hugging-face-cli

Use the Hugging Face Hub CLI (`hf`) to download, upload, and manage models, datasets, and Spaces.

31,392 stars
Complexity: easy

About this skill

This skill empowers an AI agent to leverage the Hugging Face Hub CLI (`hf`) for comprehensive management of machine learning assets. It allows for downloading, uploading, and orchestrating models, datasets, and Spaces directly from the Hugging Face Hub. Core functionalities include authentication with the Hub, repository management, and basic compute operations, providing a programmatic interface for agents to integrate seamlessly with the Hugging Face ecosystem. This skill replaces the deprecated `huggingface-cli` command.

Best use case

Automating the deployment or retrieval of machine learning models and datasets; managing an AI agent's access to the Hugging Face Hub; publishing new models or datasets; maintaining ML project assets within the Hugging Face ecosystem.

Use the Hugging Face Hub CLI (`hf`) to download, upload, and manage models, datasets, and Spaces.

Successful execution of Hugging Face Hub CLI commands, resulting in actions like a model being downloaded, a dataset being uploaded, an agent being authenticated to the Hub, or repository metadata being managed. The agent will receive confirmation or relevant output from the `hf` CLI.

Practical example

Example input

Use the Hugging Face CLI to download the `openai/whisper-large-v2` model from the Hugging Face Hub.

Example output

Executing command: `hf download openai/whisper-large-v2`
Output: `Files for openai/whisper-large-v2 downloaded to ./openai/whisper-large-v2`

When to use this skill

  • Use this skill when the AI agent needs to perform operations directly on the Hugging Face Hub, such as downloading specific models or datasets, uploading newly trained models, authenticating its session with the Hub, or managing its repositories. It's ideal for tasks requiring direct CLI interaction with Hugging Face resources.

When not to use this skill

  • Do not use this skill for general system administration tasks unrelated to machine learning assets, or when a direct API integration to Hugging Face might offer more granular control or efficiency for specific, highly specialized operations. It is also not suitable for tasks that do not involve interaction with the Hugging Face Hub.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/hugging-face-cli/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills/main/plugins/antigravity-awesome-skills-claude/skills/hugging-face-cli/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/hugging-face-cli/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How hugging-face-cli Compares

Feature / Agenthugging-face-cliStandard Approach
Platform SupportClaudeLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityeasyN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Use the Hugging Face Hub CLI (`hf`) to download, upload, and manage models, datasets, and Spaces.

Which AI agents support this skill?

This skill is designed for Claude.

How difficult is it to install?

The installation complexity is rated as easy. You can find the installation instructions above.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

Related Guides

SKILL.md Source

Install by downloading the installer script first, reviewing it, and then running it locally. Example:
`curl -LsSf https://hf.co/cli/install.sh -o /tmp/hf-install.sh && less /tmp/hf-install.sh && bash /tmp/hf-install.sh`

## When to Use

Use this skill when you need the `hf` CLI for Hub authentication, downloads, uploads, repo management, or basic compute operations.

The Hugging Face Hub CLI tool `hf` is available. IMPORTANT: The `hf` command replaces the deprecated `huggingface-cli` command.

Use `hf --help` to view available functions. Note that auth commands are now all under `hf auth` e.g. `hf auth whoami`.

Generated with `huggingface_hub v1.8.0`. Run `hf skills add --force` to regenerate.

## Commands

- `hf download REPO_ID` — Download files from the Hub. `[--type CHOICE --revision TEXT --include TEXT --exclude TEXT --cache-dir TEXT --local-dir TEXT --force-download --dry-run --quiet --max-workers INTEGER]`
- `hf env` — Print information about the environment.
- `hf sync` — Sync files between local directory and a bucket. `[--delete --ignore-times --ignore-sizes --plan TEXT --apply TEXT --dry-run --include TEXT --exclude TEXT --filter-from TEXT --existing --ignore-existing --verbose --quiet]`
- `hf upload REPO_ID` — Upload a file or a folder to the Hub. Recommended for single-commit uploads. `[--type CHOICE --revision TEXT --private --include TEXT --exclude TEXT --delete TEXT --commit-message TEXT --commit-description TEXT --create-pr --every FLOAT --quiet]`
- `hf upload-large-folder REPO_ID LOCAL_PATH` — Upload a large folder to the Hub. Recommended for resumable uploads. `[--type CHOICE --revision TEXT --private --include TEXT --exclude TEXT --num-workers INTEGER --no-report --no-bars]`
- `hf version` — Print information about the hf version.

### `hf auth` — Manage authentication (login, logout, etc.).

- `hf auth list` — List all stored access tokens.
- `hf auth login` — Login using a token from huggingface.co/settings/tokens. `[--add-to-git-credential --force]`
- `hf auth logout` — Logout from a specific token. `[--token-name TEXT]`
- `hf auth switch` — Switch between access tokens. `[--token-name TEXT --add-to-git-credential]`
- `hf auth whoami` — Find out which huggingface.co account you are logged in as. `[--format CHOICE]`

### `hf buckets` — Commands to interact with buckets.

- `hf buckets cp SRC` — Copy a single file to or from a bucket. `[--quiet]`
- `hf buckets create BUCKET_ID` — Create a new bucket. `[--private --exist-ok --quiet]`
- `hf buckets delete BUCKET_ID` — Delete a bucket. `[--yes --missing-ok --quiet]`
- `hf buckets info BUCKET_ID` — Get info about a bucket. `[--quiet]`
- `hf buckets list` — List buckets or files in a bucket. `[--human-readable --tree --recursive --format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf buckets move FROM_ID TO_ID` — Move (rename) a bucket to a new name or namespace.
- `hf buckets remove ARGUMENT` — Remove files from a bucket. `[--recursive --yes --dry-run --include TEXT --exclude TEXT --quiet]`
- `hf buckets sync` — Sync files between local directory and a bucket. `[--delete --ignore-times --ignore-sizes --plan TEXT --apply TEXT --dry-run --include TEXT --exclude TEXT --filter-from TEXT --existing --ignore-existing --verbose --quiet]`

### `hf cache` — Manage local cache directory.

- `hf cache list` — List cached repositories or revisions. `[--cache-dir TEXT --revisions --filter TEXT --format CHOICE --quiet --sort CHOICE --limit INTEGER]`
- `hf cache prune` — Remove detached revisions from the cache. `[--cache-dir TEXT --yes --dry-run]`
- `hf cache rm TARGETS` — Remove cached repositories or revisions. `[--cache-dir TEXT --yes --dry-run]`
- `hf cache verify REPO_ID` — Verify checksums for a single repo revision from cache or a local directory. `[--type CHOICE --revision TEXT --cache-dir TEXT --local-dir TEXT --fail-on-missing-files --fail-on-extra-files]`

### `hf collections` — Interact with collections on the Hub.

- `hf collections add-item COLLECTION_SLUG ITEM_ID ITEM_TYPE` — Add an item to a collection. `[--note TEXT --exists-ok]`
- `hf collections create TITLE` — Create a new collection on the Hub. `[--namespace TEXT --description TEXT --private --exists-ok]`
- `hf collections delete COLLECTION_SLUG` — Delete a collection from the Hub. `[--missing-ok]`
- `hf collections delete-item COLLECTION_SLUG ITEM_OBJECT_ID` — Delete an item from a collection. `[--missing-ok]`
- `hf collections info COLLECTION_SLUG` — Get info about a collection on the Hub. Output is in JSON format.
- `hf collections list` — List collections on the Hub. `[--owner TEXT --item TEXT --sort CHOICE --limit INTEGER --format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf collections update COLLECTION_SLUG` — Update a collection's metadata on the Hub. `[--title TEXT --description TEXT --position INTEGER --private --theme TEXT]`
- `hf collections update-item COLLECTION_SLUG ITEM_OBJECT_ID` — Update an item in a collection. `[--note TEXT --position INTEGER]`

### `hf datasets` — Interact with datasets on the Hub.

- `hf datasets info DATASET_ID` — Get info about a dataset on the Hub. Output is in JSON format. `[--revision TEXT --expand TEXT]`
- `hf datasets list` — List datasets on the Hub. `[--search TEXT --author TEXT --filter TEXT --sort CHOICE --limit INTEGER --expand TEXT --format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf datasets parquet DATASET_ID` — List parquet file URLs available for a dataset. `[--subset TEXT --split TEXT --format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf datasets sql SQL` — Execute a raw SQL query with DuckDB against dataset parquet URLs. `[--format CHOICE]`

### `hf discussions` — Manage discussions and pull requests on the Hub.

- `hf discussions close REPO_ID NUM` — Close a discussion or pull request. `[--comment TEXT --yes --type CHOICE]`
- `hf discussions comment REPO_ID NUM` — Comment on a discussion or pull request. `[--body TEXT --body-file PATH --type CHOICE]`
- `hf discussions create REPO_ID --title TEXT` — Create a new discussion or pull request on a repo. `[--body TEXT --body-file PATH --pull-request --type CHOICE]`
- `hf discussions diff REPO_ID NUM` — Show the diff of a pull request. `[--type CHOICE]`
- `hf discussions info REPO_ID NUM` — Get info about a discussion or pull request. `[--comments --diff --no-color --type CHOICE --format CHOICE]`
- `hf discussions list REPO_ID` — List discussions and pull requests on a repo. `[--status CHOICE --kind CHOICE --author TEXT --limit INTEGER --type CHOICE --format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf discussions merge REPO_ID NUM` — Merge a pull request. `[--comment TEXT --yes --type CHOICE]`
- `hf discussions rename REPO_ID NUM NEW_TITLE` — Rename a discussion or pull request. `[--type CHOICE]`
- `hf discussions reopen REPO_ID NUM` — Reopen a closed discussion or pull request. `[--comment TEXT --yes --type CHOICE]`

### `hf endpoints` — Manage Hugging Face Inference Endpoints.

- `hf endpoints catalog deploy --repo TEXT` — Deploy an Inference Endpoint from the Model Catalog. `[--name TEXT --accelerator TEXT --namespace TEXT]`
- `hf endpoints catalog list` — List available Catalog models.
- `hf endpoints delete NAME` — Delete an Inference Endpoint permanently. `[--namespace TEXT --yes]`
- `hf endpoints deploy NAME --repo TEXT --framework TEXT --accelerator TEXT --instance-size TEXT --instance-type TEXT --region TEXT --vendor TEXT` — Deploy an Inference Endpoint from a Hub repository. `[--namespace TEXT --task TEXT --min-replica INTEGER --max-replica INTEGER --scale-to-zero-timeout INTEGER --scaling-metric CHOICE --scaling-threshold FLOAT]`
- `hf endpoints describe NAME` — Get information about an existing endpoint. `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf endpoints list` — Lists all Inference Endpoints for the given namespace. `[--namespace TEXT --format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf endpoints pause NAME` — Pause an Inference Endpoint. `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf endpoints resume NAME` — Resume an Inference Endpoint. `[--namespace TEXT --fail-if-already-running]`
- `hf endpoints scale-to-zero NAME` — Scale an Inference Endpoint to zero. `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf endpoints update NAME` — Update an existing endpoint. `[--namespace TEXT --repo TEXT --accelerator TEXT --instance-size TEXT --instance-type TEXT --framework TEXT --revision TEXT --task TEXT --min-replica INTEGER --max-replica INTEGER --scale-to-zero-timeout INTEGER --scaling-metric CHOICE --scaling-threshold FLOAT]`

### `hf extensions` — Manage hf CLI extensions.

- `hf extensions exec NAME` — Execute an installed extension.
- `hf extensions install REPO_ID` — Install an extension from a public GitHub repository. `[--force]`
- `hf extensions list` — List installed extension commands. `[--format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf extensions remove NAME` — Remove an installed extension.
- `hf extensions search` — Search extensions available on GitHub (tagged with 'hf-extension' topic). `[--format CHOICE --quiet]`

### `hf jobs` — Run and manage Jobs on the Hub.

- `hf jobs cancel JOB_ID` — Cancel a Job `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs hardware` — List available hardware options for Jobs
- `hf jobs inspect JOB_IDS` — Display detailed information on one or more Jobs `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs logs JOB_ID` — Fetch the logs of a Job. `[--follow --tail INTEGER --namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs ps` — List Jobs. `[--all --namespace TEXT --filter TEXT --format TEXT --quiet]`
- `hf jobs run IMAGE COMMAND` — Run a Job. `[--env TEXT --secrets TEXT --label TEXT --volume TEXT --env-file TEXT --secrets-file TEXT --flavor CHOICE --timeout TEXT --detach --namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs scheduled delete SCHEDULED_JOB_ID` — Delete a scheduled Job. `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs scheduled inspect SCHEDULED_JOB_IDS` — Display detailed information on one or more scheduled Jobs `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs scheduled ps` — List scheduled Jobs `[--all --namespace TEXT --filter TEXT --format TEXT --quiet]`
- `hf jobs scheduled resume SCHEDULED_JOB_ID` — Resume (unpause) a scheduled Job. `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs scheduled run SCHEDULE IMAGE COMMAND` — Schedule a Job. `[--suspend --concurrency --env TEXT --secrets TEXT --label TEXT --volume TEXT --env-file TEXT --secrets-file TEXT --flavor CHOICE --timeout TEXT --namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs scheduled suspend SCHEDULED_JOB_ID` — Suspend (pause) a scheduled Job. `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs scheduled uv run SCHEDULE SCRIPT` — Run a UV script (local file or URL) on HF infrastructure `[--suspend --concurrency --image TEXT --flavor CHOICE --env TEXT --secrets TEXT --label TEXT --volume TEXT --env-file TEXT --secrets-file TEXT --timeout TEXT --namespace TEXT --with TEXT --python TEXT]`
- `hf jobs stats` — Fetch the resource usage statistics and metrics of Jobs `[--namespace TEXT]`
- `hf jobs uv run SCRIPT` — Run a UV script (local file or URL) on HF infrastructure `[--image TEXT --flavor CHOICE --env TEXT --secrets TEXT --label TEXT --volume TEXT --env-file TEXT --secrets-file TEXT --timeout TEXT --detach --namespace TEXT --with TEXT --python TEXT]`

### `hf models` — Interact with models on the Hub.

- `hf models info MODEL_ID` — Get info about a model on the Hub. Output is in JSON format. `[--revision TEXT --expand TEXT]`
- `hf models list` — List models on the Hub. `[--search TEXT --author TEXT --filter TEXT --num-parameters TEXT --sort CHOICE --limit INTEGER --expand TEXT --format CHOICE --quiet]`

### `hf papers` — Interact with papers on the Hub.

- `hf papers info PAPER_ID` — Get info about a paper on the Hub. Output is in JSON format.
- `hf papers list` — List daily papers on the Hub. `[--date TEXT --week TEXT --month TEXT --submitter TEXT --sort CHOICE --limit INTEGER --format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf papers read PAPER_ID` — Read a paper as markdown.
- `hf papers search QUERY` — Search papers on the Hub. `[--limit INTEGER --format CHOICE --quiet]`

### `hf repos` — Manage repos on the Hub.

- `hf repos branch create REPO_ID BRANCH` — Create a new branch for a repo on the Hub. `[--revision TEXT --type CHOICE --exist-ok]`
- `hf repos branch delete REPO_ID BRANCH` — Delete a branch from a repo on the Hub. `[--type CHOICE]`
- `hf repos create REPO_ID` — Create a new repo on the Hub. `[--type CHOICE --space-sdk TEXT --private --public --protected --exist-ok --resource-group-id TEXT --flavor TEXT --storage TEXT --sleep-time INTEGER --secrets TEXT --secrets-file TEXT --env TEXT --env-file TEXT]`
- `hf repos delete REPO_ID` — Delete a repo from the Hub. This is an irreversible operation. `[--type CHOICE --missing-ok]`
- `hf repos delete-files REPO_ID PATTERNS` — Delete files from a repo on the Hub. `[--type CHOICE --revision TEXT --commit-message TEXT --commit-description TEXT --create-pr]`
- `hf repos duplicate FROM_ID` — Duplicate a repo on the Hub (model, dataset, or Space). `[--type CHOICE --private --public --protected --exist-ok --flavor TEXT --storage TEXT --sleep-time INTEGER --secrets TEXT --secrets-file TEXT --env TEXT --env-file TEXT]`
- `hf repos move FROM_ID TO_ID` — Move a repository from a namespace to another namespace. `[--type CHOICE]`
- `hf repos settings REPO_ID` — Update the settings of a repository. `[--gated CHOICE --private --public --protected --type CHOICE]`
- `hf repos tag create REPO_ID TAG` — Create a tag for a repo. `[--message TEXT --revision TEXT --type CHOICE]`
- `hf repos tag delete REPO_ID TAG` — Delete a tag for a repo. `[--yes --type CHOICE]`
- `hf repos tag list REPO_ID` — List tags for a repo. `[--type CHOICE]`

### `hf skills` — Manage skills for AI assistants.

- `hf skills add` — Download a skill and install it for an AI assistant. `[--claude --codex --cursor --opencode --global --dest PATH --force]`
- `hf skills preview` — Print the generated SKILL.md to stdout.

### `hf spaces` — Interact with spaces on the Hub.

- `hf spaces dev-mode SPACE_ID` — Enable or disable dev mode on a Space. `[--stop]`
- `hf spaces hot-reload SPACE_ID` — Hot-reload any Python file of a Space without a full rebuild + restart. `[--local-file TEXT --skip-checks --skip-summary]`
- `hf spaces info SPACE_ID` — Get info about a space on the Hub. Output is in JSON format. `[--revision TEXT --expand TEXT]`
- `hf spaces list` — List spaces on the Hub. `[--search TEXT --author TEXT --filter TEXT --sort CHOICE --limit INTEGER --expand TEXT --format CHOICE --quiet]`

### `hf webhooks` — Manage webhooks on the Hub.

- `hf webhooks create --watch TEXT` — Create a new webhook. `[--url TEXT --job-id TEXT --domain CHOICE --secret TEXT]`
- `hf webhooks delete WEBHOOK_ID` — Delete a webhook permanently. `[--yes]`
- `hf webhooks disable WEBHOOK_ID` — Disable an active webhook.
- `hf webhooks enable WEBHOOK_ID` — Enable a disabled webhook.
- `hf webhooks info WEBHOOK_ID` — Show full details for a single webhook as JSON.
- `hf webhooks list` — List all webhooks for the current user. `[--format CHOICE --quiet]`
- `hf webhooks update WEBHOOK_ID` — Update an existing webhook. Only provided options are changed. `[--url TEXT --watch TEXT --domain CHOICE --secret TEXT]`

## Common options

- `--format` — Output format: `--format json` (or `--json`) or `--format table` (default).
- `-q / --quiet` — Minimal output.
- `--revision` — Git revision id which can be a branch name, a tag, or a commit hash.
- `--token` — Use a User Access Token. Prefer setting `HF_TOKEN` env var instead of passing `--token`.
- `--type` — The type of repository (model, dataset, or space).

## Mounting repos as local filesystems

To mount Hub repositories or buckets as local filesystems — no download, no copy, no waiting — use `hf-mount`. Files are fetched on demand. GitHub: https://github.com/huggingface/hf-mount

Install by downloading the installer locally, reviewing it, and then running it. Example:
`curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huggingface/hf-mount/main/install.sh -o /tmp/hf-mount-install.sh && less /tmp/hf-mount-install.sh && sh /tmp/hf-mount-install.sh`

Some command examples:
- `hf-mount start repo openai-community/gpt2 /tmp/gpt2` — mount a repo (read-only)
- `hf-mount start --hf-token $HF_TOKEN bucket myuser/my-bucket /tmp/data` — mount a bucket (read-write)
- `hf-mount status` / `hf-mount stop /tmp/data` — list or unmount

## Tips

- Use `hf <command> --help` for full options, descriptions, usage, and real-world examples
- Authenticate with `HF_TOKEN` env var (recommended) or with `--token`

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