Install the Aptos CLI on Windows

For Windows, the easiest way to install the Aptos CLI tool is via Python script. If that does not work, you can also install manually via pre-compiled binaries. The pre-compiled binaries approach is not generally recommended as updating is very manual.

Install via Python Script

Ensure you have Python 3.6+ installed by running python3 --version

If python3 is not installed, you can find installation instructions on python.org.

In PowerShell, run the install script:

iwr "https://aptos.dev/scripts/install_cli.py" -useb | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Content | python3

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If you receive the error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named packaging you can install packaging by running pip3 install packaging then repeat this step.

You should see instructions in your terminal saying “Execute the following command to update your PATH:“.

Copy and run the command to update your PATH from the terminal.

It should look something like setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\Users\<your_account_name>\.aptoscli\bin".

Verify the script is installed by opening a new terminal and running aptos help.

• You should see a list of commands you can run using the CLI.

• In the future, this is a helpful resource to learn exactly how each command works.

If you would like to update the Aptos CLI to the latest version via script, you can run aptos update.

Install via Pre-Compiled Binaries (Backup Method)

Go to the Aptos CLI release page.

Expand “Assets” to see the pre-compiled binaries.

Download the zip file for Windows.

• It will have a name like: aptos-cli-<version>-Windows-x86_64.zip

• You will likely have to dismiss warnings that this is a suspicious file when downloading.

Unzip the downloaded file.

• Move the file to whichever folder you would like to call aptos from in the future.

Right click, then copy the path to the executable.

Ex. C:\Users\<username>\Downloads\aptos-cli-3.1.0-Windows-x86_64\aptos.exe.

You may want to add this path to your PATH environment variable to simplify calling the Aptos CLI going forward.

Open PowerShell via the Start Menu.

Verify the installation by running the help command.

Use the path you copied earlier to call the Aptos CLI. Ex. C:\Users\<username>\Downloads\aptos-cli-3.1.0-Windows-x86_64\aptos.exe help.

When installing with pre-compiled binaries, you can update the Aptos CLI by deleting your existing installation, then following the installation steps again.

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If neither of the above methods work, you will have to build the CLI from source by following these steps: Install Specific Aptos CLI Versions (Advanced)