> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nuvolos.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nuvolos.com/reference/nuvolos-cli-and-python-api.md).

# Nuvolos CLI and Python API

## What the CLI and Python API are

Nuvolos provides two programmatic interfaces for managing your work on the platform without using the web UI:

* **CLI (Command-Line Interface)** - a terminal tool you run from a shell. You type commands like `nuvolos app start` or `nuvolos app exec` to control applications, trigger workflows, or automate repetitive tasks. It works inside any Nuvolos application terminal or on your local machine.
* **Python API** - a Python library that wraps the same operations in Python functions and classes. You call methods like `nuvolos.app.start()` instead of typing shell commands, making it easy to integrate Nuvolos into Python scripts, notebooks, and CI/CD pipelines.

Both tools talk to the same underlying [Nuvolos REST API](https://api.nuvolos.cloud/docs), so they have identical capabilities - the choice between them is a matter of preference and context.

## Why use them?

| Use case                         | Example                                                                                                                                                                        |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Automate repetitive work**     | Start an application, run a script, and stop the application — all in a single shell command or cron job.                                                                      |
| **Scale computation**            | Launch an application on a [credit-based size](/reference/applications/application-resources.md#size-and-price-of-an-application) with high CPU, memory, or GPU from a script. |
| **Build pipelines**              | Chain data ingestion, model training, and result export into a reproducible workflow.                                                                                          |
| **Work from your local machine** | Trigger Nuvolos operations from your laptop without opening a browser.                                                                                                         |

## Getting started

* [Installing the CLI](/reference/nuvolos-cli-and-python-api/installing-the-cli.md)
* [Using the CLI](/reference/nuvolos-cli-and-python-api/using-the-cli.md)

## Source code

* [Nuvolos CLI](https://github.com/nuvolos-cloud/nuvolos-cli) (GitHub)
* [Nuvolos Python API](https://github.com/nuvolos-cloud/nuvolos-client-api) (GitHub)


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.nuvolos.com/reference/nuvolos-cli-and-python-api.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.