PAI CLI command reference - Platform For AI - Alibaba Cloud Documentation Center

Manage PAI resources from the command line. PAI CLI supports DSW instance management, DLC distributed training, resource quota management, and other operations. Use the command reference, global parameters, override flags, and exit codes to automate workflows.

Commands

Command	Description	Documentation
`pai dsw`	Manage interactive modeling (DSW) instances	DSW
`pai dlc`	Manage distributed training jobs	DLC
`pai resource`	Manage resource quotas	Resource management
`pai dataset`	Manage datasets	Other commands > pai dataset
`pai image`	Manage images	Other commands > pai image
`pai workspace`	Manage workspaces	Other commands > pai workspace
`pai api`	Invoke OpenAPI	Other commands > pai api
`pai completion`	Generate shell completion scripts	Other commands > pai completion
`pai config`	Manage configuration	Configuration management

Global parameters

The following parameters apply to all commands and can be placed anywhere in the command line.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`--region`	string	Profile setting	Override the region, such as cn-hangzhou, cn-shanghai, or cn-wulanchabu
`--profile`	string	default	Specify a configuration profile for switching between accounts
`-o, --output`	string	table	Output format: `table` `json` `yaml` `quiet`. The `quiet` format prints one identifier (ID or name) per line for list commands, which is useful for piping. An unrecognized format causes an error exit (exit code 2)
`--debug`	bool	false	Print HTTP request and response debug information

Note

For scripting, use -o json and parse the output with jq. Example: pai dsw instance list -o json | jq '.[].instance_id'. To get only IDs, use -o quiet instead: pai dsw instance list -o quiet prints one instance ID per line.

--override request body editing

For write commands that accept a configuration file or request body, use the --override family of flags to modify fields before submission, without copying the configuration file for each run. This is equivalent to manually editing the file before submission. Argument precedence rules are unchanged.

Parameter	Description
`--override PATH=VALUE`	Modify a value in the request body. Can be specified multiple times. The type is determined by the original value being replaced. An entire list or object can be replaced with a same-shaped JSON value (also a way to add new elements). Quoted paths with subscripts are supported: `--override 'Datasets[0].MountPath=/mnt/x'`
`--override-string PATH=VALUE`	Same as --override, but always writes a string value
`--override-unset PATH`	Remove a value from the request body. Can be specified multiple times

Supported commands: dlc job submit, dsw instance create / update / apply / render, resource quota write commands, and pai api.

# Same configuration, change the instance type and apply (applied changes are logged to stderr)
pai dsw instance apply -f team-env.yaml --override EcsSpec=ecs.gn7i-c16g1.4xlarge

# Modify nested fields + remove fields
pai dlc job submit --body-json @job.json \
  --override DisplayName=bert-lr001 --override-unset Priority

Note

Each effective modification prints a line to stderr: [info] applied to the body: PATH old -> new. This audit information doesn't pollute stdout.

Exit codes

Exit code	Meaning	Typical scenario
0	Success	The command completed successfully (including --dry-run previews)
1	Resource not found	The specified instance, job, service, or quota doesn't exist
2	Argument error	A required parameter is missing, a parameter format is invalid, the subcommand is unknown, or the --output value is unrecognized
3	Authentication or permission error	Invalid credentials, insufficient RAM permissions, or unauthorized service (checked before 404)
4	Server or runtime error	The API returned a 5xx error, the network connection failed, the target service is unreachable, or the operation timed out
5	Confirmation required	A high-risk write operation was run without `--yes`: the command prints a `confirmation_required` plan JSON and exits. Add `--yes` and run again

Note

Exit codes are a stable contract for scripts and agents. Error details are output to stderr as a {"error","message","hint"} JSON envelope with -o json. Stdout stays clean.