generated: '2026-07-19'
method: searched
source: https://lightning.ai/docs/platform/developers/cli
docs: https://lightning.ai/docs/platform/developers/cli
name: lightning
description: >-
  The Lightning CLI manages Studios, Jobs, multi-machine training, Sandboxes,
  Deployments and VMs from the terminal. It ships inside the lightning-sdk
  Python package rather than as a standalone binary.
binary: lightning
install:
- method: pip
  command: pip install lightning-sdk -U
  package: lightning-sdk
  registry: pypi
authentication:
- method: interactive
  command: lightning login
- method: environment
  variables:
  - LIGHTNING_USER_ID
  - LIGHTNING_API_KEY
usage: lightning [command]
help: lightning COMMAND --help
command_groups:
- group: auth
  description: Authenticate the CLI against a Lightning account
  commands:
  - command: lightning login
    description: Authenticate interactively
- group: studio
  description: Create, run and access Studios (persistent development workspaces)
  docs: https://lightning.ai/docs/platform/developers/cli/studio
  commands:
  - command: lightning studio create
  - command: lightning studio list
  - command: lightning studio start
  - command: lightning studio stop
  - command: lightning studio ssh
  - command: lightning studio cp
  - command: lightning studio switch
- group: job
  description: Submit, list, stop and delete batch jobs
  docs: https://lightning.ai/docs/platform/developers/cli/batch
  commands:
  - command: lightning job run
  - command: lightning job list
  - command: lightning job stop
  - command: lightning job delete
- group: mmt
  description: Submit, list, stop and delete multi-machine training jobs
  docs: https://lightning.ai/docs/platform/developers/cli/multi-machine
  commands:
  - command: lightning mmt run
  - command: lightning mmt list
  - command: lightning mmt stop
  - command: lightning mmt delete
- group: sandbox
  description: >-
    Create and control ephemeral, isolated Linux sandboxes - run commands,
    stream logs, and manage filesystem snapshots
  docs: https://lightning.ai/docs/platform/developers/cli/sandbox
  commands:
  - command: lightning sandbox create
  - command: lightning sandbox list
  - command: lightning sandbox run
  - command: lightning sandbox command
  - command: lightning sandbox commands
  - command: lightning sandbox logs
  - command: lightning sandbox snapshot
  - command: lightning sandbox start
  - command: lightning sandbox stop
  - command: lightning sandbox update
  - command: lightning sandbox delete
key_flows:
- flow: Develop in the cloud
  steps:
  - lightning login
  - lightning studio create
  - lightning studio ssh
- flow: Run a batch job
  steps:
  - lightning job run
  - lightning job list
  - lightning job stop
- flow: Run untrusted or agent-generated code
  steps:
  - lightning sandbox create
  - lightning sandbox run
  - lightning sandbox snapshot
  - lightning sandbox delete