pc is Pinecone on the command line.
⚠️ Note: This CLI is in public preview and does not yet support all features available through the Pinecone API. Please try it out and let us know of any feedback. You'll want to upgrade often as we address feedback and add additional features.
The most convenient way to install the CLI on macOS and Linux is via Homebrew.
If you don't have Homebrew installed, install it first:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"- Add the Pinecone tap to your Homebrew configuration:
brew tap pinecone-io/tap- Install the Pinecone CLI:
brew install pinecone-io/tap/pinecone- Verify the installation:
pc --helpA Homebrew tap is a third-party repository of Homebrew formulas. Our official tap at pinecone-io/homebrew-tap contains the formula needed to install the Pinecone CLI.
To upgrade to the latest version:
brew update
brew upgrade pineconeTo remove the CLI:
brew uninstall pineconeTo remove the Pinecone tap entirely:
brew untap pinecone-io/tapFor users who prefer not to use Homebrew or need specific platform binaries, we provide pre-built binaries for many platforms.
- Visit the Releases page
- Download the appropriate binary for your platform and architecture from the "Assets" section.
- Make the binary executable (Linux/macOS):
chmod +x pc
- Move to a directory in your PATH (optional but recommended):
sudo mv pc /usr/local/bin/ # Linux/macOS # or on Windows, add the directory to your PATH
- Verify the installation:
pc --help
- macOS: Intel (x86_64) and Apple Silicon (ARM64)
- Linux: x86_64, ARM64, and i386 architectures
- Windows: x86_64 and i386 architectures
To learn about the steps involved in building from source, see CONTRIBUTING
There are three ways to authenticate the Pinecone CLI: through a web browser with user login, using a service account, or with an API key.
This table describes the Pinecone operations supported by each authentication method:
| Method | Admin API | Control plane |
|---|---|---|
| User login | ✅ | ✅ |
| Service account | ✅ | ✅ |
| API key | ❌ | ✅ |
-
Admin API–related commands (organization and project management, API key operations):
pc organization(list,describe,update,delete)pc project(create,list,describe,update,delete)pc api-key(create,list,describe,update,delete)
-
Control plane–related commands (index management):
pc index(create,list,describe,configure,delete)
The standard authentication method for interactive use. Provides full access to the Admin API and control/data plane operations. When authenticated this way, you have access to all organizations associated with the account.
pc auth loginThis command:
- Opens your browser to the Pinecone login page
- Automatically sets a target organization and project context
- Grants access to manage organizations, projects, and other account-level resources
View and change your current target:
pc target -s
pc target -o "ORGANIZATION_NAME" -p "PROJECT_NAME"Use service account client credentials for authentication. Service accounts are scoped to a single organization, but you can manage projects and set a target project context.
# Prompts you to pick a target project from the projects available to the service account
pc auth configure --client-id "YOUR_CLIENT_ID" --client-secret "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
# Specify a target project when configuring the service account
pc auth configure --client-id "client-id" --client-secret "client-secret" --project-id "project-id"Use a project API key directly. Provides access to control/data plane operations only (no Admin API access). If an API key is set directly, it overrides any configured target organization and project context.
pc auth configure --api-key "YOUR_API_KEY"
# alternatively
pc config set-api-key "YOUR_API_KEY"For more detailed information, see the CLI authentication documentation.
After installing the CLI, authenticate with user login or set an API key, verify your auth status, and list indexes associated with your automatically targeted project.
# Option 1: Login via browser (recommended)
pc auth login
# Option 2: Set API key directly
pc config set-api-key "YOUR_API_KEY"
# Verify authentication
pc auth whoami
pc auth status
# List your indexes
pc index list