Replicate CLI
The Replicate CLI is a command-line tool for interacting with Replicate's AI model platform. It enables running predictions, managing models, creating deployments, and fine-tuning models directly from the terminal.
Authentication
Before using the Replicate CLI, set the API token:
export REPLICATE_API_TOKEN=<token-from-replicate.com/account>
Alternatively, authenticate interactively:
replicate auth login
Verify authentication:
replicate account current
Core Commands
Running Predictions
The primary use case is running predictions against hosted models.
Basic prediction:
replicate run <owner/model> input_key=value
Examples:
Image generation:
replicate run stability-ai/sdxl prompt="a studio photo of a rainbow colored corgi"
Text generation with streaming:
replicate run meta/llama-2-70b-chat --stream prompt="Tell me a joke"
Prediction flags:
--stream- Stream output tokens in real-time (for text models)--no-wait- Submit prediction without waiting for completion--web- Open prediction in browser--json- Output result as JSON--save- Save outputs to local directory--output-directory <dir>- Specify output directory (default:./{prediction-id})
Input Handling
File uploads: Prefix local file paths with @:
replicate run nightmareai/real-esrgan image=@photo.jpg
Output chaining: Use {{.output}} template syntax to chain predictions:
replicate run stability-ai/sdxl prompt="a corgi" | \
replicate run nightmareai/real-esrgan image={{.output[0]}}
Model Operations
View model schema (see required inputs and outputs):
replicate model schema <owner/model>
replicate model schema stability-ai/sdxl --json
List models:
replicate model list
replicate model list --json
Show model details:
replicate model show <owner/model>
Create a new model:
replicate model create <owner/name> \
--hardware gpu-a100-large \
--private \
--description "Model description"
Model creation flags:
--hardware <sku>- Hardware SKU (seereferences/hardware.md)--private/--public- Visibility setting--description <text>- Model description--github-url <url>- Link to source repository--license-url <url>- License information--cover-image-url <url>- Cover image for model page
Training (Fine-tuning)
Fine-tune models using the training command:
replicate train <base-model> \
--destination <owner/new-model> \
input_key=value
Example - Fine-tune SDXL with DreamBooth:
replicate train stability-ai/sdxl \
--destination myuser/custom-sdxl \
--web \
input_images=@training-images.zip \
use_face_detection_instead=true
List trainings:
replicate training list
Show training details:
replicate training show <training-id>
Deployments
Deployments provide dedicated, always-on inference endpoints with predictable performance.
Create deployment:
replicate deployments create <name> \
--model <owner/model> \
--hardware <sku> \
--min-instances 1 \
--max-instances 3
Example:
replicate deployments create text-to-image \
--model stability-ai/sdxl \
--hardware gpu-a100-large \
--min-instances 1 \
--max-instances 5
Update deployment:
replicate deployments update <name> \
--max-instances 10 \
--version <version-id>
List deployments:
replicate deployments list
Show deployment details and schema:
replicate deployments show <name>
replicate deployments schema <name>
Hardware
List available hardware options:
replicate hardware list
See references/hardware.md for detailed hardware information and selection guidelines.
Scaffolding
Create a local development environment from an existing prediction:
replicate scaffold <prediction-id-or-url> --template=<node|python>
This generates a project with the prediction's model and inputs pre-configured.
Command Aliases
For convenience, these aliases are available:
| Alias | Equivalent Command |
|-------|-------------------|
| replicate run | replicate prediction create |
| replicate stream | replicate prediction create --stream |
| replicate train | replicate training create |
Short aliases for subcommands:
replicate m=replicate modelreplicate p=replicate predictionreplicate t=replicate trainingreplicate d=replicate deploymentsreplicate hw=replicate hardwarereplicate a=replicate account
Common Workflows
Image Generation Pipeline
Generate an image and upscale it:
replicate run stability-ai/sdxl \
prompt="professional photo of a sunset" \
negative_prompt="blurry, low quality" | \
replicate run nightmareai/real-esrgan \
image={{.output[0]}} \
--save
Check Model Inputs Before Running
Always check the model schema to understand required inputs:
replicate model schema owner/model-name
Batch Processing
Run predictions and save outputs:
for prompt in "cat" "dog" "bird"; do
replicate run stability-ai/sdxl prompt="$prompt" --save --output-directory "./outputs/$prompt"
done
Monitor Long-Running Tasks
Submit without waiting, then check status:
# Submit
replicate run owner/model input=value --no-wait --json > prediction.json
# Check status later
replicate prediction show $(jq -r '.id' prediction.json)
Best Practices
-
Always check schema first - Run
replicate model schema <model>to understand required and optional inputs before running predictions. -
Use streaming for text models - Add
--streamflag when running language models to see output in real-time. -
Save outputs explicitly - Use
--saveand--output-directoryto organize prediction outputs. -
Use JSON output for automation - Add
--jsonflag when parsing outputs programmatically. -
Open in web for debugging - Add
--webflag to view predictions in the Replicate dashboard for detailed logs. -
Chain predictions efficiently - Use the
{{.output}}syntax to pass outputs between models without intermediate saves.
Troubleshooting
Authentication errors:
- Verify
REPLICATE_API_TOKENis set correctly - Run
replicate account currentto test authentication
Model not found:
- Check model name format:
owner/model-name - Verify model exists at replicate.com
Input validation errors:
- Run
replicate model schema <model>to see required inputs - Check input types (string, number, file)
File upload issues:
- Ensure
@prefix is used for local files - Verify file path is correct and file exists
Additional Resources
- Replicate documentation: https://replicate.com/docs
- Model explorer: https://replicate.com/explore
- API reference: https://replicate.com/docs/reference/http
- GitHub repository: https://github.com/replicate/cli