--- layout: article title: Send from CLI categories: [send] featured: true popular: false tags: [bitwarden send, send, cli] order: 06 --- Bitwarden Send is available as a set of fully-featured CLI commands. This article documents the breadth of `bw send` commands, however Send **is not a separate tool** from the Bitwarden Command-line Interface (CLI). Therefore, many of the commands, options, and concepts in the [CLI documentation]({% link _articles/miscellaneous/cli.md %}) are relevant here. {% image /send/send-cli.png Send's --help text %} ## send The `send` command is the master command used to access all Send-related subcommands: ``` bw send [options] [command] ``` The `send` command can **also** be used as a shortcut to quickly `create` a Send, for example: ``` bw send "Fastest Send in the West." ``` will create a text Send object with the contents `Fastest Send in the West.` and output the Send link. Or, for example: ``` bw send -f ``` will create a file Send object with the specified file at the specified `path` and output the Send link. **Options:** - Use `-n ` or `--name ` to specify a name for the Send. If none is specified, name will default to the `id` for text Sends and file name for file Sends. For multi-word names, use quotations `""`. - Use `-d ` or `--deleteInDays ` to specify a [deletion date]({{site.baseurl}}/article/send-lifespan/#deletion-date) for the Send (defaults to 7 days if unspecified). - Use `--hidden` to specify that a text Send require recipients to [toggle visibility]({{site.baseurl}}/article/send-privacy/#hide-text). - Use `--notes ` to add private notes to the Send. For multi-word notes, use quotations `""`. - Use `--fullObject` to output the full Send object as JSON rather than only the Send link (pair this option with the `--pretty` option for formatted JSON). **Full Example:** ``` bw send -n "My First Send" -d 7 --hidden "The contents of my first Send." ``` ### create The `create` command creates a Send. `create` allows more advanced configuration than using only `bw send` and takes encoded JSON for its argument: ``` bw send create [options] ``` A typical workflow might look something like: 1. Use the `template` command (see [details](#template)) to output the appropriate JSON template for your Send type. 2. Use a [command-line JSON processor like jq](https://stedolan.github.io/jq/){:target="\_blank"} to manipulate the outputted template as required. 3. Use the `encode` command (see [details]({{site.baseurl}}/article/cli/#encode)) to encode the manipulated JSON. 4. Use the `create` command to create a Send from the encoded JSON. For example: ``` bw send template send.text | jq '.name="My First Send" | .text.text="Secrets I want to share."' | bw encode | bw send create ``` or ``` bw send template send.text | jq ".name=\"My First Send\" | .text.text=\"Secrets I want to share.\" | .password=\"mypassword\" | .deletionDate=\"$(date -uv+14d + "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")\"" | bw encode | bw send create ``` {% callout success %} Notice in the 2nd example that the jq invokation must be wrapped in double quotes (`" "`) and use escapes (`\`) for each filter due to a nested `date` variable that configures a `.deletionDate` in the Send. {% endcallout %} **Options:** - Use `--file ` to specify the file to Send (this can also be specified in encoded JSON). - Use `--text ` to specify the text to Send (this can also be specified in encoded JSON). - Use `--hidden` to specify that a text Send require recipients to [toggle visibility]({{site.baseurl}}/article/send-privacy/#hide-text). - Use `--password ` to specify the password needed to access [password-protected]({{site.baseurl}}/article/send-privacy/#send-passwords). - Use `--fullObject` to output the full Send object as JSON rather than only the Send link (pair this option with the `--pretty` option for formatted JSON). ### get The `get` command will retrieve a Send owned by you and output it as a JSON object. `get` takes an exact `id` value or any string for its argument. If you use a string, `get` will search your Sends for one with a value that matches: ``` bw send get [options] ``` If you create a Send in another Bitwarden application while this session is still active, use the `bw sync` command to pull recent sends. For more information, refer to our [CLI documentation]({% link _articles/miscellaneous/cli.md %}). **Options:** - Use `--text` to output only the text contents of a text Send. - Use `--file` to output only the file of a file Send. Pair `--file` with `--output` to specify a directory, or with `--raw` to output to stdout. - Use `--output ` to specify the output directory for the `--file` option. ### edit The `edit` command edits an existing Send object. `edit` takes encoded JSON for its argument: ``` bw send edit ``` A typical workflow might look something like: 1. Use the `get` command (see [details](#get)) to retrieve the desired Send according to its ``. 2. Use a [command-line JSON processor like jq](https://stedolan.github.io/jq/){:target="\_blank"} to manipulate the retrieved Send as required. 3. Use the `encode` command (see [details]({{site.baseurl}}/article/cli/#encode)) to encode the manipulated JSON. 4. Use the `edit` command to write the edits to the Send. For example: ``` bw send get | jq '.name="New Name" | .password=null' | bw encode | bw send edit ``` **Options:** - Use `--itemid ` to overwrite the id value provided of the Send with a new one. {% callout note %} You can't `edit` a file Send's file. To do this, you'll need to delete the Send and re-create it with the appropriate file. {% endcallout %} ### list The `list` command will list all Sends owned by you and output them as JSON: ``` bw send list [options] ``` If you create a Send in another Bitwarden application while this session is still active, use the `bw sync` command to pull recent sends. For more information, refer to our [CLI documentation]({% link _articles/miscellaneous/cli.md %}). **Options:** - Use `--pretty` to format the JSON the output. - Pipe stdout to a file using the `>` operator, for example: ``` bw send list --pretty > /Users/myaccount/Documents/pretty_list_of_sends.json ``` ### delete The `delete` command will delete a Send owned by you. `delete` takes only an exact `id` value for its argument. ``` bw send delete ``` {% callout success %} If you don't know the exact `id` of the Send you want to delete, use `bw send get ` to find it. {% endcallout %} ### template The `template` command returns the expected JSON formatting for a Send object. `template` takes an `` specification for its argument, either `send.text` or `send.file`. ``` bw send template ``` While you *can* use `template` to output the format to your screen, the most common use-case is to pipe the output into a `bw send create` operation, using a [command-line JSON processor like jq](https://stedolan.github.io/jq/){:target="\_blank"} and `bw encode` to manipulate the values retrieved from the template, for example: ``` bw send template send.text | jq '.name="My First Send" | .text.text="Secrets I want to share."' | bw encode | bw send create ``` ## receive The `receive` command accesses a Send. `receive` takes a Send `` for its argument: ``` bw send receive [options] ``` - For text Sends, `receive` will return the text contents of the Send to stdout. - For file Sends, `receive` will download the file to the current working directory. **Options:** - Use `--password ` to provide the password needed to access [password-protected]({{site.baseurl}}/article/send-privacy/#send-passwords) Sends as a string. - Use `--passwordenv ` to specify the password needed to access [password-protected]({{site.baseurl}}/article/send-privacy/#send-passwords) Sends as a stored environment variable. - Use `--passwordfile ` to specify the password needed to access [password-protected]({{site.baseurl}}/article/send-privacy/#send-passwords) Sends as a file with the password as its first line. - Use `--obj` to output the full Send object as JSON rather than only the Send link (pair this option with the `--pretty` option for formatted JSON). - Use `--ouput ` to specify the output directory for the contents of a file Send.