User manual

Camel CLI - Getting Started

Three commands. That is all it takes to go from zero to a running integration.

Install

The Camel CLI runs on JBang. Install JBang first (see download instructions), then install the Camel CLI:

jbang app install camel@apache/camel

Verify that it works:

camel version
Camel CLI version: 4.21.0

That is it. No Maven project, no POM file, no IDE required.

The CLI requires internet access to download dependencies on first use. If you are behind a proxy, see JBang proxy configuration.
For version-pinned installs, offline-safe setups, container images, or installing without JBang, see Installation Options.

Create your first route

Use camel init to scaffold a new route. The file extension determines the DSL.

YAML

camel init hello.yaml
camel run hello.yaml

You should see Camel start up and begin logging:

... Started hello (timer://yaml)
... Hello Camel from route1
... Hello Camel from route1

Press Ctrl+C to stop.

Java

camel init Hello.java
camel run Hello.java

Same workflow, same result — just a different DSL. XML works the same way (camel init hello.xml).

Dev mode — edit and reload instantly

Run any route in dev mode to get live reload:

camel run hello.yaml --dev

Now edit the file in your editor and save. Camel detects the change and reloads the route automatically — no restart needed. This works for all DSLs (YAML, Java, XML).

Dev mode is the fastest way to prototype integrations. Keep it running while you iterate on your routes.
Want a visual overview of your running routes, message flow, and health status — right in the terminal? Just type camel tui — the plugin auto-installs on first use, no setup needed. See Camel TUI for details.

Try a built-in example

Don’t have a route yet? The CLI ships with a catalog of ready-to-run examples:

camel run --example

This lists the groups of the ladder with what each is about and the names of its examples: quick start first, then run, transform and map, route, fail well, connect without a service, connect to one service, contracts and security, AI and cloud, with showcase last. Name a group to see its examples in full, what you will see when each runs, what it needs and what it teaches, with icons for bundled (works offline), Docker, Citrus tests and a local model:

camel run --example=route

An example can be named by its short name or by its group, route/aggregator.

Run one directly:

camel run --example=timer-log
camel run --example=rest-api --dev
Combine with --dev for live reload while exploring the example.

Running multiple files

You can run several files together, even mixing DSLs:

camel run one.yaml Hello.java

Or use wildcards to run everything in a directory:

camel run *.yaml
camel run *
The CLI automatically picks up application.properties files in the same directory.

Browse the component catalog

Discover what Camel offers — components, data formats, languages, and Kamelets:

camel catalog component
camel catalog kamelet
Run camel catalog --help to see all sub-commands.

Component documentation

Show quick reference documentation (description + all configuration options):

camel doc kafka
camel doc jackson
camel doc aws-kinesis-sink
This shows catalog-level documentation with option tables, not the full website documentation.

If a component and data format share the same name, prefix with dataformat: (e.g., camel doc dataformat:thrift).

Open the online documentation in a browser with --open-url, or get just the URL with --url:

camel doc kafka --open-url

Filter options by name, description, or group (producer, security, advanced, etc.):

camel doc kafka --filter=security
camel doc kafka --filter=timeout

Open API

Camel CLI supports contract-first REST development — each OpenAPI operation is bridged to a Camel route via direct:<operationId>.

See the open-api example for details.

Enable shell completion

Tab completion makes discovering commands much easier:

source <(camel completion)

To make it permanent:

echo 'source <(camel completion)' >> ~/.bashrc

Interactive shell

Launch an interactive shell with command history, autocompletion, and alias support:

camel shell

All CLI commands are available inside the shell without the camel prefix. The shell stores history in ~/.camel-jbang-history and aliases in ~/.camel-jbang-aliases.

Check your environment

Run the doctor to verify that your environment is set up correctly:

camel doctor

This checks Camel and Java versions, JBang availability, Maven repository connectivity, container runtime (Docker/Podman), and disk space.

Explore commands

Every command supports --help:

camel run --help
camel init --help

For the full list of commands, see the Command Reference.

What’s next

Next step When to use it

Running Camel

Dev mode options, profiles, properties, GitHub-hosted routes, Spring Boot and Quarkus runtimes.

Dev Services

Spin up databases, message brokers, and other infrastructure for your routes.

Development Tools

Send and receive test messages, configure JDBC, set up dependency injection.

Debugging

Step through routes with the built-in debugger or connect your IDE.

Export to Maven

Export to Spring Boot, Quarkus, or Camel Main for production. Manage dependencies and versions.