# CLI reference

`conda completion` has six subcommands.

## Global options

`conda completion` accepts conda's global `--json` and `--quiet` flags
silently for compatibility with global conda invocation patterns. They
are hidden from the help output because the subcommand output is intended
for humans and shell integration.

`--cache-dir PATH`
: Store completion cache files in `PATH` for this invocation. This
  follows conda-style precedence: command-line option first, then
  `CONDA_COMPLETION_CACHE_DIR`, then the platform user cache directory.

## `conda completion generate`

Introspect conda's argparse tree and write the completion manifest.

```text
conda completion [--cache-dir PATH] generate [--no-repodata]
```

Writes to the platform's cache directory (e.g.,
`~/.cache/conda/completion/completion.msgpack` on Linux). See
{doc}`manifest` for paths on all platforms.

`--no-repodata`
: Generate command, flag, and plugin completion data without package
  names or package versions. Runtime contextual completions from project
  files still work.

Runs via `conda_post_commands` after `conda install`, `conda remove`, or
`conda update` when registered conda entry point names changed. Run it
manually after installing a plugin outside conda's package manager, or
after updating a plugin whose command metadata changed without an entry
point name change.

## `conda completion refresh`

Force conda-completion to rebuild package names and versions from conda
repodata.

```text
conda completion [--cache-dir PATH] refresh
```

Use this when a newly published package or version is missing from
completion results. It bypasses conda-completion's 24-hour package
metadata reuse and rewrites `completion.msgpack`, `versions.index`, and
`versions.store`.

## `conda completion install`

Generate the manifest and add the completion hook to your shell's RC
file.

```text
conda completion [--cache-dir PATH] install [shell] [--yes] [--dry-run] [--no-repodata]
```

shell
: Shell to install for. Auto-detected if omitted. Detection checks
  `CONDA_COMPLETION_SHELL`, the parent process tree, `SHELL`, and then
  the platform default.

`--yes`
: Skip the confirmation prompt.

`--dry-run`
: Show what would be written without modifying files. Does not generate
  completion data and does not fetch repodata.

`--no-repodata`
: Generate command completions without package metadata during the
  delegated generation step. Runtime contextual completions from project
  files still work.

Idempotent: running it twice does not duplicate the hook.

When `--cache-dir` is passed to `install`, the installed startup hook
keeps using that cache directory by passing the same option to
`conda completion init <shell>`.

## `conda completion uninstall`

Remove the completion hook from your shell's RC file.

```text
conda completion uninstall [shell] [--yes] [--dry-run]
```

shell
: Shell to uninstall for. Auto-detected if omitted.

`--yes`
: Skip the confirmation prompt.

`--dry-run`
: Show what would be removed without modifying files.

## `conda completion init`

Print the shell completion script to stdout, for use in eval statements.

```text
conda completion [--cache-dir PATH] init <shell>
```

shell (required)
: One of `bash`, `zsh`, `powershell`, `fish`.

### Examples

```bash
# bash / zsh
eval "$(conda completion init bash)"

# PowerShell
conda completion init powershell | Invoke-Expression

# fish
conda completion init fish | source
```

## `conda completion status`

Show diagnostics: manifest location, age, size, command/package counts,
plugin hash, package-version cache files, and completer binary path.

```text
conda completion [--cache-dir PATH] status
```

Example output:

```text
Cache directory: /home/user/.cache/conda/completion
Manifest: /home/user/.cache/conda/completion/completion.msgpack
  Last generated: 3 minutes ago (245760 bytes)
  Commands: 42
  Packages: 28540
  Plugin hash: a1b2c3d4e5f67890
Package versions index: /home/user/.cache/conda/completion/versions.index
  Size: 1048576 bytes
Package versions store: /home/user/.cache/conda/completion/versions.store
  Size: 2621440 bytes
Current plugin hash: a1b2c3d4e5f67890
Completer binary: /home/user/.conda/envs/base/bin/_conda_completer
```

If `Current plugin hash` differs from the manifest's `Plugin hash`,
the manifest is stale. Run `conda completion generate`, or let the
post-command hook regenerate it after the next `conda install`,
`conda remove`, or `conda update`.