The OrbConvert CLI will let you convert files directly from the terminal.
The OrbConvert CLI is coming soon
The CLI is on our roadmap. The command reference below shows the planned interface. In the meantime, use the REST API directly with curl — it's a simple three-step flow.
Until the CLI ships, convert files from the terminal using curl:
# Upload, convert, and download in 3 requests:
curl -X POST https://api.orbconvert.com/api/uploads \
-H "x-api-key: ch_live_YOUR_API_KEY" \
-F "file=@document.pdf"
curl -X POST https://api.orbconvert.com/api/conversions \
-H "x-api-key: ch_live_YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{ "fileId": "file_abc123", "toFormat": "docx" }'
curl https://api.orbconvert.com/api/conversions/conv_xyz789 \
-H "x-api-key: ch_live_YOUR_API_KEY"See the Getting Started guide for a full walkthrough.
# Planned — not yet published npm install -g @orbconvert/cli
Will require Node.js 18 or later.
orbconvert config set api_key ch_live_YOUR_API_KEY
You will also be able to use the ORBCONVERT_API_KEY environment variable.
Convert a single file. Flags: --to/-t, --output/-o, --quality/-q
# Planned command design orbconvert convert input.pdf --to docx --output output.docx
Convert multiple files at once.
orbconvert batch ./images/*.png --to jpg --output ./converted/
Check the status of a conversion job.
orbconvert status conv_abc123
List recent conversions.
orbconvert list --limit 20
Watch a directory and auto-convert new files.
orbconvert watch ./input/ --to pdf --output ./output/
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| ORBCONVERT_API_KEY | Your API key |
| ORBCONVERT_API_URL | API base URL (default: https://api.orbconvert.com) |
| ORBCONVERT_TIMEOUT | Request timeout in seconds (default: 30) |
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