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The Inference.net CLI (inf) gives you command-line access to Observe, datasets, evals, training, and deployment workflows on Inference.net.

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Quick Start

1

Install

npm install -g @inference/cli
2

Sign in

inf auth login
3

Instrument your codebase

inf install

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How the CLI fits into the platform

The CLI is the fastest self-serve entry point into Observe. It can instrument an existing codebase, help you authenticate, and give you command-line access to the same datasets, evals, and training workflows that appear in the dashboard. Observe uses a proxy layer between your application and your LLM provider. Your app sends requests to Inference.net instead of directly to OpenAI or Anthropic. The proxy forwards each request to the upstream provider, records telemetry, and returns the response unchanged. 
Your App  →  Inference.net Proxy  →  LLM Provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
                    ↓
           Inference.net Dashboard
        (cost · latency · tokens · traces)
There is no proprietary SDK. You keep using the official OpenAI or Anthropic SDKs you already have, with tracing and analytics added through Observe. The inf install command instruments your codebase automatically using an AI coding agent. Once instrumented, your Inference.net dashboard shows cost breakdowns, latency percentiles, token usage, error rates, and full request/response inspection for every LLM call.
If you want the product-level walkthrough before you install the CLI, start with Capture Traffic.

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Authentication

Browser login (recommended for local development): 
inf auth login
API key (for CI / headless environments): 
inf auth set-key sk-observability-your-key-here
Or via environment variable: 
export INF_API_KEY=sk-observability-your-key-here
API keys must begin with sk-observability-. Generate one from your Inference.net dashboard.
Check status: 
inf auth status
Sign out: 
inf auth logout

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Auth Priority

When multiple credentials are present, the CLI resolves them in this order:
  1. INF_API_KEY environment variable
  2. API key stored via inf auth set-key
  3. Session token stored via inf auth login

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Configuration

The CLI stores configuration at ~/.inf/config.json, created automatically on first login.
VariableDescriptionDefault
INF_API_KEYAPI key for authentication—
INF_API_URLAPI base URL overridehttps://observability-api.inference.net
INF_PROJECT_IDOverride the active project—

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Global Options

These flags work on every command.
FlagDescription
--jsonOutput as JSON
-v, --verboseVerbose debug output
-p, --project <id>Override the active project
--versionShow CLI version
--helpShow help

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Commands

CommandDescription
inf installInstrument your codebase for Observe
inf projectManage and switch between projects
inf trainingMonitor training runs, view logs, and poll status
inf evalManage eval runs, definitions, and datasets
inf datasetList, inspect, and download datasets
inf inferenceView inference requests and responses
inf dashboardLaunch the interactive terminal dashboard