site/command-line-reference-prefix.html

---
layout: documentation
title: Command-Line Reference
---

<div style="background-color: #EFCBCB; color: #AE2B2B;  border: 1px solid #AE2B2B; border-radius: 5px; border-left: 10px solid #AE2B2B; padding: 0.5em;">
    <b>IMPORTANT:</b> The Bazel docs have moved! Please update your bookmark to <a href="https://bazel.build/reference/command-line-reference" style="color: #0000EE;">https://bazel.build/reference/command-line-reference</a>
    <p/>
    You can <a href="https://blog.bazel.build/2022/02/17/Launching-new-Bazel-site.html" style="color: #0000EE;">read about</a> the migration, and let us <a href="https://forms.gle/onkAkr2ZwBmcbWXj7" style="color: #0000EE;">know what you think</a>.
    </div>

<h1>Command-Line Reference</h1>

<pre>
bazel [&lt;startup options&gt;] &lt;command&gt; [&lt;args&gt;]
</pre>

or

<pre>
bazel [&lt;startup options&gt;] &lt;command&gt; [&lt;args&gt;] -- [&lt;target patterns&gt;]
</pre>

See the <a href="/docs/build#specifying-build-targets">User's Guide</a> for the
target patterns syntax.

<h2>Option Syntax</h2>

<p>
Options can be passed to Bazel in different ways. Options that require a value
can be passed with either an equals sign or a space:
<pre>
--&lt;option&gt;=&lt;value&gt;
--&lt;option&gt; &lt;value&gt;
</pre>
Some options have a single character short form; in that case, the short form
has to be passed with a single dash and a space.
<pre>
-&lt;short_form&gt; &lt;value&gt;
</pre>
</p>

<p>
Boolean options can be enabled as follows:
<pre>
--&lt;option&gt;
--&lt;option&gt;=[true|yes|1]
</pre>

and disabled as follows:
<pre>
--no&lt;option&gt;
--&lt;option&gt;=[false|no|0]
</pre>
</p>

<p>
Tristate options are usually set to automatic by default, and can be
force-enabled as follows:
<pre>
--&lt;option&gt;=[true|yes|1]
</pre>
or force-disabled as follows:
<pre>
--no&lt;option&gt;
--&lt;option&gt;=[false|no|0]
</pre>
</p>