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No-Code CLI User Guide

About

This is the complete guide to using the command-line interface (CLI) to Planet’s APIs. It’s divided up into a number of sections, so you can jump right into the examples for an API you’re interested in. If you’re new to CLI’s it should provide all the information you need to work more directly with Planet’s API’s.

CLI Guide Overview

  • CLI Introduction provides an introduction to using a CLI and highlights some of the key concepts and tools that work with Planet’s CLI. If you’re already comfortable with CLI tools you can safely skip this section.
  • CLI for Data API explores the planet data commands with extensive examples.
  • CLI for Orders API dives into the planet orders commands with numerous samples to get you started.
  • CLI for Subscriptions API - explains the planet subscriptions commands.
  • CLI for Destinations API - explores the planet destinations commands with examples.
  • CLI Tips & Tricks highlights a number of interesting geospatial CLI command-line tools and shows you how to use them in conjunction with Planet’s tools.

Step 1: Install Python 3.9+ and a virtual environment

This is a Python package, so you’ll need to install Python (version 3.9 or greater), and set up and install a virtual environment.

Yes. Even if you’re not writing code—and only using the "no code" CLI part of the Planet SDK for Python—you’re using Python to communicate with the Planet Labs PBC servers. If you need help with Python install and setting up a virtual environment, read Virtual Environments and the Planet SDK for Python.

Step 2: Install the Planet SDK for Python

Install the Planet SDK for Python using pip:

pip install planet

Step 3: Check the Planet SDK for Python version

planet --version

You should be on some version 2 of the Planet SDK for Python.

Step 4: Sign on to your account

Planet SDK for Python, like the Planet APIs, requires an account for use. Just as you log in when you browse to https://planet.com/account, you’ll want to sign on to your account so you have access to your account and orders.

At a terminal console, type the following Planet command:

planet auth login

A browser window should be opened, and you will be directed to login to your account. This command will wait for the browser login to complete, and should exit shortly afterwards. When this process succeeds, you will see the following message on the console:

Login succeeded.

If you are in an environment where the planet command line utility cannot open a browser (such as a remote shell on a cloud service provider), use the following command and follow the instructions: 

planet auth login --no-open-browser

Get your Access Token

Now that you’ve logged in, you can easily retrieve an Access Token that is being used for requests with the following command:

planet auth print-access-token

Many planet calls you make require an access token. This is a very convenient way to quickly grab the current access token.

Note : As a security measure, access tokens are time limited. They have a relatively short lifespan, and must be refreshed. The print-access-token command takes care of this transparently for the user.

Step 5: Search for Planet Imagery

You’ve installed the environment, the SDK, and connected with the Planet server. You’re now ready to get your first bunch of data.

In this step, you search for the most recent PSScene images available to download and filter the list based on those images you actually have permissions to download.

planet data filter

One of the commands you’ll use most frequently is planet data filter. This “convenience method” creates the JSON you need to run other commands. Run it with no arguments to see how it works by default:

planet data filter --permission --std-quality

Look at the console output to see some default filters. PermissionFilter filters the output to only contain imagery that you have permission to download. You’ll also see quality_category, which means the output lists only images in the standard quality category. Without these options, an empty filter is generated which would be used to disable filtering and simply return all results.

The --help switch is your friend

You can do a lot with this filter command. We recommend running planet data filter --help often to get a reference of how the commands work.

Run the filter command and save it to a file named filter.json:

planet data filter --permission --std-quality > filter.json

Then use that file with the search command and save the results to another file named recent-psscene.json.

planet data search PSScene --filter filter.json > recent-psscene.json

Open recent-psscene.json to see the 100 most recent PSScene images you have permissions to actually download.

Next steps

Now that you have the quick setup for the Planet SDK for Python, you have a few options:

How to Get Help

As The Planet SDK (V2) is in active development, features & functionality will continue to be added.

If there's something you're missing or are stuck, the development team would love to hear from you.

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