Plaid CLI  ========== #### Install and use the Plaid CLI to access your financial data from the terminal  The Plaid CLI is a command-line interface for the [Plaid API](https://plaid.com/docs/api/index.html.md) . Install once and start making API calls — no client libraries to import, no request objects to construct, no response types to parse. The CLI works for both developers and AI agents: * **For developers:** readable table output in the terminal, with commands that mirror the API structure * **For agents:** structured JSON output via `--json`, clean separation of data on stdout and diagnostics on stderr, and predictable exit codes The CLI currently supports [Balance](https://plaid.com/docs/balance/index.html.md) , [Transactions](https://plaid.com/docs/transactions/index.html.md) , [Investments](https://plaid.com/docs/investments/index.html.md) , and [Liabilities](https://plaid.com/docs/liabilities/index.html.md) . Use it to link a financial institution, check balances, pull transactions, view holdings, and more, all without writing any code. The Plaid CLI is an experimental tool; you may encounter rough edges. Use `plaid feedback` to report issues or suggest improvements. The interface to the Plaid CLI may change (including breaking changes) without advance notice. #### Installing the CLI  The CLI is distributed via [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) . Install via Homebrew ```bash brew install plaid/plaid-cli/plaid ``` Update to the latest version ```bash brew update && brew upgrade plaid ``` Verify the installation ```bash plaid --version ``` #### Getting started  ##### Creating an account  If you don't have a Plaid account yet, sign up directly from the CLI: Sign up for a Plaid account ```bash plaid register ``` This opens the [Dashboard](https://dashboard.plaid.com/) signup page in your browser. After creating and verifying your account, log in: Log in to the Dashboard ```bash plaid login ``` This opens a browser for you to authenticate with the Dashboard. Once complete, the CLI stores your tokens locally and fetches your API keys automatically. Tokens are refreshed automatically by subsequent commands. ##### Signing up for the Trial plan  By default, new accounts have access to the [Sandbox environment](https://plaid.com/docs/sandbox/index.html.md) . To connect to real financial institutions, apply for a [Trial plan](https://plaid.com/docs/account/billing/index.html.md#trial-plans) : Open the Trial plan application ```bash plaid trial ``` This opens the Trial plan application form in your browser. Once your application is approved, refresh your locally stored API keys to start using Production: Refresh API keys after Trial plan approval ```bash plaid keys fetch ``` #### Linking an Item  The CLI is organized around [Items](https://plaid.com/docs/quickstart/glossary/index.html.md#item) , which represent logins at financial institutions. Product commands read data from one Item (`--item`) or all linked Items (`--all`). To connect a real institution, use Hosted Link in your browser: Open Link to create an Item ```bash plaid link ``` This opens [Plaid Link](https://plaid.com/docs/link/index.html.md) in your browser. Search for your financial institution, log in with your credentials, and select the accounts you want to connect. When the flow completes, the CLI automatically saves the access token and Item ID to your config so you can query product data immediately. `plaid link` accepts a `--products` flag to choose the product set for the linked Item: Link an Item for Transactions and Liabilities use cases ```bash plaid link --products transactions,liabilities ``` `plaid item link` is an equivalent namespace form when you want to stay inside the `item` command tree. To see which Items you have linked: List linked Items in the current environment ```bash plaid item list ``` #### Creating a Sandbox Item  The [Sandbox environment](https://plaid.com/docs/sandbox/index.html.md) allows you to test without connecting a real financial institution. Create a Sandbox Item directly ```bash plaid config set --env sandbox plaid sandbox link ``` You can choose a Sandbox product scenario without opening Link: Create Sandbox Items for specific product scenarios ```bash plaid sandbox link --products balance plaid sandbox link --products transactions,liabilities plaid sandbox link --products investments ``` #### Querying personal financial management (PFM) product data  With one linked Item stored locally, the product commands use it by default. When you have multiple linked Items, pass `--item ` for one Item or `--all` to view every linked Item. Once you have linked an Item, the main product commands are: Check account balances ```bash plaid balance ``` Sample output ```text ACCOUNT AVAILABLE CURRENT CURRENCY Plaid Checking (0000) 100.00 110.00 USD ``` List recent transactions ```bash plaid transactions list --count 5 ``` Sample output ```text DATE MERCHANT AMOUNT CATEGORY ACCOUNT 2026-04-24 Tectra Inc 500.00 Food and Drink > Restaurants Plaid Credit Card (3333) 2026-04-23 AUTOMATIC PAYMENT - THANK 2078.50 Payment Plaid Credit Card (3333) 2026-04-23 KFC 500.00 Food and Drink > Restaurants > Fast Food Plaid Credit Card (3333) 2026-04-23 Madison Bicycle Shop 500.00 Shops > Sporting Goods Plaid Credit Card (3333) 2026-04-14 Uber 5.40 Travel > Taxi Plaid Checking (0000) ``` Sync transactions incrementally ```bash plaid transactions sync ``` Sample output ```text Synced: 4 added, 0 modified, 0 removed New transactions: DATE MERCHANT AMOUNT 2026-04-14 Uber 5.40 2026-04-12 United Airlines -500.00 2026-04-11 McDonald's 12.00 2026-04-11 Starbucks 4.33 ``` Get investment holdings ```bash plaid investments holdings ``` Sample output ```text ACCOUNT SECURITY TICKER QUANTITY PRICE VALUE Plaid 401k (6666) Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc. ACHN 1 2.11 2.11 Plaid IRA (5555) Nflx Feb 01'18 $355 Call NFLX180201C00355000 10000 0.01 110.00 ``` Get investment transactions ```bash plaid investments transactions --start-date 2026-04-23 ``` Sample output ```text DATE NAME TICKER TYPE QUANTITY AMOUNT ACCOUNT 2026-04-24 BUY Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc. ACHN buy 0.520877874205698 1.10 Plaid 401k (6666) 2026-04-23 BUY NFLX DERIVATIVE NFLX180201C00355000 buy 4211.152345617756 46.32 Plaid IRA (5555) ``` Get liabilities ```bash plaid liabilities ``` Sample output ```text Credit ACCOUNT CURRENT LIMIT MIN PAYMENT NEXT DUE LAST STATEMENT OVERDUE Plaid Credit Card (3333) 410.00 2000.00 20.00 2020-05-28 1708.77 no Student ACCOUNT CURRENT MIN PAYMENT NEXT DUE RATE EXPECTED PAYOFF Plaid Student Loan (7777) 65262.00 25.00 2019-05-28 5.25% 2032-07-28 Mortgage ACCOUNT CURRENT NEXT PAYMENT NEXT DUE RATE TERM Plaid Mortgage (8888) 56302.06 3141.54 2019-11-15 3.99% 30 year ``` #### JSON output for agents and scripts  All commands support the `--json` flag for structured, machine-readable output. This makes the CLI a natural fit for AI agents and shell scripts. In `--json` mode: * `stdout` contains the primary JSON result * `stderr` contains diagnostics * browser-based commands still open the browser when required Get balances as JSON ```bash plaid balance --json ``` Sample output ```json { "accounts": [ { "account_id": "zNGwXw3...", "name": "Plaid Checking", "official_name": "Plaid Gold Standard 0% Interest Checking", "type": "depository", "subtype": "checking", "mask": "0000", "balances": { "available": 100, "current": 110, "limit": null, "iso_currency_code": "USD" } }, { "account_id": "BpMKbK7...", "name": "Plaid Saving", "official_name": "Plaid Silver Standard 0.1% Interest Saving", "type": "depository", "subtype": "savings", "mask": "1111", "balances": { "available": 200, "current": 210, "limit": null, "iso_currency_code": "USD" } } ], "item": { "item_id": "...", "institution_id": "ins_56" } } ``` Pipe JSON output to other tools ```bash plaid balance --json | jq '.accounts[0].name' "Plaid Checking" ``` #### Command guide  Run `plaid --help` for the full command tree, or `plaid --help` for details on a specific command. ##### Access  | Command | Description | | --- | --- | | `plaid register` | Register an account in the Dashboard | | `plaid login` | Log in to the Dashboard | | `plaid trial` | Start the Trial plan onboarding in the Dashboard | | `plaid logout` | Remove stored Dashboard credentials | ##### Products  | Command | Description | | --- | --- | | `plaid link` | Open Link to create an Item | | `plaid item list` | List linked Items in the current environment | | `plaid item get` | Show an Item and the accounts it contains | | `plaid item remove` | Remove a linked Item | | `plaid balance` | Get balance data | | `plaid transactions list` | List transactions | | `plaid transactions sync` | Sync transactions incrementally | | `plaid investments holdings` | Get investments holdings | | `plaid investments transactions` | Get investments transactions | | `plaid liabilities` | Get liabilities | | `plaid sandbox link` | Create a Sandbox Item | ##### Configuration  | Command | Description | | --- | --- | | `plaid config` | Show Plaid CLI config status | | `plaid config set` | Manually modify config | | `plaid teams list` | List available Dashboard teams | | `plaid teams choose` | Interactively choose the active team | | `plaid keys fetch` | Fetch API keys from the Dashboard | ##### Utilities  | Command | Description | | --- | --- | | `plaid feedback` | Submit feedback about the CLI | | `plaid help` | Help about any command | #### Configuration  Credentials are read with this precedence: **flags > environment variables > config file**. Each environment (Sandbox, Production) stores its own credentials separately. Switching environments preserves all stored data. Managing credentials ```bash # Set credentials (secret is prompted interactively) plaid config set --client-id --env sandbox # Switch to production plaid config set --env production # View current config (secrets are masked) plaid config ``` ##### Environment variables  For scripted and automated usage, credentials can be set via environment variables: | Variable | Description | | --- | --- | | `PLAID_CLIENT_ID` | Plaid client ID | | `PLAID_SECRET` | Plaid secret | | `PLAID_ENV` | Environment (`sandbox` or `production`) | | `PLAID_ACCESS_TOKEN` | Access token | #### Feedback  Submit feedback, bug reports, or feature requests ```bash plaid feedback "The transactions list command is great!" ``` You can also run `plaid feedback` without a message to enter feedback interactively.