> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.unitlab.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.unitlab.ai/api-sdk-cli/get-started/cli-quickstart.md).

# CLI quickstart

{% hint style="info" %}
**Outcome:** Configure the CLI, create a project, upload data, wait for processing, and emit JSON for automation.
{% endhint %}

```bash
unitlab configure --api-key YOUR_API_KEY
unitlab project create "Road review" --json
unitlab project list
unitlab project upload PROJECT_ID ./data --fps 2.0 --json
unitlab batch-queue wait PROJECT_ID BATCH_QUEUE_ID --json
unitlab project data-units PROJECT_ID --json
```

Use `--json` when another process will parse the result. Human output is concise and can change for readability; JSON output is the machine interface. A project upload exits non-zero on partial file failure, even when some files succeeded. Capture output and inspect the created Batch Queue before deciding whether to retry.

Every command group supports `--help`. Use the installed command’s help as the authoritative option list for the pinned SDK version.

### Operating contract

| Concern           | Required behavior                                                           |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Execution surface | Pinned `unitlab==3.0.0` command in the intended Python 3.10+ environment.   |
| Machine contract  | Use `--json`; human-readable output is not an automation interface.         |
| Target resolution | Resolve stable IDs with a read command before a state-changing command.     |
| Success evidence  | Exit status, JSON result, returned IDs, and a read-after-write state check. |

### Failure and recovery boundary

| Condition                                       | Response                                                                                                     |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Authentication or authorization fails           | Stop, correct the service identity or access model, rotate exposed credentials, and rerun a read-only check. |
| Validation or entitlement rejects the operation | Correct the input or entitlement; do not retry an unchanged request.                                         |
| A request times out                             | Inspect remote state before repeating a mutation because the server may have accepted it.                    |
| Asynchronous processing exceeds its deadline    | Preserve the Batch Queue or release ID, continue bounded monitoring, and inspect item-level failures.        |
| Only part of a batch succeeds                   | Keep successful identifiers, isolate failed rows, and retry only the corrected subset.                       |

{% hint style="warning" %}
Pin and test the production SDK version. Use stable IDs, keep secrets out of logs and command history, and record the correlation ID, target IDs, counts, final state, and redacted error details for material state changes.
{% endhint %}