# LLM

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A CLI utility and Python library for interacting with Large Language Models, both via remote APIs and models that can be installed and run on your own machine.

{ref}`Run prompts from the command-line <usage-executing-prompts>`, {ref}`store the results in SQLite <logging>`, {ref}`generate embeddings <embeddings>` and more.

Here's a [YouTube video demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUXQNi6jQ30) and [accompanying detailed notes](https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jun/17/cli-language-models/).

Background on this project:

- [llm, ttok and strip-tags—CLI tools for working with ChatGPT and other LLMs](https://simonwillison.net/2023/May/18/cli-tools-for-llms/)
- [The LLM CLI tool now supports self-hosted language models via plugins](https://simonwillison.net/2023/Jul/12/llm/)
- [LLM now provides tools for working with embeddings](https://simonwillison.net/2023/Sep/4/llm-embeddings/)
- [Build an image search engine with llm-clip, chat with models with llm chat](https://simonwillison.net/2023/Sep/12/llm-clip-and-chat/)
- [You can now run prompts against images, audio and video in your terminal using LLM](https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/29/llm-multi-modal/)
- [Structured data extraction from unstructured content using LLM schemas](https://simonwillison.net/2025/Feb/28/llm-schemas/)
- [Long context support in LLM 0.24 using fragments and template plugins](https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/7/long-context-llm/)

For more check out [the llm tag](https://simonwillison.net/tags/llm/) on my blog.

## Quick start

First, install LLM using `pip` or Homebrew or `pipx`:

```bash
pip install llm
```
Or with Homebrew (see {ref}`warning note <homebrew-warning>`):
```bash
brew install llm
```
Or with [pipx](https://pypa.github.io/pipx/):
```bash
pipx install llm
```
Or with [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/guides/tools/)
```bash
uv tool install llm
```
If you have an [OpenAI API key](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys) key you can run this:
```bash
# Paste your OpenAI API key into this
llm keys set openai

# Run a prompt (with the default gpt-4o-mini model)
llm "Ten fun names for a pet pelican"

# Extract text from an image
llm "extract text" -a scanned-document.jpg

# Use a system prompt against a file
cat myfile.py | llm -s "Explain this code"
```
Or you can {ref}`install a plugin <installing-plugins>` and use models that can run on your local device:
```bash
# Install the plugin
llm install llm-gpt4all

# Download and run a prompt against the Orca Mini 7B model
llm -m orca-mini-3b-gguf2-q4_0 'What is the capital of France?'
```
To start {ref}`an interactive chat <usage-chat>` with a model, use `llm chat`:
```bash
llm chat -m gpt-4o
```
```
Chatting with gpt-4o
Type 'exit' or 'quit' to exit
Type '!multi' to enter multiple lines, then '!end' to finish
Type '!edit' to open your default editor and modify the prompt.
Type '!fragment <my_fragment> [<another_fragment> ...]' to insert one or more fragments
> Tell me a joke about a pelican
Why don't pelicans like to tip waiters?

Because they always have a big bill!
>
```

## Contents

```{toctree}
---
maxdepth: 3
---
setup
usage
openai-models
other-models
tools
schemas
templates
fragments
aliases
embeddings/index
plugins/index
python-api
logging
related-tools
help
contributing
changelog
```