver.com update-job my-job < my-job.xml<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Original references and further reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n